How to get rid of lice quickly and effectively. Traditional methods of treating pediculosis at home How to remove human louse
Nits are small eggs that lice lay close to the scalp. To completely get rid of pediculosis, it is not enough to kill adult individuals; it is necessary to get rid of nits. Proper nit removal not only helps get rid of lice, but also prevents them from spreading to family, friends and pets. After reading this article, you will learn how to properly get rid of nits.
Steps
Getting rid of lice
- Apply shampoo to dry hair. Then wait ten minutes. After this, lather the shampoo well by adding more water. Rinse your hair. Now you need to remove the nits. After 7-10 days, repeat the entire process to kill any lice that may have hatched after the treatment.
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Try smothering live lice. Although there are few clinical trials Regarding the effectiveness of this method, some people believe that lice die from suffocation. They claim that some products penetrate the respiratory system and block the lice's breathing holes. Lice can still live for several hours, but after a while they die.
Prepare for the nit removal procedure. Choose a location with plenty of natural or artificial light. Good lighting will help you better see the nits glued to the hair. Also, place a towel over your shoulders to prevent nits or hair from falling onto the floor.
Removing nits with vinegar
Wash your hair with water and vinegar. Nits are covered with a sticky substance that holds them tightly to the hair. Vinegar dissolves this substance, thereby facilitating the separation of nits from the hair.
- Kneel over the bathtub and turn on the faucet. Wet your hair warm water. Then close the tap. While still kneeling, pour the vinegar over your head. Make sure all strands are covered with vinegar. Then rinse your hair thoroughly with warm water.
- How Alternative option, you can mix water and vinegar in a 1:1 ratio and immerse your hair in the solution.
- Apply leave-in conditioner using a comb. All strands should be covered with conditioner. Thanks to this, you can painlessly and easily comb out nits.
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Start combing out nits. You will need a metal comb with fine, stiff teeth. You should not use a regular plastic comb. The required comb can be purchased at most pharmacies. Use a magnifying glass to help you see the nits.
- Chances are you removed most of the nits when you used vinegar. However, there is a chance that you have not removed all the nits. Take a small strand in your hand. The width of the selected strand should be equal to the length of the comb. Comb all hair thoroughly.
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After you've combed through your hair, rinse the comb in soapy water. To do this, you will need a small bowl of soapy water. Afterwards, wipe the comb on a napkin or paper towel to remove any nits or lice that are caught on the teeth.
Repeat the process until you have combed out nits from all strands. Pin each treated strand to the side to minimize the chance of re-infection.
Wash your hair. After you have combed out the nits, wash your hair again. This will give you the feeling that your hair is clean. Use the lice shampoo again to ensure complete lice removal.
- Dry your hair and carefully inspect your head for lice or nits. If you notice a nit or louse, you will have to repeat the entire process again.
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Wash the accessories you have used. Place the bowl in which you rinsed the comb in the dishwasher or pour boiling water into it and leave for 10 minutes, covering it with a lid. You can also place all combs, hairpins and other accessories in a bowl of boiling water. However, first, try to remove nits and lice from these accessories.
- Heat the water in the bowl to about 54 degrees Celsius for 5-10 minutes. All lice and nits will die.
- Alternatively, you can mix two cups of boiling water with one cup ammonia. Soak the nit comb you used to remove nits in a solution of ammonia for 15 minutes, and then brush it with an old toothbrush.
- If necessary, you can use this comb to treat the hair of another family member.
Removing nits using Listerine
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Apply Listerine to your hair. Listerine contains a high percentage of alcohol, which makes it possible to kill lice and nits. Although some sites offering natural treatments recommend using Listerine, many health sites do not recommend this remedy. Please note that Listerine contains alcohol, so be careful not to get it in your eyes. Additionally, if you have open wounds on your scalp, you may feel a burning sensation when you apply Listerine. Also make sure that Listerine does not get into the hands of a child.
- If you choose to use Listerine, apply it to your hair and put a shower cap on for 30 minutes or more. This will kill the lice. Repeat if necessary.
- You can apply Listerine before bed. Place a towel on the pillow to avoid staining the bed linen. In the morning you will continue the cleaning process.
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Wash your hair with warm water and vinegar. To remove Listerine from your hair, wash it with warm water and vinegar. Douse your hair with plenty of vinegar to get rid of nits.
- Once you've done all of the above, apply a leave-in conditioner to your hair, comb it through, and then use a nit comb to comb out the nits from each strand.
