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Head Lice Home Remedy

Signs and Symptoms of Head Lice

Head lice are wingless insects that live on the human scalp and feed off of human blood. They are different from fleas (which often infect pets) in that they spend their entire life on a host. Related species of lice can also infect other parts of the body. For example, body lice often live on clothing, while pubic lice mainly live on hair in the pubic regions. An infestation of lice is also often referred to as pediculosis.

Head lice develop in the following phases:

Head Lice Eggs (Nits): These are firmly attached to the hair shaft, and are difficult to see (they can easily be mistaken for dandruff). They are oval shaped and usually yellow to white.
Nymphs: After about a week, a nit will hatch into nymphs which are young head lice. At this stage they begin feeding on blood from the scalp.
Adults: After 7 days, a nymph matures into an adult, which is about the size of a sesame seed with a greyish-white color. The adult lifespan is about 30 days.

The most common symptom of lice infestation is frequent itching, which occurs as a result of a lice's saliva entering holes in the scalp when they feed. Note that excessive scratching of the head can result in sores, which may become infected, so it is best to get treatment as quickly as possible. Although a louse bites into the skin to feed, the reaction to the bite is difficult to see between the hairs. However, bites can often be seen on the neck of individuals with long hair.

Causes of Head Lice

Head lice are usually spread through direct head-to-head contact with an infested person, but they can also be spread by sharing combs or towels. Children are often the most affected by head lice, particularly those between the ages of 3 and 10. Additionally, females often get head lice more than males, possibly due to having longer hair. Pets are typically not affected by human head lice.

Home Remedies and Natural Cures for Head Lice Treatment

Use Tea Tree Oil Shampoo to Get Rid of Head Lice

Shampoos containing a small amount (5%) of Tea Tree Oil are often very effective at getting rid of head lice. An excellent shampoo is Nature's Gate - Tea Tree Calming Shampoo.

Head Lice Home Remedy Using Vinegar

A quick home remedy for head lice is to create a rinse using an equal part of water mixed with an equal part of kitchen vinegar. One-half cup usually does the trick. After you've created this mixture, do the following:

Take a shower and leave shampoo in your hair for 5 to 10 minutes. Tea Tree Oil shampoos (described above) work well.
Rinse the shampoo.
Apply the vinegar rinse to your hair and rub it into your whole scalp.
Leave the rinse in your hair for about 2 minutes, then rinse it out.
Repeat this twice per day (morning and evening) until the head lice disappear.

The active ingredients in the shampoo kill head lice as well as penetrate into the eggs that they hatch. The vinegar then helps to dissolve the dead lice and wash their remains away.

Eliminate Head Lice with a Nit Comb

Although shampooing is quite effective at getting rid of head lice, many nits usually remain firmly attached to hair strands. Therefore, after shampooing and drying your hair, it is good to invest in a quality nit comb to remove the pesky nits. A recommended nit-comb is the Nit Free Terminator Lice Comb from NitBusters. A natural peppermint oil repellant such as Nit Free Mint Spray can also help to loosen nits before using the nit comb.

Shaving your Head to Remove Head Lice

One of the easiest and most effective ways to get rid of head lice is to simply shave your head, although many women would prefer alternative methods. Note that a short haircut usually isn't sufficient, since head lice typically cling to hair only a quarter-inch from the scalp.

More Head Lice Home Remedies and Treatments

Reader Comments

Posted by Helen on Aug 31 2010 15:54:52

My 7 year-old daughter ended up with lice last fall, and the whole week prior I had been snuggling and hugging her and I never had got them. Why? Because I have been using PAUL MITCHELL TEE TREE SHAMPOO daily. The shampoo repels the lice. So now that we are coming into the school year again, I will be having the girls on that shampoo from now on, every other day and leave it on for a few minutes so it soaks it to the skin. Plus being very through in checking my childrens scalp and staying on the ball helps. Pulling back the hair in a ponytail, spraying the hair with hairspray and being aware of what is going on is the only way you will get rid of it.

