The thought of head lice in children is enough to make any parent run away screaming.  But oftentimes, hair lice removal treatment is much worse than the problem of having bugs in the hair.  Most parents just don’t realize that chemical treatments can be very dangerous for their kids.

Dangers Of Chemical Hair Lice Products

These products contain pesticides that are far from safe.  Lindane, malathion, and pyrethrins all have their problems, including lice who can survive being treated with these chemicals.

Desperate parents often respond by leaving the products on their child’s head for too long.  Or they do another treatment before the recommended time has passed.  These tactics don’t do much to kill resistant lice.  But they do increase the chances of adverse reactions.

Some children who are treated with these products develop skin problems, seizures, behavioral issues, and even cancer.  Some of these problems don’t show up until months later, so it’s entirely possible that many bad reactions are never reported.

One thing to keep in mind:  nobody ever died from having bugs in their hair, but kids have died from reactions to chemical treatments for these parasites.

Home Remedies For Head Lice

One non-chemical means of eliminating these unwanted guests is the use of essential oils.  These oils are safe for babies, pregnant women, nursing moms, and even kids with asthma or epilepsy or other health issues.

Neem oil and the essential oils of rosemary and lavender are all natural insect repellents with anti-inflammatory properties.  These oils help to stop the itching, which is a reaction to the bug bites.  Plus, they make the hair less inviting for these creatures.

Aromatic oils like tea tree and rose geranium oil also help ward off these little pests.

Safe Ways To Kill Head Lice

Native Remedies produces Naughty Nits, a trio of products for treating head lice in children safely.  First, shampoo your child’s head with the shampoo that contains rosemary, lavender, and neem oils.  This will help to discourage these pests.  Next apply the hair oil containing tea tree oil and rose geranium oil.  Work it through the hair, from the roots all the way to the tips.  Leave this in overnight.  Put a towel on your child’s pillow to protect it.

Next morning, use the same shampoo and wash your child’s hair again.  Now comes the fun part.  Divide your child’s hair into sections and go through it with a nit comb to remove the eggs and dead adults.  This can be tedious, but don’t neglect it.  Nit removal is a vital part of getting rid of these bugs.

Now spritz your child’s hair with the spray that contains tea tree oil, rosemary oil, and geranium oil to help repel any unwanted guests that remain.  You’ll want to repeat this treatment every week for at least a month to be sure you’ve gotten them all.  Be sure to use that nit comb, too.

Treating head lice in children shouldn’t be a dangerous affair.  Using natural hair lice treatments is much safer for your child.

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Henna paste is a traditional remedy for killing lice on the head.

If you’re at the end of your rope trying to remove head lice, you may be wondering, “does hair dye kill head lice?”  This is not exactly a natural remedy, but since the question does come up, we should at least explore why it may work.

You may be familiar with henna, which is a natural body and hair dye used for centuries in Northern Africa and the Middle East.  Surprisingly enough, henna is also a traditional remedy used to remove head lice.  Read on to find out how both hair dye and henna paste can be effective in killing lice.

Hair Dye As A Hair Lice Treatment

Many people who dye their hair never end up with unwanted guests living on their heads.  Why?  Because commercial dyes for hair usually contain ammonia and alcohol.  Both these substances are toxic to lice.  The problem is that the dyes don’t kill nits.  So it’s still necessary to use a nit comb to remove the eggs, even if you color your hair, or you’ll be right back to square one with these nasty little things.

Coloring your hair can be pretty hard on it, as it tends to dry out the hair.  Should you use commercial dye on a child’s hair?  It depends on how desperate you are.  Some hair dyes contain aspirin, which can be dangerous for kids, so check the label if you should decide to give this a try.

Henna Paste For Killing Lice

Henna comes as a powder.  To use it, you mix it with something acidic, like orange or lemon juice, or vinegar.  Try to find body art quality henna, as the cheaper grades may turn your hair a flaming orange (ask me how I know this).  Even the best quality henna produces a pretty bright hair color, but it does fade a bit over time.

For the best lice killer power, mix 25 grams of artemesia powder (wormwood seed) or powdered fenugreek seed with 100 grams of henna powder.  A note of caution:  do NOT use artemesia if you’re pregnant or breastfeeding.  Add lemon juice to this mixture to make a greenish-looking mud.  Apply this to your hair, covering it completely.  Wrap your head in plastic wrap to seal out the air.  Leave it in for three hours

Now shampoo it out.  Henna WILL dye your hair, so don’t use it if you don’t want red hair.  The color does not wash out. (It REALLY doesn’t, especially if you have porous hair like me.)  Henna does leave your hair soft and silky.

