Headlice: How To Get Rid Of The Itch
As disturbing as it sounds, head lice are becoming resistant to the chemicals found in the most common lice treatments. Research has shown that up to 90 percent of lice infestations do not respond to treatments that contain permethrin pyrethrins. Fortunately, there are several alternative, natural treatments available that are not only very effective but are also much safer for your family.
One effective treatment for headlice involves tea tree oil. Tea trees are native to Australia and produce a fragrant oil with antifungal and vermicidal properties. Visit your local health food store to find a lice treatment with tea tree. Popular tea tree treatments include special shampoos, conditioners, and hair oils.
Another way to take care of headlice that may seem unconventional is mayonnaise. Really, any thick oil-based substance effectively suffocates and kills lice. To use mayonnaise as a lice treatment, just slather large amounts of mayonnaise or a similar substance in your hair, cover with a shower cap, and leave it to work overnight. In the morning you can comb out all the lice and their eggs. It may be necessary to do this again for the next few nights, just to make sure that your treatment fully works.
A very effective method of lice removal is shaving a child’s head. If the hair is very short, the lice cannot hold on. Also, it is easier to comb out lice and nits when the hair is short. It is, however, important to make sure that it will not cause great emotional distress to the child to be sporting a shaved head.
As a last resort, many parents use a time-intensive, yet chemical-free, technique which involves simply combing the lice and nits from the child’s head twice daily, for a period of up to two weeks. While certain success is guaranteed, this is the most time-consuming treatment method, and is usually the least preferred.
Traditional chemical-based treatments for headlice infestation can pollute your home environment and be hazardous to your family. Not only that, but they can be unsuccessful. Chemical treatments can even give birth to more resistant strains of head lice. On the other hand, natural home remedies for head lice are safe and successful. But as with any treatment, always check with your doctor before beginning.
Headlice are a common problem but lice removal has become problematic because lice are becoming resistant to many chemical treatments conventionally prescribed. Fortunately, you can try several effective home remedies for head lice. Tea tree oil comes in several special treatments and shampoos and is effective, and so is simple mayonnaise, slathered on the head overnight covered in a shower cap, and combed out in the morning. Very short haircuts may also help but not all children accept these. A no product method is just using a lice comb and manually removing lice and nits for about two weeks. Always check with your doctor about alternative treatments.
- norman horowitz
