Remedies For Lice And Nits: How To Destroy Head Lice And Nits

Remedies For Head Lice And Nits

Technically known as pediculosis, lice infestation can affect the hair on the scalp as well as other parts of the body. Lice are wingless parasitic organisms that survive on human blood and lay their eggs on the surface of the skin. This causes itching and irritation as the lice cling to the roots of hair tightly and secrete saliva on the host’s skin in order to attach their eggs to its surface. The normal life cycle of lice is roughly 30 days, during which it proceeds from through three stages: nits (eggs), nymph and adult. Head lice are the most common of all and tend to affect children very easily. The most common symptoms of this condition are constant itching, dryness and crusting of the scalp, appearance of red, swollen bumps at the base of the neck and behind the ears. The main reasons behind this condition are lack of proper hair care, living in unhygienic condition, excessive dryness of the scalp and close physical contact with an already infected person.

There are a few basic precautionary measures that you should follow to avoid lice. Make sure that you wash your hair regularly with a mild herbal shampoo. Do not share articles of personal use such as combs and hairbrushes, pillows, mattresses and towels with others, as this can easily lead to the transmission of lice from one person to another. Besides, there are a few simple remedies that you may try at home to get rid of lice naturally. Lemon juice is one of the most popular natural means of killing the lice and their nits. Mix a tablespoon each of lemon juice and garlic paste and apply this carefully and uniformly all over the scalp at the roots of the hair. Leave the mixture on for at least half an hour before rinsing it off thoroughly with cold water. The acidic nature of lemon juice and the strong chemicals present in the pungent juices of garlic destroy the lice and eliminate chances of infections. Another remedy for head lice is to apply a generous amount of olive oil all over your hair and scalp at bedtime, put on a shower cap and let the oil soak into the hair overnight. The next morning comb your hair gently for 10 minutes and then wash your hair. You may also soak your hair in some alcohol for half an hour before shampooing in order to eliminate lice.