Home Remedy For Head Lice Pt.2

So lets look at white vinegar. It is a commonly suggested home remedy for head lice. It will loosen the nits (the lice eggs) from the hair shaft prior to you performing the nit picking aspect of head lice removal. The white vinegar will loosen the nits but it will not kill the lice or the nits themselves. To use white vinegar you simply soak the hair of the affected person with it and then use a damp towel that has been soaked in the white vinegar as well. The towel needs to stay on for between thirty to sixty minutes and then it is time to perform the nit picking aspect of head lice removal. As stated above it is not advisable to mix different head lice treatments without consulting with your health care professional. The reason for this as far as white vinegar is concerned is because white vinegar can circumvent the effectiveness of a product called Nix, which is a current medication for the relief of a head lice infestation.

What about the oil based treatments as a home remedy for head lice? These are olive oil or mayonnaise. Since these treatments are oil based they basically make it hard for head lice to breathe. It smothers them. Even head lice breathe! So you just submerge the hair of the affected person with the mayo or the olive oil and let it stay on for thirty to sixty minutes and this will cause the lice to “slow down” This can make it easier to detach and remove the nits and head lice. To use the oil based treatment option for a home remedy for head lice you will need these items: Olive oil or mayo, the real mayo not the low fat or homemade stuff, a hair dryer, a nit picking comb, some plastic wrap or a good old fashioned shower cap, some shampoo that does not have conditioner in it and a sink to wash in.Now, totally cover the head/scalp of the affected person with the mayo or olive oil. Wrap the head of the affected person in the plastic wrap or use the shower cap. Now use the blow dryer on the persons head for a few minutes as this heats the head up and will help in killing the head lice. The wrap or cap on the head can stay on for up to a couple of hours. Then it will be time to use a comb in the nit picking step of the head lice removal treatment.

These combs come in products like LiceOut, LiceMeister, products respectively. When this step is done it is time to shampoo the hair. You might have to shampoo the head of the affected person more than once to get the oil out then you might have to use the nit picking comb again to get any remaining nits. The nit picking can go on for up to two weeks and should be done twice a day. It may take more than one shampooing to remove all of the mayonnaise/olive oil Vaseline as a home remedy for head lice? The same theory for oil-based products also applies to Vaseline. Using petroleum jelly like Vaseline for a home remedy for head lice is another option as it is similar in use to the oil based treatment option. Vaseline can make it hard for lice to breathe just as the oil based option does. The steps are basically the same for using the Vaseline except that you will leave the showe cap on overnight and then do the rest of the steps outlined in the oil based option. The on negative aspect about using the Vaseline is that it is hard to get out of your hair as it can take days and many, many shampoo sessions to get it out. So, as you can see the oil based treatments can effectively deal with a head lice infestation. In part three of this article we will look at the value of Tea Tree Oil as a home remedy for head lice. Stay tuned!

This article is educational in nature and is not to be construed as offering medical advice. Always consult with your doctor or other health care professional before using this information.