There are a ton of different, natural tricks you can use to treat head lice naturally, and get rid of them for good. They can even be reapplied as many times as necessary without the risk of causing irritation.
Head lice are irritating creatures that nobody enjoys having around.
But sadly, when an infestation comes to your area and they come into contact with you or your kids, it can be very tough to get rid of them. After all, the little bugs are able to reproduce and multiply their ranks with great ease.
Head lice of this kind only affect human beings. Even though they can be extremely annoying (and cause a lot of irritation and embarrassment), they aren’t associated with any serious health problems.
However, even though they aren’t dangerous, we seriously doubt that anyone is just going to wait around and hope that these little bugs find a new home.
Head lice aren’t going to disappear magically. In fact, the only way to get rid of them immediately would be to cut off all your hair!
6 Home Remedies to Treat Head Lice Naturally
But since we know that you might be fond of your hair and might not want to take such a drastic course of action, we’re going to show you some natural methods to help you to treat head lice.
1. Mayonnaise
Slathering your entire head of hair in mayonnaise might just be the most effective natural way of treat head lice. This is because, thanks to its consistency, it’s a powerful tool that can help to suffocate these annoying little creatures.
If the mayonnaise doesn’t kill all the lice by suffocation, those that survive the initial application will end up dazed and trapped in the sauce. The survivors can be got rid of using a fine comb – simple!
Afterwards, make sure to wash your hair thoroughly. We recommend repeating the treatment once a day for a week to get the best results.
Plus, a great side-effect is that this treatment will leave you with shiny, healthy locks thanks to the properties of the mayonnaise.
2. Olive Oil
Olive oil has a viscous consistency that, like mayonnaise, helps eradicate lice by suffocating them.
- To use this method, simply take a generous amount of olive oil and apply it directly to your hair.
- If your hair is very long, work in sections and apply the oil little by little until it covers your whole head of hair.
- Next, cover your hair using a shower cap or towel, leaving the olive oil in all night to work its magic.
- In the morning, uncover your hair and remove the lice using a fine comb. Then, just wash your hair as normal.
3. Garlic
This method is very different and doesn’t rely on greasy or viscous substances to eliminate the lice by suffocation. It’s a great technique – as long as you aren’t sensitive to the smell of garlic!
You’ll need between 10 and 20 cloves of garlic, depending on the length of your hair.
- Peel and mash the cloves until you get a smooth, malleable paste.
- Then, simply apply this paste directly to your hair.
- Leave it to work for between 40 minutes and an hour.
- Next, just wash your hair using your usual shampoo.
Don’t worry too much about the strong aroma – this will disappear with the help of the shampoo.
4. Salt
As you probably already know, salt is one of the most powerful natural ingredients when it comes to getting rid of unwanted creepy crawlies.
When combined with vinegar, it gives you a great mixture that will help you eliminate those nasty head lice for good and put this pesky problem behind you.
Ingredients:
- ½ cup of salt (100 g)
- ½ cup vinegar (125 ml)
Preparation:
- Mix the salt with the vinegar until well combined.
- Then, apply to your hair until your whole head is covered.
- Cover with a shower cap, and leave in all night to work.
- The next day, wash your hair normally, and watch as the lice disappear.
When using this treatment, take great care to make sure it doesn’t get into your eyes. After all, these two ingredients when mixed together can cause serious vision problems.
5. Vaseline
This another lice-fighting method that’s based on a fatty or greasy ingredient.
- Apply a generous amount of Vaseline to your hair.
- Then, cover with a shower cap and leave it in to work all night.
- The following morning, remove the Vaseline with the help of some baby oil, following by a thorough rinse with water and the use of a fine comb.
Bear in mind that Vaseline has an extremely thick consistency. It could end up clogging the pores of your skin. For this reason, it’s best to avoid putting large amounts directly on the skin, but focus on applying it to the hair instead.
Additionally, make sure you don’t apply this treatment more than three days in a row.
6. Tea-tree Oil
If what you’re looking for is a natural – but slightly less drastic – method for getting rid of head lice that will give you the best results, make sure you give this oil a try. It’s highly recommended thanks to its strong insecticide properties.
What’s more, it’s a bit of a friendlier option than salt, Vaseline or garlic.
- Use only the amount of tea tree oil you need, and don’t over-apply. However, do make sure that all of your hair is well covered.
- To avoid discomfort, cover your head with a shower cap or towel, and leave the tea tree oil in overnight to get to work.
- The next day, comb your hair thoroughly and rinse it well with water. Repeat this process every night for a week.
It’s Possible to Treat Head Lice Naturally
We know that there is also a wide variety of commercial products out there that are designed to get rid of head lice. However, the problem is that some of the chemicals they use are also potentially very harmful.
- We strongly recommend that you pick a remedy from the ones above – whichever appeals most to you. Even the mixture of salt and vinegar is less harmful than the commercial options available to you.
- You can also use these remedies as many times as you feel is necessary to get rid of the problem.
- If head lice are still present among the people around you, we recommend that you continue to apply your chosen treatment for a number of days.
Finally, don’t forget that you can also switch things up and try out a different remedy, alternating them to get the best results.
