Treatment for Head Lice

Head lice are parasitic creatures that infest the scalp. These parasites feed on blood from the scalp and lay their eggs on individual strands of hair. Head lice are extremely adaptable creatures and they spread quickly from one person to another. A person suffering from a lice infestation, suffers from a severe scalp itch and scratching this itch can lead to scabs and bumps on the scalp. In many cases, head lice infest a member of a family and then the whole household can get infested in no time. Therefore, proper medication and preventive measures are needed to get rid of head lice completely.

The most common symptoms of lice infestation are – irritation of the scalp, tickling sensation of the scalp, itching accompanied by small red bumps on the scalp, and tiny white lice eggs (often mistaken as dandruff) that appear on the hair. However, in several cases, head lice infestation may not show any symptoms at all. The head lice spread only through physical contacts. Being close to an infested person or sharing things with an infected person helps spread head lice.

Here are some common home remedies that you can try out to eliminate head lice. Lemon juice is quite effective as a head lice remedy. You can apply lemon juice directly on your scalp or you can also make a kind of paste by mixing lemon juice with garlic paste. Keep this applied on your scalp for about half an hour before washing off with water. Apple cider vinegar can also be used as a replacement for lemon juice. Another good remedy for head lice is to mix egg yolk, vinegar, and lemon juice. This preparation should also be left on the scalp for about half an hour before washing off with water. Olive oil is also an effective remedy for head lice. You should apply a generous amount of olive oil on your hair, cover your head with a plastic bag, and leave it on overnight. Wash your hair in the morning and comb your hair well with a fine tooth comb once it has dried. Repeat this method once every week. This method is quite effective in eliminating head lice. Yet another effective remedy for head lice is neem (margosa) leaves. Prepare a paste of neem leaves, apply it on the hair, keep it until it dries completely, and then wash off. You should continue this method once a week, for about 3-4 weeks. In case the home remedies do not prove to be very effective against head lice, you should consider using a medicated shampoo to eliminate them. Do consult a doctor before using a medicated shampoo though.