Home remedies for lice in your preschooler

Once lice infestation takes place, getting rid of it can be a tedious and slow process. Delousing can involve a lot of patience and preparation because it involves cycles and not just one round of lice. A few home remedies which may help in getting rid of lice from a child's hair are discussed below.

Home Remedies To Remove Lice From Your Toddler's Head

Here are some of the home remedies that you can try to get rid of head lice.

1. Use of garlic lemon paste: The antimicrobial properties of garlic coupled up with its strong fragrance can help in eliminating lice. Grind a few cloves of garlic finely and combine with fresh lemon juice. The mixture may be applied thoroughly on the child's scalp and then left unwashed for an hour or so. Rinsing and washing hair with lukewarm water thereafter and removing lice with a fine toothed lice comb may be very helpful. Since child's scalp is very sensitive, one has to be extra cautious while using the sharp edged lice comb
2. Application of mashed apple: Application of mashed apple may also be a useful tool in getting rid of lice. Apple has to be mashed completely and then child's hair to be massaged well using the apple mixture. Hairs are to be washed off after a proper massage
3. Mixture of butter and lemon: Lemon is full of anti bacterial properties and can be very useful in fighting hair lice. A cube of molten butter mixed with lemon juice can be applied to the hair, specially the roots and then washed off. This would leave them inactive for some time and can easily be removed by using a lice comb
4. Massage hair with Eucalyptus oil: Eucalyptus is a strong fumigant and works well for destroying lice. Eucalyptus oil may be mixed with olive oil and used for a massage, especially the roots of the hair. The hair may then be covered with a shower cap and be rinsed and washed in the morning. This is a strong treatment and works every well lice nits as well
5. Mixture of coconut oil, head lice oil and other essentials: - Prepare a mixture of coconut oil, head lice oil, apple cedar vinegar and add water to the mixture. Use this mixture to massage hair thoroughly and keep hair covered with shower cap. Any mixture that is left over should be poured on the head. Keep this applied for a couple of hours and then comb with a fine toothed comb. Repeat this process every week for a couple of weeks
6. Use of vinegar: The content of acetic acid in vinegar not only kills hair lice but also dissolves or solubilises the sticky substance that is secreted by head lice while implanting their eggs on the hair strands. Hence vinegar is very effective in treating lice as well as removing their eggs from the roots of the hair. Since child skin is extremely sensitive, it is very important to mix vinegar with double quantity of water before applying on a toddler's scalp. Comb with fine toothed comb after applying it thoroughly
7. Petroleum jelly: Petroleum jelly helps in removing hair lice by cutting off air supply for them and it suffocating them to death. It is hypoallergenic and is an effective home remedy to get rid of lice and their nits
8. Exposure to sufficient sunlight: Head lice breed more in dark and warm places and hence people with dense hair find it tougher to get rid of them. Exposing hair to sunlight can be very useful for stopping their multiplication. This may not work very well for adults, but toddlers will be extremely benefitted because their hairs are still not that dense and heavy
9. Massage with Listerine mouth wash: Listerine mouthwash can also be very beneficial in getting rid of lice. Apply Listerine on the child's hair and let it rest overnight. Rinse hair with cold water next morning
10. Application of hot neem oil: Heat neem oil and massage the child's hair with it. Make sure the oil is rubbed well on the scalp. Comb well with lice comb to remove dead lice and their nits
11. Regular use of onion juice: Grate onions and extract its juice. Apply onion juice on the baby's hair making sure scalp is covered completely. Cover head with shower cap and use a lice comb after 3 to 4 hours of application. Shampoo hair thereafter. This is to be repeated every 2 to 3 days for a few weeks

Any of these home remedies may be used to get rid of lice. However, it is to be noted that allergic proneness of the child should be considered before resorting to any of these measures.

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