Posted by Marie on Aug 21 2010 21:34:22

We have been battling head lice for a month. We tried covering ur hair with rubbing alcohol and put on a shower cap. Sleep with this on( but no more then 8 hrs) Then rinse the hair and apply shampoo. Work into a lather and add a cup of vinegar to it and let it sit 10mins. Rinse. It works and kills the eggs. Hope someone else finds this useful

Posted by Beth on Jul 28 2010 12:52:03

I was recently diagnosed with having what looks like scabies... Dr. Gave my Lindane which scared the heck out of me so started to research Tea Tree Oil... I have been dousing the areas with full strength for 2 days now and will begin baths tonite... It seems to be appearing on my elbow areas... Any advise would be most helpful... Went on vacation last week cause Dr. said I was ok to go but everything I have ready says contagous... Husband is fine... no issues... puzzeled....

Posted by Sarah July 24 2010 on Jul 24 2010 15:43:52

We have head lice twice. I have used the buzz treatment on my boys and this was the easiest. For the girls we successfuly used this method. Go to Walmart or some other store and buy a huge bottle of the cheapest, thickest hair gel you can find. Suave or dippety due will work. Also, buy the old fashioned shower caps. Dont forget the stainless steel or metal lice combs. before the kids go to bed, put the hair gel all over their heads. Coat every inch down to the ends of their hair. Now place the caps on them and put them to bed. When they wake up the next day wash their hair out with regualar shampoo. Use the lice comb and blow dry. The hair gel suffocates the little buggers and washes out pretty easily. Also, bag everything you can in plastic garbage bags and leave it all in bags for 30 days, at least. PS. everyone in our family who used a blow every day never got headlice. Go Figure!

Posted by Anonymous on Jun 03 2010 18:42:34

Yess, lice stay in the beard too. The body parts that have thick long hair (head, beards, pubic areas) are haven for Lice! As long you keep your hair clean and not damp for longer hours they tend to stay away unless you get infected by somebody who had them.

Posted by larry taylor on May 31 2010 20:22:13

not really a comment but i have a beard do they stay in there or just mainly the head ???

Posted by Sue on May 19 2010 21:29:23

The absolute best thing to get rid of lice is an electronic comb. I bought mine at Walgreens for about 30.00 It it battery operated and makes a whining noise but comb it through the hair and zap, it kills the lice on contact.. (it will quit beeping when it gets one in the teeth of the comb, so you'll know you have got at least one.) then you brush them out of the comb and go again.. The first time I used it I zapped about 14 out of my granddaughters hair.. and with my eyesight , I couldn't even see them in her hair. but it found them..no messy shampoos or chemicals.. We went through all of those before I found this.. then just use it every few days and get the little nits before they can multiply.. gone gone gone... It really works and since it does kill the lice, it can be used on more than one person, if needed.. google it ROBI COMB.. You'll not be sorry... They need this item in the schools.. As you can tell, I am a firm believer it this item. This was a year ago, and we have another outbreak at school so I comb her hair almost daily to make sure she has none. so far, so good.. Robi comb ought to compensate me..LOL Good luck ,, good hunting...

Posted by Darlene on Apr 29 2010 17:04:27

Lets try this again! The combs cost three dollars and ninty nine cents.

Posted by Darlene on Apr 29 2010 17:03:12

Sorry, Cost should read .99.

Posted by Darlene on Apr 29 2010 17:01:45

I have 9 gkids and we have battled the lice for years. I found that either white vinager or apple cider vinager sprayed on the hair as you are combing releases the nits and kids dont scream from pain. Also, the school nurse gave us this recipe. 6 oz. dawn 2 Tablespoons tea tree oil and 2 oz vinager. Leave in hair for as long as u like. wont hurt the kids except if gotten into the eyes. The only nit comb we have found around us is sold by Sally beauty supply. They are only .99!

