3 Ways To Naturally Treat And Prevent Head Lice

When I hear the word Lice, inevitably, my head begins to itch. Somehow, someway, those nasty people fleas have already gotten to me. 
FACT: All socioeconomic groups are affected, and infestations are seen throughout the world. Head lice infestation is not significantly influenced by hair length or by frequent brushing or shampooing. (Source: AAP)


In an effort to limit the head scratching, I'm going to get right to the point with today's tip. Without further ado, 3 Ways To Naturally Treat And Prevent Head Lice:

1. Lice Comb- Lice eggs (nits) are basically tiny little parasite eggs super glued to the hair shaft, and are barely visible to the naked eye. While it's possible to pick them out with your fingers, a lice comb is your best bet for prying those suckers off. The comb is also and easy way to search and siege simultaneously during the initial Lice/nit search.


                                                                     


FACT: Eggs are incubated by body heat and typically hatch in 8 to 9 days. Head lice can only live a day or two off the scalp, and they can't hop or fly. Direct contact is the way they move; head to head, coat to coat, hairbrush or hat sharing, and most recently, selfies.
3. Essential Oils Essential oils are widely used in traditional medicine to massacre head lice. So much so, several products have been studied for Lice eradicating properties (eg, Andiroba oil, Quassia vinegar, melaleuca oil [tea tree oil], lavender oil, anise, ylang-ylang, coconut oil)  Essential Oils were found to be at least as effective as the permethrin product Nix!         

I LOVE LOVE LOVE  Fairy Tales All Natural Line of Lice killing and repelling products. I use Rosemary Repel shampoo and container on Ollie religiously. And I will until he moves out of my house! This stuff works. Well. And it's great for my child's hair. I super-duper highly recommend it. A friend has been swearing by this stuff for a few months, and was able to prove how great it was when her daughter's best friend had lice. Bad. Her daughter spent hours with the little girl before the lice issue was realized. Her daughter never had an issue. (This is not an ad in anyway. I use and swear by Fairy Tales)

You can check the store locater here, or buy on amazon, here.

It's made with a Proprietary blend of organic Rosemary, Citronella, Tea Tree and Lavender oils clinically proven effective to help prevent lice
 Jojoba, Sugar Cane and Chamomile hydrate, moisturize and soothe the scalp
  • Gentle, safe and effective for daily use.
  • Free of sulfates, harsh chemicals and toxins   
  • No soy, nuts or gluten used
FUN FACT: In a study, hot-air methods proved highly effective in killing nits, but less so in eradicating live lice. An old-fashioned bonnet dryer killed nearly 89% of nits but just 10% of lice, while a blow dryer using direct heat got rid of nearly 98% of nits and 55% of lice. After bath, blow dry hair for extra lice killing action. (Note: Never use heat with chemical nit treatment, some may have flammable chemicals.)

4.  All-Natural Lice Repellent Spray: Even though lice can't jump, or live very long without a host-head, treatment of pillows, coats, backpacks and furniture is definitely recommended in the fight against lice. Needless to say, after the first nit is found, immediately wash everything washable that your child's head comes in contact with--hairbrush, pillow, coat...  For the items that can't be washed, hose them down with a homemade All-natural Lice Repellent Spray.



I've heard many times you an't run from lice, because they are going to be in classrooms and playgrounds forever, but what I can do, is put up a natural forcefield in an attempt to ward them off. 

Do you have any natural Lice remedies? 


                                                

April is an award-winning writer and blogger. Her work has been published in over ten countries and four languages. From books to newspapers, to print/online magazines and everything in between, you can find her work. For more on April, Visit AprilMcCormick.com