How To Remove Lice From Hair In Natural Way?

Have you ever got a call from the school stating, ‘Yuck, your child has hair lice’? It is an extremely worrying and embarrassing situation for the parents as well as the kids.

Moreover, it is an equally messy thing for the kids as they continuously scratch their head and are at unease all the time. It makes them very uncomfortable and is difficult to concentrate on other things. All day, your fingers will be rubbing on the scalp. Also, it is an extremely unhygienic for the hair and scalp. Hence it becomes absolutely necessary to remove lice from hair. In this article we will discuss some natural ways to get rid of lice without harming the scalp and hair.

What is a Hair Louse?

Hair Louse are reddish black parasites which suck blood. There are basically three stages of hair louse which are eggs or popularly known as nits, nymph and the adult louse.

The head lice are wingless and its only lives by sucking blood from human scalp. The nits are equally harmful as the hair louse and causes severe irritation in the scalp. They reproduce very fast and are very difficult to spot in the hair. Although they cannot live beyond 24 hours in the absence of the host but their multiplication rate is extremely fast.

They are usually present in the head and the neck which helps them to suck blood from the human body. Usually lack of hygiene, using hair care things like comb, clips, etc. are more likely to be infested with lice. Similarly, adults may also get infested with lice from their children.

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How To Remove Lice From Hair Naturally?

These six legged tiny parasites can be killed using several medicines and shampoos available in the market, however they cause severe damage to the hair as well. Moreover, it is always ideal for children to opt for natural and herbal products rather than going for harmful chemical substances.

There are certain ingredients available in nature which can be very effective to kill the lice easily and comfort your kid.

1. Neem Leaves

The Indian Lilac or Neem leaves is the best natural way to get rid of lice. It has anti-parasitic properties and is not very harsh on the hair.

How To Use The Neem Leaves?

• Pluck fresh Neem leaves preferably the ones with a darker shade.
• Wash them thoroughly to remove the dust and dirt sitting on it.
• Boil water in a container and add the fresh leaves to it.
• Let it boil for 10 -15 minutes.
• Allow it to cool down completely.
• Slowly pour this solution on the hair and squeeze the hair to drain out the excess liquid.
• Leave it for an hour.
• Wash with plain water.

This method helps to kill the lice in a single day. Neem leaves are extremely bitter and lice cannot tolerate the antiseptic properties present in neem leaves.

This method can cause scalp itching and irritation initially but will calm down in few minutes.

Alternatively,

You can also make a paste with boiled neem leaves and apply it on the scalp. Wash using the Neem solution.

It is also an equally effective method; however when it comes to kids, applying hair pack and cleansing the scalp is a hectic activity therefore better to keep it as simple as possible.

2. Vaseline

That’s right! Vaseline can help to eliminate the hair lice.

Method-

• Take sufficient quantity of Vaseline and apply it on the hair.
• Use a shower cap to cover the hair and leave for 5-6 hours.
• Remove the shower cap and use any oil like coconut oil or baby oil to first remove the Vaseline from the hair.
• Use a wide toothed comb to comb the hair thoroughly.

The lice will fall off from the hair and repeating this process 2-3 times in a week will eliminate lice completely from the hair.

Wash the hair with your regular shampoo.

Let’s learn how to make a natural organic shampoo at home!

3. Mayonnaise

Mayonnaise is excellent to remove the lice from hair in a natural way. However do not use refrigerated mayonnaise as it may be very cold and can lead to cold and cough.

Method-

• Take sufficient quantity of mayonnaise and apply it on damp hair.
• Try to cover the hair completely with Mayonnaise.
• Use a shower cap to cover the hair.
• Leave it for 2-3 hours and then remove the shower cap.
• Use a mild shampoo and wash your hair thoroughly to get rid of lice.

It is also ideal if you can apply some mayonnaise behind the ears and in the neck as the lice may escape to these untouched areas. Hence, it is better to keep a check on the areas nearby the head.

4. Vinegar

Vinegar is known for its acidic nature and helps to kill the lice. It is equally useful to get rid of the nits as well.

Method 1-

• Mix a teaspoon of vinegar in coconut oil.
• Massage the scalp with this mix properly and apply it on the hair as well.
• Use a shower cap or a towel to cover the hair completely.
• Allow the oil and vinegar to remain in the hair for the whole night.
• Next morning, use a mild shampoo to wash off the hair.

Method 2-

• Clean the hair and scalp by using your regular shampoo.
• In a container dilute vinegar in water and apply it on the damp hair.
• Leave it for 10-15 minutes and wash off with normal water.

Follow this method 3 times in a week to see the difference.

5. Lemon Juice

The acidic property of lemon juice also helps to kill the lice and nits.

Method:

• Soak almonds in a container overnight.
• Next morning use a mortar and pestle to grind the almonds to make a smooth paste.
• Squeeze one full lemon juice into the smooth almond paste and mix it.
• Apply this paste on the scalp and hair.
• Leave it for an hour or so and wash off with mild shampoo.
• Repeat this process regularly and you will get rid of lice and nits within a week.

6. Onion

Onion has a high content of sulfur which is very effective to kill the lice and inhibit their growth.

• Take one onion and blend it using a blender.
• Extract the fresh onion juice from it and apply it on the scalp and hair.
• Leave it for 1 hour and wash with your regular shampoo.

Use a wide toothed comb and comb the hair. Also use hair dryer which will absorb the dead lice and nits if present any in the hair.

Repeat this method twice in a week to get rid of lice.

Yogurt is very effective when it comes to hair growth. Read on to know more benefits of yogurt.

7. Garlic

Garlic is equally useful to remove lice and nits from the hair.

Method-

• Crush few garlic cloves using a mortar and pestle.
• Squeeze lemon juice in it and apply the mix on the hair.
• Cover the hair with a shower cap.
• Leave it for 1-2 hours before washing off with a mild shampoo.

This method can cause severe burning sensation due to 2 reasons: First garlic may cause burning in the scalp and secondly it might be that your kid would have scratched the scalp badly due to lice.

It is therefore advisable to apply some conditioner after shampooing the hair. It will help to calm the burning sensation in the scalp.

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Conclusion

It is obvious that you cannot avoid lice in the hair of your kids. However, attending to it immediately will inhibit the lice infestation. Therefore, if you see your kids scratch their heads frequently, do a check for lice and nit and follow the above remedies to get rid of the parasite.

It is also important to remember that in case of severe infestation, consult a dermatologist and apply medicines and shampoo as prescribed by them.

Hope you have found this article useful. In case of any feedback or suggestion please share the same in the comments section below.