Posted by Jill on Apr 08 2010 13:47:04

When My three daughters had head lice only thing to do is cut their waist length hair very short like a boy My girls has very short hair I will keep my girls hair very short from now on

Posted by Heather on Apr 05 2010 04:53:54

A Professor at a Nth QLD UNI in Australia found that using conditioner stuns the head lice. They are then able to be combed out. Also there are Neem Tree products available in Australia that dissolve the glue that attaches the egg to the hair, hope this helps, cheers H

Posted by ruby on Mar 03 2010 16:34:14

Campho Phenique works! it doesn't burn, and it kills lice as well as other body hitch hikers;

Posted by Beth on Feb 25 2010 14:26:49

OK, I have read and tried most all of the remedies listed here, I even spray my kids hair with a tea tree oil mixture daily and use neem oil when I shampoo their hair. Nothing is working. I am tired, stressed, embarressed, and just do not know what to do. Someone please help me.

Posted by jenny on Feb 17 2010 09:18:08

I've also found geranium essential oil to be effective with head lice. Just add a drop to a nizoral based or anti-lice shampoo to kill them off. Then a drop every now and then in your shampoo for maintenance. Leave it on for 3-5 minutes before you rinse off. But the other essential oil recipes look good here.

Posted by Charlene on Feb 05 2010 10:12:51

Sabine - and anyone else with persistent lice: Combine 1 tsp tea tree oil, 1 tsp eucalyptus oil, and 1 tps rosemary oil,about a 1/2 cup of vinegar, and 1/2 cup cooking oil (we used vegetable oil), mix this up, and put it on each persons head for about 20 minutes. We did this and we were lice free for over 5 years, despite a lot of people around us keeping them through the years. Once you've waited the 20-30 minutes, wash out with a daily cleanser shampoo (Prell is recommended but other stuff works just as good). Repeat in a week. Hope someone else finds this helpful! It was recommended to me by the school nurse about 6 years ago now. Cost me around to get the natural oils and you can find them at any local vitamin store. Also, adding tea tree oil to your shampoo will keep them from coming back if used regularly - and it should be 10%+ tea tree oil. The bottle I got from Wal-mart has 15% in it.

Posted by Sabine on Jan 18 2010 05:33:05

TREE TEA OIL does not work. My daughter has lice, and i've tried the tree tea oil shampoo, lice shampoo, pharmacy benzene and glycerine but the buggers are still wriggling around when combing them out with a nit comb. I am now going to try the listerine and vinegar solution and if that doesn't work, mayonaise. If neither works, then I don't know.

Posted by Jim on Jan 12 2010 02:55:46

Hey, try plastering your hair with mayonnaise. Leave on over night then wash out and use nit comb to remove eggs and dead lice. Works a treat. Do again after a couple of days if you still have live lice.

Posted by Pubiswig on Jan 10 2010 00:50:42

Why not get a bottle of Rid and use it. Its made from Chrysanthemums so its natural enough that someone could have mentioned it! Really now, its the kind of thing you just want to get done when it happens. You can even use it for crab lice like a charm. Come on people who are an authority.

Posted by beckaann18 on Jan 07 2010 14:17:11

I trying everything nothing works. well i haven't tryed the tea tree oil yet or the dyein gof the hair. ive been battling this for three months . help !!!!!!! my kids r fine they dont have it . it me that we fine it on everytime it come back

Posted by Deb McEnery on Dec 31 2009 19:56:45

Flea-Rid Dog Shampoo is by far the safest, easiest method to rid yourself/or others of head lice. You can wash all your linens in it, even mop the floor with it. Bathe and shampoo with it. Use regularly for 2 weeks. My young daughter had Scabies once and the Rx shampoo looked so much like dog shampoo -smelled like it too -I commented to the Dr. He said yea, it's basically the same thing. Why pay more, and smell like who knows what? Not to mention what it does to the condition of your hair? Dog's skin is 100 times more sensitive than ours. So it's gentle too..