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Wash the area where you removed the nits, as well as any utensils you used. Wash the nit comb in soapy water or dishwasher. Also pour Listerine into a spray bottle. This step will not only get rid of lice, but will also prevent re-infestation.
- Wash bed linen and towels in hot water. Heat treatment will destroy lice and nits.
Preventing re-infection
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Avoid contact with other people's hair. Fortunately, lice are not very mobile. They cannot jump and cannot live outside of a person's head. The most common way to transmit lice to another person is through direct contact with their hair. Such contacts are common in schools, during games or sports, and during sleep if we're talking about about the infection of a child. For adults, infection can occur when your hair comes into contact with the hair of a loved one.
Avoid contact with contaminated personal items, bedding, and detergents. If there is no food, the louse dies within one or two days. However, be careful. Avoid infested objects that may have eggs or lice on them.
- Such items include hats, elastic bands, hairpins, scarves, coats and school uniform. Never give your hat, comb or towel to other people.
- Soak comb, combs, towels in hot water (54° C) for 10 minutes to disinfect.
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Wash linen, towels, and bedding in hot water. Bedding, pillows, stuffed animals and towels should be washed in hot water and dried on a heat dryer to kill any remaining insects. Please note that the water temperature must be at least 54° C. If you are unable to wash or dry your clothes properly, have them dry cleaned or put them in a dry cleaner. plastic bag and leave for two weeks.
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Vacuum the floor and other surfaces. Lice or nits may have gotten onto floors or other surfaces if you or a loved one had them. If possible, use vacuum bags with a HEPA filter so that you can remove lice and nits during the cleaning process.
- Of course, lice or nits on such surfaces usually do not remain viable for long. However, it is better to treat furniture and similar surfaces to prevent re-infection.
Get rid of adult lice first. Removing nits alone will not relieve the patient from head lice. First, you need to remove the lice, since while they are on the hair, they continue to lay eggs. These eggs then develop into adult lice. This cycle will be endless unless it is stopped and the adult louse is killed first.
Use prescription shampoo. You can try Pyrethrum shampoo. This shampoo is made with pyrethrins. Pyrethrins are natural extracts from chrysanthemum flowers. Pyrethrins are very quickly absorbed into the body of lice and infect nervous system, disrupting the process of transmission of nerve impulses. However, this group of natural insecticides is not always effective.
The appearance of lice in humans is perceived as a serious problem. As a rule, people try not to talk about it out loud. If lice appear in children, then this is perceived by society as a matter of course, but if lice attack an adult, then many questions arise as a result. The fact is that the appearance of lice is perceived as a sign of poor personal hygiene and unsanitary living conditions.
There are actually several types of lice. For example:
When these don't large insects fall into comfortable conditions, they begin to actively reproduce. In 2 weeks, one female can lay up to 300 eggs or nits, as they are also called. Although adult individuals live no more than 1 month, during this period they can cause a lot of harm.
- Head lice settle on a person's head, preferring thick hair.
- Linen lice prefer to be among bedding, in the folds of clothing, among things in wardrobes.
- Pubic lice prefer intimate areas person, eyebrows and eyelashes, as well as armpit areas.
How are lice transmitted?
Head lice are transmitted:
- As a result of using other people's hygiene products, such as combs, hairpins, elastic bands, etc.
- As a result of contact between family members.
- As a result of using other people's towels in various public institutions.
- As a result of parents and children sleeping together. During this period, adult individuals move to a new owner without any problems.
If friends or acquaintances have lice, then it is impossible to become infected with them while at a distance. This will happen during a hug or even a handshake. Quite often, friends, and especially girlfriends, try on each other’s clothes or hats, which can certainly lead to infection.
Body lice are transmitted by:
- Through a shared bed with your family.
- As a result of trying on or wearing someone else's clothes.
- As a result of poor quality disinfection of bedding in inexpensive hotels or passenger trains.
Note to everyone! Nits survive well in a humid environment, so it’s easy to understand how easy it is to become infected with head lice in in public places such as bathhouse, sauna, swimming pool, fitness club, solarium, etc.
If you do not inspect the child's head for lice, the females may lay a large number of eggs Nits that are different grayish white the shade is held quite firmly on the hair with the help of an adhesive substance and is difficult to get rid of just like that, without effort.
In addition, the presence of pediculosis can be determined by other signs:
- When lice are at their maximum activity, a person feels the active movement of something on the head.
- Scratch marks may be visible on the skin, which may take the form of wounds or scabs.