Does it kill nits?  Some sources say it does, some don’t really say.  So be prepared to go over your head with a nit comb, just in case.

Is Henna Safe To Use On Kids?

It’s not recommended for use on kids under 12, but since it’s been used in the Middle East for thousands of years, it’s your decision.  Some people are allergic to it, so try it on a small area first to be safe.  Also, if your child has a glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency (G6PD deficiency), don’t use henna on him or her, as it can cause hemolytic anemia in kids with this condition.

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Electric lice combs are the latest weapon in the never-ending battle against bugs in the hair.  The Robi Comb is probably the best-known of these products.  If you’re faced with getting rid of head lice, you may want to try this product.

How Does An Electric Lice Comb Work?  

The comb has metal teeth, and it’s powered by one AA battery.  It’s used by combing it through dry hair.  When the teeth encounter a louse, it kills it by zapping it with an electrical current.  Rubber tips on the ends of the teeth protect the user from getting a slight shock that feels like static electricity.

One thing to keep in mind is that this comb doesn’t kill the nits, or eggs.  Nit removal is essential, or you’ll be right back where you started from once they hatch out.

The Robi Comb company gets around this by recommending that you use it every day for ten days, to kill the nymphs (or baby lice) as they hatch.  Nymphs don’t mature and start laying eggs until they’re ten days old.  So theoretically, if you kill all the nymphs, after ten days all the nits present will have hatched, and there will be no adults left to lay eggs.

Does It Really Get Rid Of Lice?

This little gadget sounds like the best thing since sliced bread, but does it really work?  A quick trip to the Amazon review section reveals some interesting statistics.  Out of 76 reviews, 36 people, over half, gave it five stars, the highest rating.  13 gave it only one star, while 27 gave it either two, three, or four stars.  The average customer review was three-and-a-half stars.

The biggest complaint is that it doesn’t seem to work real well on thick or curly hair.  Some people found the high-pitched tone it makes to be loud and annoying.  Others said that it gave false results, missing bugs that were present, or indicating that a louse was there when it wasn’t.  Several people mentioned that it stopped working after a few uses.

Several commenters said that while the nit comb did seem to work, it was best to use it in combination with other treatments, especially since it doesn’t kill or remove nits.  A lot of people did seem to like the fact that you use this comb on dry hair.

The 36 people who rated it highly are very satisfied with it.  One happy customer said the poor reviews were from people who either didn’t read the directions, or didn’t understand the difference between nits, nymphs, and adults.

Will the Robi Comb work for you?  It certainly wouldn’t hurt to try it and find out.

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Natural lice remedies like vinegar and olive oil aren't just for salads anymore!

“How do I treat head lice?” is a question many parents ask.  If you’re worried about using toxic chemicals on your child’s head, you’re not alone.  Lindane, malathion, and permethrin aren’t really safe to use on children, and have been linked to health problems.  Avoid the risks by using these three natural lice remedies instead.

Olive Oil For Head Lice

Olive oil works by smothering the nasty little creatures.  Many parents have used this remedy to get rid of adults and nymphs.  This treatment is pretty easy.  Work olive oil into your child’s head, starting at the roots and making sure the oil goes all the way to the ends of the hair shafts.  Be sure you cover behind the ears and the nape of the neck well, as these spots are where these parasites love to hang out.

Wrap your child’s head with plastic wrap, sealing out the air.  This is important, so you smother the bugs.  You’ll want to leave the wrap on for three hours.  Keep an eye on small children, as plastic wrap can be a suffocation hazard for them.  Shampoo the oil out.  You may need to use a dish soap like Dawn to remove it.  Use a nit comb to remove dead lice and nits.  Olive oil won’t kill nits, so read on to learn how to get rid of them.

Try adding a few drops of tea tree oil or lavender essential oil to the olive oil.  These oils help kill lice, and prevent them from coming back.

Mayonnaise And Lice?

You may not have known that mayonnaise is good for something other than sandwiches.  Many people swear by mayonnaise to kill lice.  Use it just like olive oil, but you have to leave it in longer, about eight hours.  Don’t use low-fat mayo, as it doesn’t contain enough oil to kill the unwanted passengers on your child’s head.  Mayo won’t kill nits, either.

Lice Vinegar Treatment

Nits are covered with sticky goo that glues them to the hair shaft.  This makes them very hard to remove.  Plain old white vinegar comes riding to the rescue!  This remedy for removing nits is cheap, and available at any grocery store.

Use full-strength vinegar on your child’s scalp.  Wait a few minutes and rinse the head with a half-vinegar, half-water mixture.  Now sit down with a dvd to keep both of you amused, and comb out your child’s hair with a fine-toothed comb.  Don’t neglect this step.  It’s essential to remove the nits so they won’t hatch and start the cycle all over again.

