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One would rightly wonder as to how these small wingless creatures can cause so much itching and irritation. Body lice are small grey insects that feed on human blood and lay eggs on the skin. It is highly contagious and can spread through touch and clothes. Body lice, like crab lice can cause severe itching which will make the skin peel, resulting in more infections. One of the main reasons for body lice infestation is poor hygienic practices.
Reusing dirty clothes, not taking a shower for several days and using the personal belongings and clothes of others who are infected are sure ways by which you can get body lice. The presence of body lice is not difficult to detect as they cause red bumps with extreme itching. Thankfully, the home remedies that are available for treating body lice are as effective as the medications and creams. Before you feel the need for medications to remove the infection, try the efficacy of these natural methods which are very gentle on the skin.
Neem has tremendous medicinal qualities that make it an excellent antibacterial and antiseptic par excellence. Take 1/4th kg neem leaves and boil in 2 litres of water. Fill it in the bath tub along with warm water. Soak your body in this medicinal liquid for about half an hour. Do this every day until all the lice and nits on your skin are effectively removed. Another effective way to treat body lice with neem is to make it into a paste and apply all over the body. Leave it till it is dry and scrub it off before taking bath.
Body lice can affect your clothes and bed linen. Therefore disinfecting these clothes are also important to stop recurrence. While you soak yourself, soak the clothes in hot neem water for an hour. Soak in hot detergent water for another half an hour and wash it thoroughly with a brush to remove nits and body lice completely from them.
When body lice infestation becomes very severe, the itching causes the skin to crack and lesions start appearing. This is a very difficult condition leading to skin infections. Apricot leaves are best for treating these lesions. Take fresh apricot leaves and extract the juice from it. Apply on the lesion and leave it for an hour. Wash it in warm water. The lesions will soon start drying up and will finally disappear.
The itch caused by body lice could turn unbearable at times. The scratching could also lead to skin lesions and infections. It is important to get rid of the scratch while you remove the body lice. For this, all you have to do is to mix vinegar and vegetable oil in the ratio 1:2. Apply on the full body and leave it for half an hour. Vinegar has an acidic base which will kill all the body lice.
The acidity of vinegar is detrimental to the skin and hence you need to protect your skin while doing this treatment. Mixing with vegetable oil will prevent vinegar from exerting its fangs on human skin. Vegetable oil will create a protective layer and prevent skin damage.
Take half kilograms of drumstick leaf and extract the juice from it. Take equal quantities of sesame seeds oil and mix it with drumstick juice. Heat the mixture until the water evaporates. After cooling, apply on the lesions on the skin. Apply it two times every day for two weeks. The application will kill the body lice as drumstick has antibacterial properties and prevents infections. Sesame oil has been used for healing wounds for centuries and hence great for healing lesions.
Body lice can cause severe itching and resultant skin infections. Putting an end to itching is a huge relief in itself. Scratching can cause cuts on the skin and make it conducive for the bacteria to enter the body. To prevent itching and also to kill body lice, calamine lotion can be used. Apply on the infected area and leave it on till it dries. Calamine subsides itching on the lesions and prevents the infected person from scratching of skin. Calamine can also kill body lice by drying it and trapping it in the dry lotion. Apply calamine continuously for removing the infection completely.
Essential oils have abundant skin benefits for the skin and also help in healing and soothing skin that is damaged. It also helps in regenerating damages skin tissues as a result of scratching. Tea tree oil has antibacterial properties and helps in killing body lice effectively. Mix tea tree oil along with water in the ratio 1:2. Apply all over the body and leave it on without washing. The antibacterial qualities of tea tree oil will help in the removal of body lice completely. This has to be done many times a day for a week. Tea tree oil can also be used to disinfect your clothes. Add a few drop of tea tree oil to the hot water you use for washing clothes. Soak it for half an hour before washing with detergent.
Disinfecting your clothes and bed line is as important as removing body lice from your body. This will eliminate any chances of recurrence. Wash all the clothes in hot water, including clothes of your family members. Add clothes in boiling water and leave it for ten minutes. This applies only for clothes that can withstand heat. Once it cools down, you can use a strong detergent for soaking the clothes for another half to one hour. Wash the clothes in warm water. You can continue this treatment once more to make sure that clothes are completely disinfected from body lice.
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