- Human skin becomes covered with dark blue spots, which indicates poisoning by toxic substances in the human body.
- Bite marks are visible in the head area, which leads to a feeling of discomfort.
- When infection occurs with clothes or pubic lice, itching is noted in intimate places, in the area of eyebrows and eyelashes, as well as under the arms.
- If you carefully examine the problem areas, you can immediately notice not only adults, but also eggs. As a rule, nits are firmly held on the hair, so you won’t be able to simply shake them off.
- Living nits are crushed with a characteristic sound and a little liquid is released.
What to do:
Lice control medications come in several forms:
- In the form of sprays.
- In the form of shampoos.
- In powder form.
- In the form of lotions.
- In the form of creams and ointments.
The composition of anti-pediculosis drugs includes the following active substances:
Insecticides and other means are used against lice:
- Permethrin ointment.
- Medifox.
- Lauri.
- Parasidosis.
- Medilis-Super.
- Nodu.
- Benzyl benzoate ointment.
Popular mechanical drugs include:
- Paranit.
- Full Max.
To the means combined type relate:
- Para-Plus.
- A-Par.
- Buzzed.
- Spray Pax.
The following medications are suitable to combat head lice in children:
- Parasidosis+.
- But yes.
- Paranit.
- Pediculent.
Exists inexpensive remedy“Hellebore water”, which has a detrimental effect on adults and nits. The composition has a certain toxicity, so it is not recommended to use it for the treatment of head lice in children under 5 years of age.
You can also fight lice with folk remedies. Their effectiveness has been proven over many centuries. Effective folk remedies include:
- Kerosene and vegetable oil, combined in equal proportions.
- Vinegar, if you dilute a tablespoon in 100 ml of water.
- Turpentine.
In addition to such means, good results in the fight against lice can be obtained if you use:
- Ointment from hellebore and bogulnik.
- A solution of vinegar and salt.
- Tar soap.
- Mask with geranium and tea tree.
- Ointment from bird cherry and angelica.
- A decoction of mint and pomegranate.
- Salt and vinegar solution.
- Decoction of elecampane root.
- Geranium oil.
All means must be used correctly. For example:
Person to person is in such close contact that no one is immune from the appearance of lice, especially in children when they visit preschool institutions and school. But if you remember how lice are transmitted from person to person, then the risk of infection can be reduced to almost zero.
What not to do:
- Try on other people's hats.
- Use the same comb for all family members.
- Wearing other people's things or things of your relatives.
- Use other people's hygiene products.
- Do not follow basic hygiene rules.
- Engage in sexual contact with strangers, in other words, lead an immoral lifestyle.
- Use various accessories that belong to other people.
It's better to pay attention:
Schools, kindergartens, swimming pools and holiday camps are all potential sources of lice infection. How to remove lice from a child at home, without cutting hair and without the help of doctors?
Children, due to weakened immune system and lack of awareness, more often adults become infected with pediculosis. Getting rid of lice and nits is a complex process, since the child is constantly at risk.
But this will require a lot of effort and money.
Adults attach nits at a distance of 1–2 cm from the root, and they themselves live directly on the scalp. There is no point in trimming your hair a few centimeters; lice and nits will not leave your head when they see the scissors.
It is more effective to get rid of lice by shaving your head bald. This method will rational decision, if the baby is still small.
In most cases, the hair cutting technique is used due to cost savings. medicine. If a girl is diagnosed with lice in the hospital, there is a likely risk of losing her braid without her mother’s knowledge.
Due to curiosity, children exchange hats, braid each other’s hair using other people’s combs and elastic bands, change in kindergarten and pillow camps.
Relapse in children is often associated with parental neglect. Lice eggs are not hatched.
It is important to understand: a single treatment is not effective. Eggs resistant to insecticides hatch after 7 days, and the disease develops again.
How to prevent relapse
To prevent re-infection, follow preventive measures:
Comb your curls with a fine comb every 3 days, while carefully examining each strand. Having identified the source of infection, inform the parents of the sick person or the teacher at school about what happened.
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Nits are eggs laid by lice. They can be found in humans in places where there is hair: on the head, chest, arms, legs, genitals, abdomen, and armpits. Even clean people who take care of themselves can develop nits. It is very important to destroy and remove them in time to prevent the appearance of new individuals and the spread of lice. To combat lice eggs, there are effective pharmaceutical preparations, as well as folk remedies.