Keep vinegar out of the eyes, as it does sting, although it doesn’t cause permanent damage.  Also avoid using it if your child’s head is raw and irritated from scratching.  Repeat the vinegar treatment and combing for two or three days, to be sure all the nits are gone.

Parents have been using these natural lice remedies for years.  They’re safe and effective, and won’t harm your children.
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Focus on getting rid of head lice, not on cleaning your house!

The thought of lice in the house is enough to send many parents over the edge.  But getting rid of head lice doesn’t involve cleaning your whole house from top to bottom.  So relax, and keep your focus on the removal of lice from your kids’ heads, not on fumigating your home.

Don’t Go Crazy Cleaning Your Whole House

Upon getting the news that their kids have unwanted guests on their head, many parents go into a frenzy, throwing bedding in the washer, sealing stuffed toys and pillows in plastic bags for weeks, and vacuuming anything that does’t run away screaming.

The truth is that a head louse has to be on a human head to survive.  They can’t live on cats or dogs either, so don’t be thinking of bathing Fluffy or Fido.  They’re not guilty of harboring lice.

A louse is equipped with claws on its little feet that enable it to clamp onto a hair on your child’s head, and hang on, no matter what happens.  If for some unlikely reason it does manage to fall off, it will be dead within 24 hours.  They just can’t survive out in the environment, away from a head of hair.

What about the nits?  Lice eggs are coated with a sticky substance that glues them to the hair shaft.  The chances of a nit falling off a kid’s head all by itself are just about non-existent.

If a hair with a nit on it should fall out and land on the couch or carpet, there’s really not much to worry about.  Nits are always found within a quarter-inch of the scalp, where it’s nice and warm for them.  An unlucky nit who is on a hair that falls out will never hatch into a louse.  Why?  Because it’s just not warm enough out in the cold, cruel world for them to incubate.

Your Focus Needs To Be On Treating Lice, Not Cleaning House

If you really can’t stand it, it doesn’t hurt anything to run the vacuum around.  In fact, vacuuming is recommended, instead of using toxic sprays on the bedding, furniture and carpets.  These sprays have residues which can harm your kids, and they really aren’t necessary.  Why take a risk if you don’t have to?

It’s not necessary to seal stuffed toys and blankets in plastic bags either.  As mentioned above, a louse can’t survive off a person’s head for very long.  If your child has a favorite stuffed friend, you don’t have to deprive him or her.  Just to be safe, toss the stuffed toy in a hot dryer for ten or fifteen minutes.  That will kill any stray lice for sure.

Put your efforts into treating lice on your kids’ heads, and don’t wear yourself out cleaning everything in sight.

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Head Lice Life Cycle

If you’re like most parents, you may have found that hair lice treatment is an iffy thing.  After all the work you’ve done to get rid of them, they just seem to pop up again in a week or so.  To get rid of lice for good, it’s important to understand the head lice life cycle.

Biology 101

Here’s where you’re going to learn more about these bugs than you ever wanted to know.  But remember that a little knowledge goes a long way when dealing with the pesky things.

The cycle starts when your child is exposed to someone who is already infested with these parasites.  They’re spread only by direct contact, either with an infected head, or by borrowing a hat, comb, hair tie, or towel used by someone who already has them.

Once a female louse is on the head, she can start laying eggs, which are called nits.  These nits are extremely small.  They’re found close to the scalp, where warm conditions are perfect for them.

One female can lay three to five eggs a day for seven to ten days.  This means she’ll produce anywhere from 20 to 50 eggs over the course of her life.

A tea tree oil shampoo, using plenty of hot water, will kill most adult lice, which is why it’s easy to think you’ve gotten rid of them.  The problem is the nits.  They’re covered with a sticky goo that glues them to the hair shaft.  If you don’t remove the nits with a fine-toothed comb, they hatch out into nymphs, or baby head lice, in another seven days or so.

Nymphs are hungry little critters.  They need a human blood meal within minute of hatching, or they’re history.  And of course, they’re easily removed by another hot shampoo treatment at this point.  If they survive, they mature in seven to ten days, when the young females start laying eggs, starting the cycle all over again.

How Long Can Hair Lice Live?

From nit to egg-laying adult takes about 15 to 20 days.  Add in another week or so of egg-laying and you’ll find the average louse only lasts for a little less than a month.  That’s a short lifespan for something that causes so much aggravation.