Posted by Joe on Nov 21 2009 01:41:12

I found after many otc natural and pesticides didn't work by there direction but that if you use rid x then wait exactly 8 days then repeat the use of rid x you will be free it was a 4 month episode and no one could help the life cycle from nymph(baby lice) to maturity is 7 days so rid x kills the 1st mature adults then when the nits turn to baby lice (nymphs) you kill them before they mature and lay more nits you can repeat three times if you feel necessary it was horrible I called everybody with no sucess except for what i did

Posted by Paula on Nov 06 2009 21:53:51

Green Soap

Posted by maria sajid on Oct 03 2009 16:03:31

remedy 4 head lice Take 1 litre of coconut oil and 200 gram carom(ajwain, mix them in glass bottle and then put in sunshine for 15 to 20 days or heat on fire for 5 to 10 minutes on low heat. Apply this oil on head every night and wash in the morning. This is my own experience that lice is gone permanently.

Posted by Shana on Oct 02 2009 19:09:11

My duaghter had headlice her first year of school and she has never had her hair cut it was down to her bottom and we tried everything and my mother in law saw a lady who works at a hair place and she told her to get a bottle of suave shampoo and reguler pin-sol the brown kind that smells like pine and pour half of the shampoo into anthore container and then fill that bottle up with pin-sol and shake well and use it once a week and she has never gotten it agian ..but before it was all over with she missed 15 days of school

Posted by Millie on Sep 17 2009 04:15:17

There's a new non-toxic benzyl alcohol FDA approved lotion that works. I got rid of them from baby-fine adult hair by using Old Spice After Shave lotion - it contains benzyl alcohol - it kills the lice . Repeat a few times. It was the only thing that worked after 5 months of combing twice a day with every thing listed on every headlice site. Type in benzyl alcohol + head lice and you will see the new product.

Posted by ann on Sep 08 2009 21:38:46

Douse hair with Listerine, (I used the off brand) Wrap hair with a plastic bag(airtight) for 2 hours, then rinse. Rinse hair thouroghly with vinegar, wrap airtight with a different grocery bag, or garbage bag, saran wrap-whatever. Leave on for an hour. Rinse hair, put alot of coconut conditioner (lice hate the smell apparently) And the MAIN THING people need to be aware of is: BUY THE METAL NIT COMB!!! It only cost .99 at Walgreens, it's by the shampoo. I ain't from France but excuse my French.. Those little nix and rid combs aren't worth shet. Comb & comb & comb in the shower with mucho conditioner and bam - they're gone. The moral of the story is: It is not a shame to get lice, it is a shame to keep them & do nothing to get rid of them.

Posted by LACY on Sep 06 2009 21:45:18

I have had lice since december of 2008 and it is now septmeber..... of 2009 I do not know what to do... and i dont want to shave my head....HELP!!!

Posted by Madisyn on Aug 09 2009 16:01:47

Ive tried using a shampoo but it just doesnt work!!I do not know what to do!!!!HELP!!

Posted by Kali12345 on Jun 14 2009 19:01:03

If you have tried everything, and have been suffering for months, then shaving the head is a good option. Great for boys, wigs or hats are a good option for girls and women. I suffered for 15 months before I did this, and I'm sorry I waited so long! I had tried everything, and the stress was unbelievable. I don't like having short hair or wearing a wig, but hair grows back and not having bugs is worth it!

Posted by donna on Jun 11 2009 14:19:52

hi I'm in desperate need of some advice,since my daughter of 4 started nursery I've been battling nits,i feel so bad 4 her because she hates me combing her hair through,I've tried all these nit treatments from the shop and after a while it just works out 2 expensive so then i tried them all vinegar,mayo,even aftershave but i just cant shift the eggs,and they just stay there no matter wot i use please help if you can thanks very much,donna x

Posted by susansmurals on Jun 03 2009 21:42:44

I highly reccomend tea tree oil for Lice. We had this problem one too many times and after spending money on expensive RID, not to mention the awful smell and chemicals on my child,I found it to be not effective. I researched the internet and found Tea tree oil.I bought it at Walmart by the vitamins. After mixing it with my current Shampoo and conditioner about a tablespoon to (bottle of Suave tropical coconut shampo,and cond), I let it sit (conditioner) and combed it out with the nit comb. we were able to get rid of those pesky little buggers. We did this every other day for about 4 times.