Possible sources of infection
The most common route of nit infection is household. Lice do not have the ability to fly, but can quickly crawl from an infected person to a healthy person in close contact. Insects reproduce quickly and lay eggs in a new place. There is a high probability of catching head lice in kindergarten and school, since children actively communicate with each other.
You can become infected in a bathhouse, sauna, or swimming pool if these establishments do not carry out appropriate sanitary treatment. When using a towel or clothing of an infected person, the risk of getting sick is also very high. In trains and hotels, the source of lice infection can be poorly washed and insufficiently dried bed linen.
You can detect nits on your hair even after visiting a hairdresser. Poorly disinfected instruments become a source of lice infection. The disease often occurs when trying on or wearing other people's hats, scarves and hairpins.
It is not always possible to immediately recognize lice eggs; sometimes they are mistaken for dandruff. Therefore, it is important to pay attention to the signs indicating the presence of head lice. The main symptom of the disease is itching in the area where insects and nits accumulate.. At night it intensifies and prevents a person from sleeping. Over time, redness and local irritation occur in areas where the skin is scratched.
Lice eggs, unlike dandruff, cannot be shaken off the hair. They are securely attached by the female and can only be combed out with a comb or comb. If the nit is not dead, then when you crush it with your fingers, a characteristic click will be heard and liquid will be released.
Another sign of lice is bluish-red spots on the skin. They occur after an insect bite due to hemorrhages and the concentration of hemoglobin breakdown components. The size of the spots can reach 1 cm in diameter. A rash, purulent blisters and small papules often appear on the affected skin.
Due to illness, a person’s sleep and appetite are also disturbed.. There is general irritability, anxiety, and the temperature may rise. Problems with the digestive, nervous and cardiovascular systems often arise.
REFERENCE! You can detect nits and not confuse them with dandruff using a magnifying glass or Wood's lamp.
What do lice eggs (nits) look like?
The female lays many viable eggs during her life. They look like oblong capsules with a lid. The protective shell is covered with an adhesive substance, thanks to which the nits are firmly attached to hair and clothing. The length of the egg does not exceed 1 mm.
Live nits, unlike dead ones, have a white, slightly transparent color. They sparkle when illuminated. The dead membranes darken and acquire a yellow-gray tint, but also remain firmly attached to the hair.
When do eggs become larvae?
The nit is the first stage of lice formation. The development period from egg to adult insect can be from two to four weeks. After 5-10 days, a larva emerges from the nit. The period of its maturation directly depends on favorable conditions. The most comfortable temperature for the development of larvae is 36.6. When the favorable environment changes life cycle insects does not stop, but only slows down.
Is it possible to get rid of nits in 1 day?
How to remove dry (dead nits) from hair?
Dead lice eggs adhere well to hair, but they can and should be removed. For this, it is recommended to use 5-6% vinegar. Add two tablespoons of acid to one liter of water and rinse your hair with this solution. If the vinegar is 10-15%, then only 1 tbsp is required. spoon of acid for the same volume of water.
After rinsing, hair should be combed with a fine-toothed comb.. The remaining eggs should be removed by hand. The method is quite long, but effective.
Basic ways to combat nits
To quickly remove lice eggs, you can use pharmaceutical or folk remedies, as well as combing.
Pharmacy drugs
Pharmacies have effective means to get rid of nits:
You can deal with nit eggs using folk remedies. They are available, inexpensive and effective in treatment.
- Tar soap. Hair needs to be wet and lathered with soap. Then put a plastic cap on your head, wrap it in a towel and wait two hours. Finally, wash your hair well and remove dead insects and their eggs.
- Apple vinegar. Bring vinegar to 3% concentration by diluting with water. Apply with a cotton swab to problem areas. After half an hour, rinse with water. Repeat treatment for at least three days in a row.
- Birch tar. You need to take three tablespoons butter and tar. Mix the ingredients and treat the affected areas with the resulting product. Treat for at least 10 days.
- Tansy. To obtain a decoction, you need to take a tablespoon of the herb and pour boiling water (0.5 l) over it. Leave for one hour, wrapped in a warm towel. Rub the solution into the scalp daily for a week. Rinse with broth every other day. After the procedure, comb out lice and nits every day.
- Cranberry juice. Mash the berries and squeeze the juice out of them. Add a little water, then moisten the gauze and apply to hair for 15 minutes. Treat the head for 10 days. After use, always wash your hair with warm water. The acid contained in the berries will destroy insects as well as their eggs.
Combing
Nits can be removed by combing out using a special comb or comb. Before the procedure, it is necessary to provide good lighting and lay a sheet or oilcloth on the floor. Lightly wet your hair and divide it into thin strands.