Now you can understand why hair lice treatment doesn’t always seem to work.  It’s important to get those nits out of your child’s hair to prevent a repeat show in another week.  A second treatment at the seven-day mark is essential, too.  It only takes a couple of lice to start the cycle all over again.

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Did you know that a tea tree oil treatment is a safe and effective natural head lice treatment?  If you’re looking for an alternative to using dangerous pesticides on your child’s head, take a look at this easy-to-use home remedy.

What Is Tea Tree Oil?

This essential oil comes from the leaves of the Australian tea tree, also known as Melaleuca alternifolia.  The leaves were originally used as a tea substitute, which is how this tree got its name.

Australian aboriginees crushed the leaves and used them on burns, cuts, and skin infections.  Today this oil is known for its antimicrobial and antifungal properties.  It’s used for skin conditions such as psoriasis, eczema, and acne, and is also recommended for fungal infections like thrush, yeast infection, and athlete’s foot.

And of course, it’s highly recommended to safely remove unwanted guests from kids’ heads as well.

How To Use Tea Tree Oil For Head Lice

Here are two different recipes.  The first calls for adding 10 drops of melaleuca oil to about two ounces of a carrier oil.  Olive or almond oil is recommended.  Or you can dilute 25 drops of lavender essential oil and 25 drops of tea tree oil in about three ounces of carrier oil.

Next, coat the hair well with the oil mixture, working from the scalp where the nits love to hang out, to the ends of the hair.  Leave the oil on for about three hours.  To contain the mess, cover the head with a shower cap.  Be sure to supervise young children if using a shower cap because it could become a suffocation hazard.

Use a fine-toothed nit comb to remove the dead lice and nits.  Rinse the comb often in a mixture of melaleuca oil and water.  Shampoo the hair to remove the oil.  That’s all there is to it.

Remember to repeat this natural head lice treatment in a week to kill any newly-hatched bugs that might be present.  If there’s a severe infestation, it may be necessary to repeat it several times.

Safety Considerations

Never use this oil full strength when treating head lice, as it can irritate the skin, resulting in skin rashes.  It can even cause allergic reactions in sensitive individuals.

This oil should not be used by women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.  Keep it out of the reach of children, as it can be toxic if swallowed.  It has a very strong odor, so it’s hard to say why a child would swallow it, but kids will do strange things sometimes.

A tea tree oil treatment is a safe and effective way to get rid of lice on your child’s head.

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Natural head lice treatments are safe alternatives to treatments that contain toxic chemicals like lindane, permethrin, and malathion.  Lindane has been banned in over 50 countries, and can no longer be used in the US on pets and livestock.  But it’s still legal to use it on children’s heads in lice shampoo.  What’s wrong with this picture?

In order to get rid of these little pests, there are three steps.  Kill the nasty little things, get rid of the nits, or eggs, and wash towels, combs, brushes, hair ties, and barettes in hot soapy water to kill any fugitives who are hiding out.  Remember to repeat the treatments every week to ten days to kill any newly-hatched babies.

1.  Nit Comb

A fine-toothed comb is the best way to get rid of unwanted passengers on your child’s head.  Wet the hair down good with vinegar, and let it soak in for a couple of hours.  It helps to cover the head with a shower cap.  The nits glue themselves to the hair shaft, and vinegar helps to dissolve this glue.

Combing the hair out takes a while, so let your child watch a dvd to keep him or her occupied.  Use a strong light, and comb through the hair, removing nits and lice as they’re found.  Pay special attention to behind the ears, and on the nape of the neck.

2.  Mayonnaise Lice Treatment

It’s said that mayonnaise is a natural treatment for head lice.  Just take a blob of mayonnaise right from the jar, and spread it on the hair, starting at the roots and working out to the ends.  Cover the head with a shower cap and let sit anywhere from ten minutes to two hours.  Some people leave it in overnight, but since a plastic shower cap is a suffocation hazard, avoid doing this with small children.

Wash the mayonnaise out, and comb the hair with a fine-toothed comb to remove dead lice and nits.  It may be necessary to use a dish soap like Dawn to get it out.

3.  Tea Tree Oil For Head Lice

Try mixing tea tree oil and olive oil, about half and half.  Tea tree oil by itself may irritate the scalp.  Apply this oil mixture to the hair, and then use the lice comb to remove the dead lice.  To keep the little bugs from returning, add a few drops of tea tree oil to your favorite shampoo.

Make a natural lice treatment spritzer by mixing a spoonful of tea tree oil with a quart of water in a spray bottle.   Spray the hair weekly with this mixture to prevent the unwanted guests from moving back in.

These treatments contain no harmful pesticides.  With a little extra time and effort, it’s possible to get rid of head lice without exposing your kids to dangerous chemicals.  Lice treatment for children should be safe, as well as effective.

