Itching is the usual symptom of lice infestation. To further explain, there are three kinds of lice: there are the head lice, body lice and public lice. These lice occupy the different body parts. The head lice are found mostly in the scalp, nape and behind the ears. The body lice are found in the seams of the clothes a person is wearing. The pubic lice are found in the pubic area. Although they are found in the different areas of the body, their main symptom is itching. Let us find way of getting rid of lice.

What Are Lice?

Lice are parasitic insects that feed of the blood of humans to live. They mostly stay in dark and cool areas of the body. Lice are tiny, brownish and grey in color. Except for the pubic lice, the head and body lice almost look similar in physical structure. The pubic lice look more like very small crabs with their claw like legs. These lice lay eggs or nits. These are the ones to get rid of first because they are the ones turning into mature lice.

How to get rid of Lice Eggs?

Lice eggs or nits can stick stubbornly to hair strands. They develop glue like substance that let them stick to your hair like their life depended on it. Actually, their lives really do depend on it.

Now that we are living in a busy world, we would require something faster to remove these lice eggs. The best way to use is the lice comb. These can be used through the hair to push down the lice eggs and remove them from your hair. You might need a smoothing solution like Vaseline, conditioner, mayonnaise and olive oil. These products can make your hair smoother thereby making the combing of lice easier.

How to Get Rid of the Different Kinds of Lice?

As what mentioned awhile ago, there are three kinds of lice that infest our body. It is important how you can get rid of these lice fast.

Head Lice

Sometimes we are not really sure if we are infested by lice. The first thing to do is to have a thorough check to make sure that there are really lice invading our scalp. Find a well-lit place and section off the hair. Check the parts open and see if there are really lice. If there is really proof, then the next thing to do is to determine what kind of treatment you will use to get rid of the lice. There are different treatments that are available. There is the natural treatment wherein you can use home remedies like vinegar solution, olive oil and mayonnaise. You can also use some products that are already found in your home like lemon and tea tree oil.

There is also the chemical treatment wherein you can buy shampoos, hair lotion and creams to get rid of lice eggs and lice. These treatments are available in department stores and drug stores. They can also be prescribed by the dermatologist you are consulting. If you use these kinds of products you will need to use some precautions. Some to the materials used in these treatments can be harmful if used in large doses.

Body Lice

Unlike head lice that stay in contact with the human head. The body lice only transfer to the human body if they want to feed. They stay at the seams of clothes most of the time. Body lice are acquired due to bad hygiene habits. They thrive on dirty surroundings. The prevention for getting rid of body lice is to bathe regularly. You also have to wear clean clothes. If already infected, consult a physician for medicated soap that you can use to get rid of the body lice. The clothes and bedding that an infected person used should be washed thoroughly. Use a washing machine and put the temperature to warm to kill the body lice completely.

Pubic Lice

Pubic lice are acquired through sexual contact from a person who is already infected. This can result in other sexual diseases. It is imperative to consult a doctor immediately if there is a suspicion of pubic lice infestation. The other name of pubic lice is crabs. The doctor will be the one who will prescribe the treatment to get rid of the lice. Just like using the chemical treatment for head lice, it is important to follow the directions strictly.

Getting rid of lice is not as complicated as one would think. All you have to do is have the presence of mind when you learn that you may be infested with lice. You do not need to panic; instead you just need to go about it in a calm manner.

Head lice infest approximately 20 million children worldwide. It results in an unending itch that can be very annoying. This can affect your child’s performance at home and at school. Most specialists recommend RID and NIX as the best treatment as these shampoos contain lice killing agents which can kill head lice. But these products cannot eradicate lice eggs which is why repeat treatments are often needed after 9 – 12 days to kill newly hatched lice. Killing the newly hatched lice will prevent them from laying lice eggs and stop the lice life cycle. However, lice shampoo contains harmful chemicals which can cause irritations if procedures are not followed correctly. That is why natural lice treatments are often recommended and used by most parents.

There are a lot of natural lice treatments available at groceries can also be found at home. These treatments do not contain harmful elements that can irritate your child’s delicate scalp and skin. Though it does not guarantee 100% effectiveness, as most lice products do, it offers safer and cheaper treatment.

Are My Children Infected with Head Lice?

Before you decide on anything else, it is important to know if your child is really infected with head lice. Applying treatments without any signs of infestation will not only be a waste of your time and money, doing so will also put your child’s health at risk.

Your child may be suffering from head lice infestation if they scratches their head very often. Lice’s saliva irritates human skin causing the itchiness. You can also find sores on the nape of the neck as lice can reach this portion of the scalp. The presence of nits (hatched lice eggs) near the scalp is another indication to consider which often appears with severe lice infestation. Nits are often misidentified as dandruff. Nits are white and oval-shaped while lice eggs are difficult to identify as they can blend with your hair color. Lastly, the most obvious sign of lice infestation is when you find live lice moving on your child’s hair.

Natural Lice Treatments

If you find any of these indications, then it’s confirmed that your child has head lice.  It is now time to apply your desired natural lice treatment.

Olive oil is a safe and effective natural lice killer. This oil has been found to block lice’s breathing system, killing them over time. Olive oil can be re-applied as many times as you want without causing any harm. You can also use coconut oil, neem oil, tea tree oil and other essential oils. If your child does not like the smell, you can also use mayonnaise although it can be very messy.

Apply oil or mayonnaise to your child’s hair and leave it overnight. Cover your child’s hair with a tight shower cap to avoid spills. Rinse your child’s hair with regular shampoo the following day to remove the smell and the dead lice.

Vinegar is also a natural lice treatment. Though it does not kill head lice, it can loosen lice eggs off your child’s hair. Those stubborn lice eggs that stick to your child’s hair like glue are the main cause of re-infestation.

Apply vinegar on your child’s hair and leave it on for at least 45 minutes. Wash your child’s hair with his/her favorite shampoo afterwards. Vinegar can sting your child’s eyes. You can add up Listerine to lessen its sting or soak the bottle of vinegar in hot water.

Why risk your child on toxic agents when you can use remedies found at home? Natural lice treatments are not only safe, they’re also cheaper and just as effective when done correctly.