Home Remedies For Lice: Procedure, Recovery, Risk & Complication

Lice are a parasite that requires human blood to survive. These small termites usually live on the scalp of your head. They can also be found near the ears, on your eyelashes, eyebrows, the rest of your body, and even in the pubic hair. These lice lay eggs and spread from person to person, by crawling from one head to another.

There are many ways to treat head lice and it is even possible to get rid of them completely. The home remedies that are effective in treating head lice are as follows:

1. Oiling:

   Get rid of your lice by oiling your hair with coconut, almond, or olive oil and comb away from the lice with a fine-toothed comb. Part the hair into small sections and go through it with a fine comb, washing away the lice under hot water. You can soak the comb in bleach or vinegar, for ten minutes after using it.

   Then shampoo your hair and wash thoroughly. Follow this procedure, every day for two weeks or until the lice have gone.

2. Mayonnaise:

   Another home remedy for getting rid of lice involves slathering mayonnaise all over the scalp. Keep it in your hair for 30 minutes and then wash thoroughly with hot water and shampoo. After washing your hair, section it into small bunches and go through it with a nit comb. This is to ensure that the eggs are removed, and you are completely rid of the lice.

3. Essential oils:

   Essential oils such as tea tree oil, neem oil, and lavender oil have been effective in treating head lice. Use the essential oil with caution, since some people can be allergic to it. To make this remedy, take three tablespoons of olive oil and add 5 to 10 drops of essential oil to it.

   Message this solution to your scalp for around 12 hours and then shampoo your hair. While it is still wet, comb out the lice with a fine-tooth comb.

4. Onion juice:

   Onion juice helps to kill the lice. You can take out onion juice and put it on the scalp for 30-40 minutes, after that you can remove the dead lice and nits with the help of a comb. You need to wash the hair after combing. Using onion juice on your scalp is one of the most effective ways for lice prevention.

5. Garlic paste:

   Lice can be killed easily by applying garlic paste to the scalp. To apply the garlic paste you can grind 7-8 cloves of garlic with lime juice. Leave the scalp for 25-30 minutes after applying the paste. Rinse your hair with shampoo to remove the dead lice.

6. Mixture of baking soda and conditioner:

   Mixture of baking soda and conditioner helps to kill the lice by inhibiting their respiratory system. Make a mixture of baking soda and conditioner in a 1:3 ratio. Apply the mixture on your scalp and comb your hair with a nit comb. After that, you can rinse your hair with shampoo. A mixture of shampoo and baking soda helps you a lot to avoid lice.

7. Avoid head to head contact:

   Head-to-head contact leads to easy transfer of lice from one head to the other by crawling. It Is suggested for people having long hair to tie up the ponytail. Avoid sharing combs, hats.

8. Dip your hair in the bathtub:

   Dipping your hair in the bathtub will help to kill the lice, as lice get drowned in the water. But as per the researcher, there are not many effective remedies as lice can stay alive in water for hours.

Summary: Lice can be removed by applying garlic paste, onion juice, baking soda, Mayonnaise, Essential oil, Oil. Avoid head-to-head contact. You can all-overy by dipping your hair in the bathtub.

Generally, there are not many side effects when you use natural home remedies for lice. However, some people can have an allergy to essential oil. It is important to try a few drops on your skin before using this remedy, if there is any itching or a reaction, discontinue the use of this remedy and contact your doctor.

• It is also possible for your hair to have an undesirable reaction, after using mayonnaise. Although this problem might only occur if you use store-bought mayonnaise that contains harsh preservatives.
• Some people are allergic to almond oil and this might cause them to react to it. Thus, while these are rare occurrences, it is advisable to practice caution while using these home remedies for lice.

Summary: Despite being effective, certain home remedies have some side effects which vary from person to person, so choose your home remedy only if you are not allergic or sensitive to the particular substance. Do not use any home remedies in excess as it may be harmful to health.

After starting treatment for lice with these home remedies, it is important to follow the below guidelines.

• keep your hair, clothes, bedsheets, pillowcase, and everything that you use very clean.
• Make sure that you use a fresh pillowcase, bedsheet, and clean clothes, for these remedies to be effective.
• Wash your old clothes in hot water. It is important to keep your distance from other people who might have lice, to prevent a recurrence of lice.
• Wash your hair regularly and continue to use these remedies, until the lice have been eliminated.

Summary: Follow the post remedy guidelines. Maintain hygiene, Use a clean pillow, bedsheets, and other clothes. Wash your hair frequently.

For this home remedy to be effective, use it twice within two weeks. However, you will have to continue this treatment until even the nits or eggs of the lice have been removed completely. After around two weeks of treatment, you will get rid of the lice.

Summary: The time of recovery from lice is usually 2 weeks.

These home remedies are efficient and can help you get rid of a lice infestation. However, lice spread very easily from one person to another, and hence, this condition can recur. You can continue to use these home remedies to treat lice whenever they reoccur.

Summary: No, the results are not permanent. You need to keep maintaining proper hygiene and practice the above home remedies.

Anyone can use these home remedies for treating lice since they are simple and made from natural ingredients. These ingredients can easily be found in stores and you do not need any special training to use these remedies. Although, while using these remedies make sure you take precautionary steps, to avoid an allergic reaction or a rash.

Summary: No, Training or expert assistance is required as these home remedies are easy to apply.