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Facts about head lice can be hard to come by.  There’s a lot of misinformation out there about these creepy little bugs.   Knowing head lice facts will help you get rid of them.

1.  Where Do Head Lice Come From?

These critters have been living among humans for centuries.  Even the ancient Egyptians were infested with them, as evidenced by the dried-up lice and nits found on mummies.  They’re probably going to be around for as long as humans exist.

2.  Can Black People Get Lice?

Yes, they can.  But African-Americans seem to be much less susceptible to these parasites than do Caucasians, Asian-Americans, and Hispanic people.

3.  How Do These Parasites Spread?

Head-to-head contact is the usual means of transmission.  If two little girls are whispering to each other, it’s very easy for the bugs to move from one head to another.

Sharing items like hats, combs, brushes, and even towels and hair ties makes it easier for lice to spread from one person to another.

4.  Do They Jump Like Fleas?

No.  They don’t have hind legs to jump with.  They also can’t fly because they don’t have wings.

5.  Can Pets Get Head Lice From People?

Again, the answer is no.  These parasites are species-specific, which means they need human blood to survive.  Blood from cats and dogs just doesn’t cut it for them.

6.  Can They Be Spread By Swimming With Someone Who Has Them?

No.  When these critters are in the water, they pretty much go into suspended animation.  While in this state, they clamp down on the hair shaft so they don’t wash off.  This is why they usually aren’t removed by shampooing.

But borrowing a towel from someone who has them can certainly spread them from one person to another.

7.  How Long Do Head Lice Live?

When they’re on someone’s head, they can live for several weeks.  But if they fall off, they usually die within 48 hours.

8.  Is It Possible To Catch Diseases From Them?

The latest evidence shows that the body louse and the head louse are the same species.  Body lice can transmit typhus and relapsing fever, so it’s possible that their relatives who live on heads could transmit the same diseases.

9.  What’s A Nit?

This is what a louse egg is called.  They’re very small, about one-thirty-second of an inch, so you need to look closely to see them.  They’re usually found within a quarter-inch of the scalp.

10.  Does Everyone In The House Need To Be Treated?

Not unless they have lice.  Many commonly-used head lice treatments contain dangerous chemicals, so it’s not a good idea to treat someone “just in case.”  But it’s important to check everyone in the household to be sure they’re not harboring these little bugs.

Don’t fall for the myths concerning these creatures.  It’s important to be armed with lice facts, so you can make good decisions about how to get rid of them.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Head Lice

Adult male (right) and female head lice

“Do I have head lice?” is the question of the year for many parents.  The easiest way to answer this question is to be familiar with these five symptoms of head lice.

1.  Itchy Head

Most people think that itchiness is a prime symptom of lice, but this isn’t always true.  These nasty little parasites feed by injecting a little saliva into the scalp.  This eventually causes a reaction that leads to itching, but it can take several weeks for this to happen.  So it’s possible to have these things living in the hair for a while, and not be aware of it.

When an allergic reaction does happen, look for itchy red bumps on the scalp behind the ears, and on the back neckline under the hair.

A creepy crawly feeling on the scalp is very common, though.  This is caused by the lice moving through the hair shafts, and it can be annoying and unsettling.

2.  Presence Of Live Head Lice

The adult parasites are small, about the size of a strawberry seed, although they can be as big as an eighth of an inch.  They’re usually grayish white or tan.  Nymphs, or newly-hatched lice, are smaller.  They take a week to two weeks to mature into adults.

3.  Nits On The Hair Shaft

Nits are lice eggs.  They’re tiny dots that can be yellow, tan, or brown.  These eggs look like little pussy willow buds.  They can be found within a quarter inch of the scalp, where it’s nice and warm for them.

It can be very easy to confuse dandruff flakes with nits, since they do look similar.  The difference is that dandruff flakes can be moved along the hair shaft.  Nits are very firmly attached, and they can’t be removed easily.

4.  Sores On The Head

Once the bites start itching, it can become intense.  A child may scratch so much that the scalp becomes irritated and inflamed.  Open sores can be the result.

5.  General Irritability

It’s easy to understand why someone with bugs on his or her head would feel irritable.  The feeling that something is crawling around on the head, combined with the constant itchiness and a possible allergic reaction, is a sure recipe for misery.  Any child who seems out-of-sorts for no particular reason should be checked for these unpleasant little bugs.

These parasites do spread very easily, especially among kids.  Since there are between six and twelve million cases a year in the US alone, it’s important to be alert.  Know the symptoms of head lice so you can treat them quickly if they should make an appearance in your home.

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