Do you know how to comb out lice?
YesNo
ATTENTION! If a louse or nit remains in the hair after combing, then it will not be possible to cope with lice. The insects will multiply again, and you will have to fight them again.
Popular myths about nits
Expert opinion
Alexandra Valerievna
Doctor-Trichologist
Myth 1. If there is one person in a family infected with lice, then all members of this family should be treated with anti-lice medications.
For prevention, there is no need to undergo treatment; it is enough to limit the contact of a sick person with healthy people.
Myth 2. Nits jump from head to head.
This is wrong. They can't jump. You can only become infected if a louse crawls from an infected head to healthy hair.
Myth 3. Insects cannot stand the smell of tea tree and lavender oils.
There is no scientific evidence of this fact, since no studies have been conducted.
Myth 4. You can become infected with lice through clothing and bedding.
This is possible if underwear and clothing are used immediately after a sick person. Without feeding on human blood and skin flakes, the louse will not survive. That is why bedding and clothes are not treated; it is enough to simply wash them well.
Myth 5. Anti-lice products only work on insects and are useless against nits.
Most products only really kill insects. However, there are several lotions, shampoos and creams available against nits.
Paint has a detrimental effect on insects - that's a fact. There is just no evidence that lice die completely. People with clean hair also become infected with lice.
Myth 7. Kerosene is effective against nits.
If nit eggs are found on your baby's head, it is better to shave him. This will help prevent head lice, and your child will quickly grow new hair. When treating a disease with pharmaceutical drugs, you should carefully read the instructions and take into account all contraindications. Some medications cannot be used by children under one year of age; there are medications that are only approved for children aged five years and older. Using folk remedies, you need to monitor the body's reaction. If allergies, nausea, dizziness, or skin rashes occur, treatment should be stopped and consult a doctor.
IMPORTANT! Clothes and bedding of a sick child must be washed at a water temperature of at least 90 degrees above zero. In this case, use a child's washing powder or laundry soap. After washing, the laundry must be dried and ironed with a hot iron or treated with steam.
Are there any remedies for nits without scratching?
If you cannot comb out all the eggs, you can rinse your hair with an aqueous solution of potassium permanganate. He will give beautiful shade and will paint over dead nits. However It is recommended to use this method only on dark hair.
Prevention of re-infection
You can get rid of nits only if they are completely removed from your hair. Moreover, there should be no lice left either, otherwise they will lay eggs again. To avoid re-infection with head lice, certain preventive measures must be followed:
- Change bedding frequently (at least once a week).
- Maintain good body hygiene and wash your hair regularly.
- Use only a personal towel.
- Avoid questionable sexual relations.
- Keep your underwear clean.
- Periodically inspect the head and areas of the body covered with hair.
- Do not use other people's hats and clothes.
- Remove excess body hair.
- Refuse to visit swimming pools, saunas, baths where sanitary standards are not observed.
- At home and away, use only a personal hair comb.
- Wash clothes and bed linen by special means, dry well and iron with a hot iron.
The presence of nits indicates a lice infection. This dangerous disease, which must be treated quickly so that it does not occur severe consequences . The disease is transmitted through household and sexual contact. You can get rid of lice eggs using folk remedies or pharmaceutical preparations, good effect gives combing with a comb. To prevent re-infection, it is necessary to take some preventive measures.
Lice have plagued humanity since time immemorial and many people think that this disease has long disappeared from developed countries. Over such a long period, a lot of recipes for combating pediculosis have appeared, each of which has varying degrees of success, but works. Let's take a look at all the folk remedies for lice that can be used at home and try to understand which recipes are the most effective and safe.
How can you tell if you have lice?
Diagnosing a lice infestation is not difficult; the first sign will be severe itching of the scalp or other hair areas. Upon closer inspection, you can distinguish small black dots; these are lice excrement. In addition, whitish oblong lumps appear on the hair, which are difficult to comb out; these are insect larvae, popularly called.
The bite mark looks like a mosquito bite, but it is invisible behind the hair, but over time, the skin in the area of the crown and behind the ears begins to peel off, and if the problem is not addressed, the peeling can develop into plaques with wet ulcers.
Where can they start?
Only 3 types come into contact with humans:
- Headworms - live in the scalp, have a light gray color and grow up to 3 mm.
- Pubic or flat hairs - grow up to 2 mm, live on pubic hair, but if you don’t fight them, they can move to all the hair of the body, right down to the eyelashes.
