Amongst different types of lice, head lice are the most common lice found in kids. These parasitic insects feed on blood from the human scalp which causes itching and irritation. They are small parasites that can’t fly or jump but can run covering 9 inches distance per minute. That’s why itching and irritation are caused on the scalp.
5 Head Lice Home Remedies For Kids
Though head lice can be infested to people at any age, children are more prone to suffer from them. Since children are involved in different activities and come in direct contact with each other, head lice can easily pass from one to another. The lice are also easily transferred to one another if the children use the same comb handled by the person suffering from them.
When kids suffer from head lice, they show specific symptoms. Some of the major symptoms seen in children suffering from head lice are:
- Continuous itching
- Irritation and tickling feeling on the head
- Unable to sleep
- Rashes and sores due to continuous itching
- Swollen glands
Head lice, when multiplying their number in the host scalp, can be very difficult to control and get rid of. Hence, it’s important to cure for the lice when the early symptoms are noticed. Even though there are various medications easily available for head lice, it’s better to use home remedies for children. Medications may have harmful side effects on a child, that’s why home remedies are more beneficial for kids to cure head lice. Here are 5 head lice home remedies for kids:
1. Wet – Combing
It is one of the simplest and easiest ways to get rid of lice. The kid suffering from head lice should have entirely wet hair and the comb should be a fine tooth. It’s better to use hair conditioner (especially a natural head lice conditioner) to wet the hair. While combing hair, the comb should run from the lice-infested scalp to the end of the hair. Repeating the process 2 to 3 times every session per day can help a lot to reduce and control the lice.
2. Decontaminate Combs and Brushes
Head lice mostly transfer from one person to another through the common combs and brushes. Therefore, it’s important to clean them thoroughly before using them. Washing them with hot water and soap can control the possibility of infesting from head lice. If possible, it’s better to use the personal comb and brush which decreases the probability of suffering from the lice. They can also be cleaned with alcohol rubbing for about an hour.
3. Try Olive Oil
Olive oil is one of the best home remedies to cure head lice. When the oil is well-applied on a kid’s scalp, the lice and their eggs suffocate to death. After a few minutes, combing with fine tooth comb will bring out all the dead lice. Then use shampoo to rinse the remaining of the oil in the scalp. It’s preferred to repeat the process until the kid is free of head lice.
4. Apply Coconut Oil
Another simple way of tackling head lice is by applying coconut oil on the scalp of kids suffering from them. Leave the hair for two hours after applying coconut oil all over the scalp. With the help of fine tooth comb, dead lice are removed from the hair. Shampoo the hair to rinse excess oil before drying the hair to repeat the same process.
5. Onion Juice
Onion juice is yet another way of removing head lice from kid’s hair. After applying onion juice onto the scalp of a kid, it’s left for around 3-4 hours killing the lice. Then preferred comb is used to remove all the dead lice. Afterward, shampooing is necessary to rinse the leftover juice. Trying the process with regular interval can give the best outcome.
Home remedies for head lice are safe for kids and easy & effective to imply. Hence, it’s advised not to use medications unless recommended by a doctor.