Three Natural Head Lice Treatments That Are Safe For Children

Natural head lice treatments are safe alte atives to treatments that contain toxic chemicals like lindane, permethrin, and malathion. Lindane has been banned in over 50 countries, and can no longer be used in the US on pets and livestock. But it's still legal to use it on children's heads in lice shampoo. What's wrong with this picture? In order to get rid of these little pests, there are three steps. Kill the nasty little things, get rid of the nits, or eggs, and wash towels, combs, brushes, hair ties, and barettes in hot soapy water to kill any fugitives who are hiding out. Remember to repeat the treatments every week to ten days to kill any newly-hatched babies. 1. Nit Comb A fine-toothed comb is the best way to get rid of unwanted passengers on your child's head. Wet the hair down good with vinegar, and let it soak in for a couple of hours. It helps to cover the head with a shower cap. The nits glue themselves to the hair shaft, and vinegar helps to dissolve this glue. Combing the hair out takes a while, so let your child watch a dvd to keep him or her occupied. Use a strong light, and comb through the hair, removing nits and lice as they're found. Pay special attention to behind the ears, and on the nape of the neck. 2. Mayonnaise Lice Treatment It's said that mayonnaise will smother lice. Just take a blob of mayonnaise right from the jar, and spread it on the hair, starting at the roots and working out to the ends. Cover the head with a shower cap and let sit anywhere from ten minutes to two hours. Some people leave it in ove ight, but since a plastic shower cap is a suffocation hazard, avoid doing this with small children. Wash the mayonnaise out, and comb the hair with a fine-toothed comb to remove dead lice and nits. It may be necessary to use a dish soap like Dawn to get it out. 3. Tea Tree Oil For Head Lice Try mixing tea tree oil and olive oil, about half and half. Tea tree oil by itself may irritate the scalp. Apply this oil mixture to the hair, and then use the lice comb to remove the dead lice. To keep the little bugs from returning, add a few drops of tea tree oil to your favorite shampoo. Make a hair spritzer by mixing a spoonful of tea tree oil with a quart of water in a spray bottle. Spray the hair weekly with this mixture to prevent the unwanted guests from moving back in. These treatments contain no harmful pesticides. With a little extra time and effort, it's possible to get rid of head lice without exposing your kids to dangerous chemicals.