- Clothes live in bedding and reach 5 mm in size; they do not migrate directly to the human body, but are dangerous with strong and painful bites.
Is it possible to remove it using folk remedies?
Let's start with the fact that since grandmother's methods of treatment live to this day, it means they have proven their effectiveness. You can get rid of the problem of head lice with such recipes; another question is how much time and effort it will take. There are both pros and cons here. Supporters traditional medicine they say the following:
- Most formulations have a natural base, because berries, oils, decoctions, etc. are used for preparation. Accordingly, there is less likelihood of rejection or occurrence side effects.
- You can use several products at the same time, they do not interfere with each other, which usually increases efficiency.
- Availability of materials: at least 30% of the ingredients are available in every home, and those that are missing can be quickly purchased at an affordable price.
- The effectiveness of homemade formulations is an order of magnitude lower than that of their competitors from the pharmacy. Therefore, the course of treatment can take up to 1 month (the life cycle of lice is 1 month).
- It will not be possible to solve the problem in one go; you will have to be patient and prepare for repeated and systematic procedures.
A simple and radical method is to shave your head
This is perhaps the only popular method that gives a quick and guaranteed good result. Shaving the head deprives the “tenants” of a comfortable living environment. Moreover, if the child is small, then not every medicine is suitable for him, and a haircut is a universal thing and will definitely not harm his health.
Older children and many adults often cannot afford to shave their heads. More precisely, boys and men will still endure such a loss, but for young girls and women this radical measure is, in principle, not acceptable.
Oils
In the fight against lice, the use of masks made from oils has been practiced since the times of the Egyptian pharaohs. This method has a dual effect.
- Any oil blocks the respiratory tract of insects and they die, plus hair lubricated with a greasy composition is much easier to comb out.
- The vast majority of existing recipes include pungent-smelling essential oils, and this type of insect tolerates persistent foreign odors extremely poorly.
By the way, in microdoses, essential oils can be used to prevent the occurrence of head lice, so a few drops of diluted essential oil applied to the neck and temples can protect a child from infection at school during an epidemic.
But here you need to be careful. The fact is that essential oils can cause an allergic reaction in some people, so all the recipes presented below must first be tried, for example, make a small lotion on your hand for 2 - 3 hours.
Tea tree oil
In the east it has always been referred to medicinal plants, it also helps with pediculosis. The mixture turns out to be quite aggressive, so it is not advisable to use it without first checking the body’s reaction. Classic recipe looks like that:
- you need to take 30 grams. medical alcohol;
- add 20 g to alcohol. water;
- add 25 drops of tea tree oil to the mixture and mix well.
If you don’t have alcohol on hand, then regular vodka will do, you need about 100 grams of it. This medicine is rubbed into the head and lubricated over the entire length of the hair. Then a plastic cap is put on your head and you can rest for 2 hours. The solution is washed off with regular shampoo, after which the head is thoroughly combed with a fine comb.
Geranium, anise and lavender oil
It is not advisable to mix geranium oil and other sharp-smelling essential oils with alcohol-containing solutions, but pure form they cannot be used. For such cases, a compromise option was found experimentally. Bright floral scent can be partially repaid using ordinary vegetable oil.
Ideally, it is better to take as a basis linseed oil, but taking into account repeated use, such a solution is quite expensive, so people successfully replace purified flaxseed oil with sunflower oil, but they need to take ordinary refined oil from the store, not the market one.
The technology for producing the solution is extremely simple: add 1 part essential oil to 2 parts vegetable oil and mix thoroughly. Instructions for use oil solutions identical, the mixture is rubbed into the head and kept for 2 hours under a plastic cap. Then the head is washed and combed.
Burr oil
Nowadays, few people know, but in times when there were no miraculous shampoos and balms, the hair of our grandmothers was saved by decoctions, tinctures and other drugs made from burdock. Burdock oil can be considered a purified concentrate of this plant and it helps a lot in the fight against lice.
Now burdock oil can be easily found in pharmacies, the price is quite reasonable. The plant has a beneficial effect on both hair and scalp. After the procedures, scratched wounds and bites heal better, and the hair becomes healthier.
The product is not aggressive, so it is not necessary to mix it with the plant base. Warm burdock oil can be directly lubricated on the head. The medicine is kept under the cap for only one hour, then everything is done according to the scheme described above. It is believed that with regular use, after 3 to 4 days the insects should disappear.
Vegetable oil
This term usually refers to the oil used for cooking, that is, sunflower or olive. In the fight against lice, these compounds cannot boast of any special health-improving effect, but they certainly won’t make you any worse.
