The Most Effective At-Home Treatments For Lice You Can Feel Good About

Each year children in the United States have to deal with head lice and the unfortunate side-effect of intense itching. In recent years, it has gotten more difficult to remove lice as some prescription medications and over-the-counter remedies seem to be less effective in treating them as before. There are other ways to treat lice however, these are the most effective at-home treatments for lice that will make you feel good about not using pesticides.

Olive Oil or Almond Oil

A trusted and true alternative to medications for treating lice is either applying olive oil or almond oil to your child's hair. The oils can help suffocate the lice and they both make combing the nits and live lice out of the hair much easier. You can either apply the oil directly to your child's hair or apply it to the comb itself. It works best if you separate sections of hair and work on those areas first. In order for this to completely wipe out lice, you must repeat the process every day for a week. Olive oil and almond oil are both known to moisturize hair too, so there is that added benefit as well.

Essential Oils

There are a few essential oils that are effective in removing lice from your child's hair. These include lavender oil, nutmeg oil, peppermint, cinnamon leaf, eucalyptus oil, clove, neem and red thyme oils. You can also try aniseed oil, ylang ylang, tea tree oil and Nerolidol oil. Simply add about 20 drops to approximately two ounces of olive oil and let sit overnight. The next day comb the hair carefully and then shampoo twice.

Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is very versatile and makes a great conditioner as well as helping to defeat lice on your child's hair. Completely cover your child's head in coconut oil and leave covered with a shower cap for about 12 hours. If the infestation is really bad, you might want to try leaving it on a full day. Use a blow dryer and heat the shower cap for a few minutes and then shampoo the hair without using water. Replace the shower cap for thirty minutes and then rinse out the hair. Then take a fine-toothed comb and comb through the hair carefully. You may have to repeat this process over a few days so no new lice return. The hair might still feel oily, so try using fresh ground basil juice on the hair or even lemon juice to help cut the greasy feel.

Share