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Head lice can be such a nuisance and it can spread to others in the family as well if you choose to do nothing about it. Lice are parasites that live on the head.
Feeding the blood and dead skin cells on the scalp. Removing a lice infection completely can be a humongous task and in most cases, you require weeks of rigorous treatment for completely eliminating the lice and the nits. Mentioned below are some wonderful home remedies that can help in removing head lice completely.
Natural Ways To Remove Head Lice
Nit Comb
Using a nit comb is one of the most effective and cheapest remedies that can be used for treating head lice as well as the nits. The teeth of the nit comb are tightly packed and when you comb with a nit comb, the lice gets trapped between the teeth along with the nits or moves down and falls out while you comb, as they cannot escape through the teeth.
Wet your hair before you use a nit comb to increase the friction and remove all the head lice and nits. Continue diligently for at least a week and wash all your bed linen and personal belongings to remove any lice or nits that could be harboring there.
Garlic
Make a paste of garlic and apply on the scalp and hair. A thick coat will help in suffocating the head lice. Garlic is anti bacterial in nature and this will help in removing all the good bacteria from the gut of the lice.
Slowly the lice will not be able to digest food and will be destroyed. Continue for two weeks and leave the garlic paste for as much time as you can on your head. Applying a little lemon juice as well along with this will increase the effectiveness of the treatment.
Tea Tree Oil
Tea tree oil is very strong and can kill the lice in an instant. However, avoid application of tea tree oil directly on the scalp as it can burn the skin. Dilute it with equal amounts of water and massage thoroughly on to the scalp and the hair, taking care to apply behind the ears and nape of the neck, which are areas where lice hide.
Massage for fifteen minutes so that all the areas are covered and all the lice are killed as well. Comb the hair using a nit comb for removing the dead lice.
Apple Mash
Apples have a crunchy texture and are also acidic in nature. This can help in suffocating the lice and killing them. The acidity of the apple juice will help in making the nit glue loose and this will help in nit removal as well.
Take 2-3 apples and mash well. Apply a thick coat on the scalp and hair. This could be a messy task though an effective one. Massage with your head so that the lice are kneaded to death. Leave it on for 2-3 hours and continue application for a week.
Neem
Neem paste has anti bacterial and anti fungal properties and its thick paste like consistency will also add to its effectiveness as a natural lice removing remedy.
Neem paste can be applied on the head and hair and the hair can be twisted and left above your head. Leave it on for 3-4 hours so that the paste thickens and becomes dry, thereby dehydrating the trapped lice as well. Wash off and repeat every day for two weeks.
Vinegar
The acidity of vinegar can kill quite a few lice and also loosen the glue with which the nits attach themselves to the hair shaft. Apply vinegar on your head and leave it on for a hour.
Apple cider vinegar too can be used for this purpose. The vinegar being antibacterial in nature will also help in killing the beneficial bacteria in the louse’s gut, thereby speeding up the destruction process.
Petroleum Jelly And Mayonnaise
Both these methods have the same effect on the lice as they prevent proper respiratory action in the lice and finally killing them as they cannot breathe.
Apply either or both of them on your head as a thick paste, taking care to cover the hair completely and leaving it on for 3-4 hours for the action to take place. 6-7 applications are required for completely eliminating the nuisance from your head.
Aloe Gel
Aloe has many medicinal properties and can also restore the scalp from the wounds and scratches caused due to extreme scratching and sucking of blood by lice.
Aloe gel also has the right consistency to trap the lice and kill them immediately. Apply thick aloe gel all over your head and leave it on for a day. This will kill most of the lice. Repeat the procedure 4-5 times until all the lice are removed from the head.
Custard Paste
Custard paste too is very thick and gooey and helps in trapping the head lice and preventing them from moving around, finally killing them due to suffocation and lack of air. Apply the thick and crunch paste all over your head and hair. Wait for a few hours before washing. Repeat for two weeks till all the lice are removed from your scalp and hair.
Olive Oil
Application of olive oil helps in such a way that the once the oil is smeared generously on your head and hair, the scalp and hair becomes slippery so that the lice finds it difficult to move about and this will confuse them and kill them in the long run. Warm the olive oil slightly and massage on the hair and head.
Mimicking a kneading action with your knuckles or your finger tips. Continue for fifteen minutes. This is also a good massage therapy for your head as it will increase blood circulation and nourish your scalp and hair as well, thereby healing any wound caused by the infestation.
Butter And Lemon Paste
Take some butter and squeeze some lemon juice as well into it. Apply a thick paste of this on the scalp and cover your hair as well with this paste. Leave it on for 3-4 hours so that the lice will get trapped in this paste and can be easily removed..
Caution: Please use Home Remedies after Proper Research and Guidance. You accept that you are following any advice at your own risk and will properly research or consult healthcare professional.