Mayonnaise
Mayonnaise, familiar to everyone, is harmless, and most importantly inexpensive and available means treatment of pediculosis. It contains citric and acetic acid; in addition, real mayonnaise contains a small percentage of mustard. This whole “cocktail” has a detrimental effect on insects, and dietary fats completely block the access of oxygen. The technology of use also does not cause any particular difficulties.
- Mayonnaise with a fat content of at least 50% is rubbed into the head, after which the hair is generously lubricated.
- If the hair is long, then it is wrapped around the head and a plastic or rubber cap is put on top. If you don’t have a hat, you can wrap your head in cling film.
- Then a scarf is tied on the head and the person goes to bed (the effect of the mask lasts all night).
- In the morning, the head is washed and the hair is combed. If you manage to comb out all the nits, then one procedure will be enough.
Herbal remedies, infusions and decoctions
The fight against lice should not be limited only to the destruction of adult blood-sucking individuals; the elimination of nits is considered no less important. Otherwise, the effect will be temporary and the problem will quickly return.
An adult lays up to 9 eggs daily. Nits are attached to the hair and, with the help of a secretion secreted by insects, are cemented. So, oil-containing compounds are capable of suffocating only adult individuals, and tinctures, decoctions and plant juices dissolve the protective shell of eggs and nits are easily combed out or destroyed in the bud.
Lemon juice
Natural lemon juice is used everywhere, from adding to tea to skin whitening. As it turned out, this composition is excellent for combating lice and especially nits. Lemon acid It is quite aggressive, so you should not wash your hair with juice in its pure form. For this, a decoction is prepared, the scheme is as follows:
- You need to purchase 3 large lemons and cut them into several pieces (chopping them into thin slices, like for tea, is not necessary).
- Lemons are poured into 1 liter. water and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes.
- When the broth has cooled, you need to strain it and apply it to your head.
The lemon mask under a plastic cap lasts no more than an hour, this is quite enough to soften the shell of the eggs. This decoction can be used in combination with oil formulations, but in this case, simply rinse your hair thoroughly with lemon juice after shampoo and before combing.
Cranberry juice
Natural is aimed exclusively at combating nits. It effectively corrodes the shell and destroys the insect embryo in the egg. The composition does not affect adults, so it is used for 10 - 15 days. That is, new clutches of nits are destroyed by cranberry acid, and previously hatched individuals die a natural death during this time.
The composition is prepared with the addition of natural bee honey. There is no strict dosage. Usually, several handfuls of berries are taken and passed through a juicer or blender. After filtering and removing the cake, a couple of tablespoons of honey are dissolved in the juice. Then you can make a night mask under a plastic cap.
Garlic juice
Not many people decide to fight lice with garlic juice. Actually, there is nothing bad in garlic itself, and according to extreme sports enthusiasts who have undergone such a course of treatment, this method helps very well, but only after the procedures the smell of garlic lasts for another week.
The technology is simple: first, the garlic is peeled and the cloves are passed through a meat grinder, after which the hair is lubricated with this paste and kept under a cap for a couple of hours.
Onion juice
In terms of smell, mode of action and effectiveness, onion juice is on the same level as garlic juice. The recipes for preparing and using the medicine are also similar. But only fans of traditional medicine decide to use it, and then far from civilization.
Mint with pomegranate juice
A mixture of pomegranate juice and fresh peppermint is excellent for both killing nits and killing live insects. Plus, this composition helps against dandruff and makes hair softer.
To prepare the mixture, you need to take a pomegranate and squeeze the juice out of it, the standard serving is 200 g. Next, a pinch of fresh mint is added to the juice and the mixture is brought to a boil. After cooling and straining, the mixture is kept under a plastic cap for up to 8 hours (overnight).
Black cumin
The oriental spice called black cumin can be classified as a complete medicine, but this drug has its own characteristics of use. To prepare, take ground black cumin and mix it with apple cider vinegar in equal proportions.
Further along standard scheme The paste is applied to the head and hair, but after this the head should be in direct sunlight for about half an hour. If this is not possible, then you need to buy ultraviolet lamp and use it. At the end, the head is washed and combed.
Decoction of elecampane root
Buying elecampane root at the pharmacy is not a problem now; then the plant is poured with boiling water and infused for 1 hour. After filtering, rinse your hair with the decoction. Elecampane is rarely used as an independent remedy; it is usually used in combination with more powerful medications.
