Lice, also called pediculosis or head lice, are particularly fond of children’s hair. Every school year, the lice are back! And difficult to overcome so these parasites prove to be tenacious. Fortunately, there are natural tips and solutions to completely get rid of these little insects. Discover all the effective treatments to fight against lice as well as preventive measures.
Summary
What are lice?
Lice, also called head lice, are part of the insect family. Greyish in color, they are the size of a sesame seed and have six legs. They live on the hairline, on the scalp.
These parasites are able to live for a month on a person’s head. They stay warm, feed and reproduce there. On the other hand, once detached, their lifespan does not reach more than two or three days.
We distinguish three steps in the life cycle of a louse. It first comes in the form of nits. These are oval eggs that can take several colors: gray, yellow or beige. No bigger than a grain of sand, they cling to the hair, close to the scalp.
The nits hatch after a good week and give way to the nymphs. They look like adult lice, but smaller. Then seven days after hatching, the nymphs become lice and lay nits again…
Namely, lice are not a sign of any disease and have nothing to do with a lack of hygiene or dirtiness. These little insects, which have been around for several centuries, love clean hair as much as neglected hair.
Generally, lice, also called pediculosis, are very fond of the heads of children between 3 and 12 years old. Indeed, the presence of nits and lice is very common in school-age children, much less in children under 3 years old.
How do we catch them?
There are two ways to catch head lice:
- by direct contact with hair infested with lice. Avoid hugging or hugging someone with head lice. Transmission happens very quickly.
- by indirect contact via personal items such as a pillowcase, sheet, cap, cap, hat, comb or hairbrush. You should know that lice do not jump but crawl very quickly.
Also be aware that human head lice and those that live on animals such as dogs and cats are not transmissible. Impossible to catch lice in contact with a domestic animal.
Lice symptoms
How do you know your head is infested with lice? In fact, there are a few warning signs that are hardly misleading. The main symptom is characterized by itching of the scalp, especially in the ears and the nape of the neck.
On the other hand, lice can also cause red dots. Indeed, these insects feed on the blood of the scalp.
In the presence of these symptoms, it is advisable to immediately check whether small animals have not taken up residence on your head.
What are the treatments to kill head lice?
There are products sold in supermarkets as well as in pharmacies. Based on insecticide, they are often toxic and unhealthy, especially for children. Among them, we find malathion as well as permethrin, also at the origin of urticaria.
Fortunately, there are also harmless solutions to get rid of head lice. Most act by suffocation. After each application of these treatments to the hair, it must be combed using a lice comb.
Dimethicone
This synthetic, silicone-based oil kills lice by suffocating them. Generally, the product is combined with other substances such as petroleum jelly or jojoba oil. Dimethicone is as effective as an insecticide, minus the toxicity.
Apply the oil all over the scalp and leave for eight hours. The treatment should be carried out again after eight days. Indeed, dimeticone does not act on nits.
Oxyphthirin
Like dimeticone, this product is not an insecticide and causes lice to choke. Apply the product to the scalp and leave for eight hours. As it dries, oxyphthirine asphyxiates both lice and nits.
vegetable oils
Coconut, sweet almond, sunflower or olive oil… All these vegetable oils suffocate lice thanks to the formation of a greasy microfilm.
Apply the oil of your choice to the hair and leave for two hours, before washing and rinsing. The treatment can be repeated several times to eliminate recalcitrant nits.
white vinegar
This product has many benefits, especially on lice. Pour it on your hair while massaging. Then wrap the head in a warm towel before letting it rest for a few minutes. Finally, rinse and wash the hair to remove the smell of white vinegar. The next day, repeat the operation to get rid of the lice.
Baking soda
This product has many virtues. Among them, that of eliminating nits by taking them off at the root. Spread the baking soda over your hair, taking care not to get any in your eyes. Massage, then after a few minutes, wash the hair.
onion juice
Onion is a great remedy for lice. Just extract the juice from an onion and apply it on the scalp. Gently massage the head, from roots to ends, then leave for three hours. The smell of onion will kill lice.
Then wash the hair to remove the dead insects. The operation must be repeated after three days to no longer have the infested head.
Clean all infested everyday objects
To get rid of nits and lice, it is not necessary to disinfect the whole house. On the other hand, some insects settled on objects in contact with the infested head. Clean all the accessories and objects likely to have been in contact with the louse (hat, bath towel, pillowcase, sheet, etc.). To eliminate small animals, provide a high temperature machine.
Also wash your combs, hairbrushes and all hairdressing accessories. Plunge them into boiling water.
aromatherapy
Essential oils have repellent properties against lice. Among them, the HE of lavender, lemon or rose geranium. Even before you have lice, apply a drop behind each ear, at the level of the neck and even on clothing. This preventative action will save you from disappointment.
Also make an essential oil shampoo combined with a vegetable oil base. Simply mix 60 ml of coconut oil, olive oil with 10 drops of repellent EO. Then cover with plastic wrap and leave on for more than an hour. Wash, rinse and comb, taking care to rinse the lice comb after each pass through the hair.
Namely, essential oils are not recommended for people with chronic diseases, and for children under three years old. On the other hand, the elderly must first seek the advice of their doctor before using essential oils.
Lice Prevention Tips
Prevention is better than cure… To confirm the famous adage, prevent the appearance of lice with a few simple tips and actions:
- keep hair tied back if length permits;
- do not stick your head to that of another person;
- do not exchange accessories in contact with the head (hat, scarf, etc.);
- examine the head regularly with a fine comb.
No treatment prevents the spread of lice. Detection and natural treatment of lice remain the only solutions to overcome these insects.
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