Head lice are one of the most annoying pests to deal with. Other bugs, such as spiders, don’t cause as many headaches as these little creatures.
There is also a problem with using over the counter medication to kill the insects. Treatments can be expensive, and a lot of the time, they simply just don’t work.
This is even worse if you have children. You don’t want your child missing out on education, yet it is almost an impossibility to send them to school knowing that it probably wouldn’t take long for the creatures to jump to someone else’s head, causing a pandemic. Besides, many schools simply do not let any child carrying lice to come to school, and really, the last thing you want is your whole social network getting infected
Thing is, it can be very easy to get rid of them, without harming your own (or your child’s head). So, to get rid of them for once and all, look no further.
Note: Some articles online recommend using bags on top of any ointments or substances you put on a head. If you are planning to use any of these treatments on a child, make sure to never leave them unattended, as this is how accidents can happen.
Cure Head Lice with Mayonnaise
This is the classic treatment for curing head lice naturally. The idea is that the mayo will clog up the breathing holes of lice and nits, causing them to suffocate. To use this method, all you have to do is put the mayo on your (or your child’s) head, and leave on for at least five hours. Then, when you wash it off, hopefully there will be specs of black along with the Mayo, showing you that the head lice really have naturally all gone.
Get Rid of Head Lice with Olive Oil
Imagine swimming in a pool of olive oil. Now imagine you are no bigger than a spec of dust. This is how this natural and effective ingredient can cure head lice. By covering the affected head in olive oil, you can effectively drown each and every head lice.
To use this treatment, as well as bathing your head in olive oil, you should leave the oil on over night, just to make sure that it truly takes hold. To prevent your pillows or bed from getting messy, simply put on a shower cap over night.
One other great thing about this method is, believe it or not, using natural olive oil won’t make your hair greasy but instead return its natural shine. So, as well as getting rid of lice, you can make yourself look better and healthier.
Use Heat (Hot Hair Dryer) as a Natural Remedy for Head Lice
Once you have showered after applying olive oil, another great thing to try is using a hair dryer, even if you don’t normally use one. The hot air will naturally kill the nits and head lice as they can not stand the hot temperatures.
Get Rid of Head Lice with Vinegar
One of the problems with getting rid of head lice the natural way is that you also have to make sure to
To use this, all you have to do is mix the vinegar with a normal natural shampoo. Part of the reason for doing this is because, of course, using just vinegar on your hair might leave a bit of a stink!
Once you have showered your vinegar and shampoo mixture off, make sure to rinse the shower throughly, to make sure that all of the eggs have gone down the plug hole.
Essential Oils to Remove Head Lice
One, nice smelling healthy and natural, way to kill head lice is to use essential oils. Prised in many cultures; as well as killing lice, these can also heavily improve the quality of both your hair and your scalp.
To use this method, all you have to do is fill up a spray bottle with some water, and a bit of olive oil. Spray on the head, and leave over night. Although you have many options for which oil to use, including peppermint and aniseed, our recommendation is to use lavender. This is because this oil has been shown to promote good sleep and pleasant dreams, meaning that when you wake up, not only will you have lice free hair, but you feel refreshed and relaxed for the day ahead.
Garlic to Rid You of Head Lice
As well as helping to kill the lice, garlic has another effect. That is, it will also naturally heal the spots where the lice have nipped at the hair, reducing scratching immediately after the treatment and herbally healing any damage the pests might have already done.
To cleanse your hair, all you have to do is take ten garlic cloves and push them through a garlic press. Take the pulp, and mix some lemon juice (to help loosen the glue of any eggs) and a dab of conditioner. Cover your (or your child’s) hair with this mixture for an hour then simply wash off. Repeat this process every day for five days, and soon the hair will be naturally lice free.
Salt, Apple Cider Vinegar and Oil to Cure & Get Rid of Head Lice
This can be used alongside any mixtures that you put on your hair. The idea behind this is to give your hair a bath that, as well as restoring your hair’s natural health, also helps to cure the head lice infection.
Simply take a bucket full of water,add some simple table salt and about a cup of vinegar. Then, using a jug, wash your hair with this mixture.
The salt will help cause the lice’s bodies to dry, while the slight acid in the Apple Cider Vinegar will not only, once again, help to get the eggs off but also encourage the nits to fall off of your hair. Make sure to never mix the running from your hair into the bucket. This will simply cause that particular lice to go back into your hair once you apply more water.
Other Tips for Head Lice – Combing, Repeat Treatments, Finally Stop Lice
Repeat multiple treatments
For the best results, do more than one of these treatments. That is, as well as combing, make sure to use the Mayonnaise trick for head lice as well. This will help you ensure that you have truly gotten rid of them all. Although lice can only spend a couple of days off of the human head before dying, all it takes is for a couple to jump back before you have to go through these natural remedies again.
Stop them from coming back
Make sure to wash all of your linen, including bedding and cushions. This is because there may still be some head lice eggs or adults on them, and the last thing you want after getting rid of them is for them all to simply come back.
If you have some linen which is particularly delicate, instead of washing it, you can simply put it in a fully sealed bag or container for a couple of weeks. After this time, all of the bugs will have hatched. Without anything to feed on they will have naturally died, allowing you to use your fabric again.
Even if only one member of your family is itching, you will want to make sure that you give everyone in your home these treatment methods. This is because someone might not even realize how much they are scratching, or simply have eggs in their hair that haven’t hatched yet.
If you have gotten rid of lice, but are concerned that you or your child had caught them from someone else, you can also help to prevent becoming infected again. One thing to do is prevent the lice from jumping back in. For long hair, simply try tying it up. This gives your hair a much smaller surface area, meaning that lice will have to have particularly good aim to be able to get onto your head again.
Styling your hair with natural hair gels (such as coconut gel) or hair sprays can also be really effective. This is because it makes the strands of your hair just slightly slippery, meaning that both lice and their eggs will not be able to stay in your hair for long.
If the weather is not too warm, you can also try wearing a hat. After all, head lice can’t get onto your hair if there isn’t any hair out for them to jump onto!
And of course, if lice is a common problem, you can simply make sure that everyone in your house washes their hair with tea-tree oil at least once a month. This will help to keep hair healthy, as well as killing the eggs before they even get a chance to hatch, allowing you and your family to live naturally head lice free forever.