Burdock decoction
Compared to oil, burdock decoction is not as effective; it is prepared and used in the same way as elecampane root, but the product is focused not so much on fighting lice, but on treating the consequences of bites and restoring hair.
Pine decoction
To prepare a pine decoction, it is not necessary to peel off the needles; small, preferably young, branches are used here. The material is boiled for 2 hours, then filtered and used as a rinse aid. But before rinsing, the head is washed with laundry soap, and after using the decoction, it is wrapped in a scarf and left overnight.
Mustard
Mustard is not used in its pure form (it can burn the skin). To prepare the product you will need the following ingredients:
- 2 chicken eggs;
- 2 tablespoons mustard;
- 250 gr. vinegar 9%.
The mixture is applied in the standard way and kept under a plastic cap for 2 - 3 hours, after which the head is washed and combed.
Cosmetics and medical products
In addition to natural herbal preparations, folk wisdom also contains more radical methods of treating head lice. Experts still argue about their effectiveness, and most importantly safety, to this day, but since we are talking about grandmother’s recipes, we should pay attention to these compounds.
Tar soap
In addition to the antiseptic effect, it has a specific odor that also repels insects. There are no special recipes here, the head is simply soaped and kept under a plastic cap for 2 - 3 hours. Then the soap is washed off and the hair is combed out.
Hydrogen peroxide
It helps well, but the problem is that this product dyes the hair White color, so this medicine is only suitable for blondes.
Hair dye
In theory, persistent means can destroy hordes blood-sucking insects, because such compositions contain ammonia, acids and other aggressive reagents. But such dyes injure the scalp and the hair itself, plus not everyone agrees to change their hair color, so this remedy more preventative than curative.
Hair fixation spray
It is not possible to cure lice with hairspray. More precisely, the smell of the product will “scare” the insects for a short time, but then the hair, firmly fixed with varnish, will become a real greenhouse for breeding bloodsuckers.
Alcohol (or vodka)
Treatment of lice with vodka is a purely domestic invention. There are more disadvantages than advantages, and the therapeutic effect is quite doubtful. Let's start with the fact that both alcohol and alcohol tinctures cannot be applied to the head in their pure form, otherwise a burn will occur.
Popular rumor recommends washing your hair with vodka, putting on a plastic cap, wrapping yourself in a scarf, and sitting for half an hour. Being an antiseptic, vodka can destroy some adult specimens, but it will not affect nits, plus this method is contraindicated for children, since alcohol vapors can be absorbed through the parietal region.
Household chemicals and acids
Usage household chemicals and weak poisons can be even more dangerous than home-grown medical recipes.
All products based on household or industrial chemicals should not be used to treat children under 14 years of age and pregnant women.
Vinegar
Vinegar has proven effective in the fight against both lice and nits. But the composition can burn the skin, so table vinegar 9% is diluted with water in a ratio of 1:2, and apple 1:1.
You should not rub it into your head; the liquid is applied only to the hair, after which you put on a sealed cap and wrap yourself in a scarf or towel. The procedure lasts up to half an hour. Then the head is washed and combed.
Kerosene
It really helps, but the product is aggressive, so it is used only in diluted form. According to the recipe, for 10 parts of vegetable oil, use 1 part of kerosene. The product is applied to the head and kept under a plastic cap and scarf for 2 hours. Next comes washing and combing.
Turpentine
Turpentine is not used in its pure form; pharmacies now have “Turpentine Ointment”; this product is applied to the head according to the standard scheme and left for 2 hours under a cap and scarf. You can defeat bloodsuckers in 3-4 sessions, but the smell of this ointment is unpleasant and it is poorly washed out, so it is advisable to use one of the above-described decoctions for rinsing in combination.
Dichlorvos
Laundry soap
The good old one is an excellent antiseptic, it soothes itching well and is considered absolutely harmless. The application technique is the same as for the tar analogue, that is, soap your hair and hold it under a cap for half an hour, rinse and comb out. But a noticeable effect will not occur earlier than in a week, so this remedy is more of an auxiliary than a primary one.
Are folk remedies effective?
Grandmother's remedies can certainly help in the treatment of head lice, but a person who decides to undertake such an experiment must be aware that he is taking a great risk. Nobody guarantees complete safety here and anything can happen, from an allergy attack to poisoning.
While specialized pharmaceutical drugs have undergone clinical trials and proven their effectiveness, and most importantly safety, therefore, only lice medications prescribed by a doctor can provide guaranteed quality of treatment.