The Nation's Health

Health Tips: Head lice

Three main types of lice may affect the human body. One type attacks the scalp and head, other attacks the body, and the third attacks the genital areas, and occasionally the eyebrows and eyelashes. The parasites may also be found in the clothes.

In the hair, small oval shaped nits may adhere to the hair shafts in great numbers. These are often difficult to remove. In a few days they mature, becoming fully grown lice. Itching is usually severe, and the skin shows evidence of much scratching.

Body lice are common in people who are crowded together and living under poor sanitary conditions. They spread rapidly during wars and other disasters. As such times lice will sometimes transmit serious conditions such as epidemic typhus, trench fever, and relapsing fever.

Important Symptoms of head lice are: Having an itchy scalp Seeing red bumps on your child's scalp and neck Seeing live lice moving around on your child's head Finding nits (lice eggs), which are tiny white oval shaped specks that are attached to the sides of hairs Lice can infest people of all ages, rich or poor, any status, any country. Lice prefer clean hair because their nits can stick to cleaner hair better than oily. Head lice and body lice are similar in appearance, although head lice are somewhat smaller than body lice.

HOME REMEDIES FOR HEAD LICE Prepare a mixture by adding1/2 cup olive oil with 2 or 3 tablespoons tea tree oil. Apply to hair and rub into scalp. Leave on hair for 30 min. to 1 hr. Wash hair to remove oil. This is very effective home remedy for head lice. Rinse hair with vinegar Wait 5 to 10 mins and rinse hair with hot water. Repeat vinegar rinse. Wash the hair, apply mayonnaise all over hair and scalp, cover your head with a plastic bag, and keep on overnight. The next morning, rinse the hair and comb out with a lice comb. All the lice will come off as well as the nuts. Pour lamp oil all over the head until your hair can't hold any more. Place any type of wrapping around your head, preferably not cloth. Wait for about 15-minutes and shake your head over a sink. Most of them will just fall out but comb your hair with a fine toothcomb and conditioner, because combing will be difficult, to get the rest out. Boil a handful of neem leaves in a mug of water and use the water on your hair after shampooing. Soak with the water on your hair for few minutes after shampooing and rinse with plain water. Repeat if lice persist. This is also very effective home remedy for head lice. Saturate hair with olive oil, put in a shower cap, or a wal-mart size bag with clip, and leave in overnight. Brush out hair, then use nit comb to get out nits and bugs. Mix equal parts cooking oil and vinegar to remove the nits and bugs. Saturate the hair with rubbing alcohol and leave it in your hair for 15-30 mins. Then 7 days later do it again. Wet your hair thoroughly and apply the dog shampoo and put towel on hair for about 30 minutes or longer. Then wash as normal. Do not share personal items like combs, brushes, clips, hair bands, hats, scarves, coats, brushes or towels. Never try on hats or any headwear while at a shop. This way you put yourself at risk of contracting lice. Never touch head to head with any person. For head lice treatment wash your all the clothes after you visit to a hairdresser. Check your child's hair behind and above the ears and on the back of the neck carefully every day. If nits are found - thoroughly wash bedding linen, pillows, towels, coats, scarves, hats, brushes, combs, etc. in hot water with tea tree oil or dettol added. To prevent the spread of head lice, if any family member is infected, treat all members of the family at the same time. Brush hair vigorously 2-3 times a day using a bristle hairbrush to knock off the nits. Rub Vaseline on the scalp and apply on hair thoroughly. Vaseline will suffocate them, but it will be very difficult to wash off the Vaseline. It may need about 6 washes. Rub some corn flour (or plain flour, maida) into the hair before washing the hair. Prepare a mixture by adding Eucalyptus essential oil - 20 drops, tea tree oil - 20 drops, aniseed essential oil - 10 drops, lemon oil - 10 drops in about 75 ml olive oil. Apply it to hair thoroughly; leave it there for an hour. This is very useful home remedy for head lice. Rub shaving cream on the scalp and apply a thick foam coating on hair for half an hour. The chemicals in the cream will kill the lice and eggs. Prepare a mixture of neem leaves, basil leaves and 8-10 cloves using beer. For head lice treatment spray the Listerine on scalp and leave it there for at least 10 minutes then rinse. Put three teaspoons of lemon juice in a small container. Pour in one tablespoon of butter. Apply to hair, and wait 15 minutes. Rinse hair, no need to use comb. Mix 10 tbs of olive oil, 10 drops of lavender oil and 10 drops of tea tree oil. Leave it for 30 minutes the lice will turn white and be easy to find, pick them out one by one then wash hair with tea tree oil shampoo to keep them away, it will kill all the nits as well. For head lice treatment prepare a paste by adding one part limejuice and one part garlic. Apply to the hair. Mix 10-15 drops of black walnut extract with about 15-20oz of water in a spray bottle. It will help to remove the lice

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