Posted by lisa on Jun 02 2009 09:13:01

TREE TEA OIL and Olive OIL .. to get rid of lice .yes it really works.I use 1 bottle of TREE TEA OIL and 1 bottle of OLIVE OIL.mix together in a spray bottle.shake well and spray on the entire head.I put a shower cap on and let on hair for about 30 mins. i take a LICE MISTER COMB and comb the strands of hair one section at a time.the OLIVE OIL helps break down the eggs for easier removal.I then use DAWN DISHSOAP to help remove the olive oil and tree tea oil followed by suave coconut shampoo followed by suave coconut conditoiner.then about 3 times a week I use tree tea oil shampoo.The unused portion of the mixture can be stored under your sink for future use .

Posted by Mary on Apr 05 2009 21:26:08

ok it is not my typing the cost is two dollars and fifty cents at trader joes! 2.50

Posted by Mary on Apr 05 2009 21:25:00

Sorry that is .50 AT Trader Joes.

Posted by Mary on Apr 05 2009 21:23:37

I bought Tea Tree oil at Trader Joes today .50. for anyone interested. It also, works well for dry scalps/dandriff.

Posted by terry on Dec 31 2008 14:28:39

tara can i ask where did you get the tea tree oil and tea tree shampoo thanks

Posted by terry on Dec 31 2008 14:24:46

thank you ladies for all your advise iam going crazy trying to get rid of my daugthers head lice DR. RX work for a while but still having problems plus the smell stays with her for days she gets them often iam going to try all these remedes thank you

Posted by Tara on Dec 30 2008 21:32:59

I have used tea tree shampoo on my children for years. My daughter had an issue with repeated headlice infestations from school. I tryed Rid, Mayo, Viniger, Karosene...Nothing worked. Then a friend told me about tea tree oil. I used it and it got rid of it and then the tea tree shampoo weekly as a normal shampoo and she has not had lice since..even though other children in her class have had it.

Posted by Lisa on Oct 30 2008 23:14:08

When I was young we tried all the above. Vinegar did help with the nits but it burned so bad it really didn't help enough for how bad it burned Mayonaise just left my head super greasy for a couple days and did not kill them the Sargants flea and tick shampoo was the best shampoo but finally what did it was blow drying my hair in the morning and at night.

Posted by Lana on Oct 05 2008 10:39:02

This came from a registered nurse and it really works, my 7 year old daughter was getting lice and we couldn't seem to get rid of it until we tried this, Sargents flea and tick shampoo for CATS only we washed her hair in this and it made the nits almost glow now we was her hair in the shampoo about once every two weeks leave it on for 10 minutes and then condition her hair really well so it won't burn her hair up. using the shampoo every week or everyother week will also repel those critters. we have had alot of success with it, try it it works

Posted by brandii on Sep 02 2008 15:57:41

my 2 year old step son kept getting headlice at 2!! we came up with our own solution which consists of mayo vinegar and dawn dishsoap use 1 cup of each apply to the whole head leave on for approximately 10 minutes and rinse out this has been approved by a pediatrician as well this is 100% safe

Posted by Linda on Aug 10 2008 04:14:20

Get a Jar of Salad Dressing Miracle Whip are any cheap brand will do, put it in your hair real thick and work it in and leave on for 30 min. are so then rinse and comb out with a nit comb, no more head lice..

Posted by Susan on Jul 21 2008 11:30:18

While some of these may work, you forgot to mention the importance of a good nit comb to get all of the eggs out of the hair after using whatever remedy you choose. There are also natural shampoos that are proven to loosen the glue that is holding the nits to the hair shaft and there are mint sprays that help to repel lice. The brand that I prefer for all of these is NitFree that is sold at www.Kleen-Free.com

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