HEAD lice are caused by pediculus humanus capitis a six-legged parasite that lives on human scalp.
They do not cause any long-term harm, but it causes the sufferer to constantly battle an incessant urge to scratch the scalp non-stop!
Head lice cannot jump, hop or fly and usually direct head-to-head contact is necessary for someone to get contaminated.
A report by the website www.beyonddisease.com states that people can also get contaminated with head lice if they use the bedding, clothing, hair-brush etc. that has previously been used by a person infected with head lice.
Anyone can end up suffering from head lice, but it is usually most common among children who are between three and fourteen years of age.
Symptoms of head lice
If your child is displaying any of the following symptoms, it is time to check her head for lice:
* Feeling that something is crawling over the head.
* Itchy scalp accompanied by incessant scratching, causing the scalp to be red and irritated.
* Seeing tiny brown bugs in the hair.
* Swollen lymph nodes in the back of the head.
* Pink-eye
Home remedies for head lice
Step 1 — Hot oil treatment
Melt some coconut oil or heat up in the microwave. The oil should be hotter than lukewarm, but should not be scalding.
Massage the hair and scalp with liberal amounts of this heated oil.
Let the scalp and hair soak up the oil for about thirty minutes.
Separate the hair in manageable sections and use a nit comb to thoroughly comb through every section of the hair.
Step 2 — Hair dryer
Separate the hair into manageable sections. Use a hair dryer to thoroughly dry the individual sections. Start from the scalp and slowly move towards the tip.
Do not spend more than 15 — 60 seconds (depending upon the length of the hair) on every section; otherwise the intense heat from the hair dryer can cause some serious damage.
Step 3 — Lemon Juice
Take four large garlic cloves and mash them into a fine paste using a pestle and mortar.
Add one tablespoon of lemon juice to it and mix the paste thoroughly.
Massage the scalp using this paste and then leave it covered with a thick towel for about thirty minutes.
Shampoo the hair and then use a nit comb.
Things to mind while applying the home remedies
Be patient
It is relatively easy to kill head lice, but their eggs are numerous and miniscule, hence getting rid of those will take some time. No matter how hard you try, there will always be some of the nit that is left over, which will eventually hatch. Just because you still see lice after applying the treatment does not mean that the treatment is not working.
Be vigilant
As mentioned earlier, it is highly unlikely that you will be able to get rid of your head lice at the first or even the second attempt. You need to continuously monitor the head of the afflicted person to make sure that there aren’t any further signs of life, which will help you determine whether you need to continue with the chosen treatment regimen or not.
Wash the afflicted person’s clothing and bedding
It is a misconception that head lice can jump from one person’s head to another. Sometimes these lice can come off from the afflicted person’s hair and attach itself to pillow cases, clothing, stuffed toys or any other articles her head may have come in contact with. It is best to wash them in hot water and then put them in the dryer for at least ten minutes.
