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Head lice treatment

Most parents with school age children will have an experience with dealing with the subject of head lice treatment at some point during their child’s school years. Head lice infestations occur between 12 and 25 million each year. Children under the age of 12 are the prime targets for such infestations. Fall and winter are when most cases of head lice are reported. Head lice are transited from one child to another by direct contact with head of another person who has them or with the infected person’s head covering, bedding, brushes or combs.

Head lice treatment involves using commercial products or natural substances that can kill lice and the eggs that they lay. There are tons of different head lice treatment options available today. All of the options are essentially going to be insecticide based preparations, essential oils, food based solutions or mechanical treatments or folk medicine treatments.

Insecticide shampoos are usually prescribed by medical doctors. You can also buy them on the internet. These shampoos will kill the lice with poison. However, the poison can also get into the skin through open sores caused by all of the itching and scratching that head lice cause. In fact, some of these shampoos warn not to use them if open sores are present. If you choose to use insecticide shampoos make sure you follow the instructions very carefully. Do not leave the shampoo on longer than instructed. Lindane-based preparations should be avoided. Lindane is a proven carcinogenic and can cause brain tumors, blood disorders and damage to the liver and kidneys. Lindane-based preparations are banned in 52 countries. However, it is still available in the United States. Using insecticide shampoos more often than recommended is very dangerous and can even be fatal. Insecticide head lice treatment should only be used if you are absolutely certain that the child has head lice. These shampoos are not meant to be used to prevent head lice infestations. Pesticide shampoos should not be used on any child that is under three years of age. Women who are pregnant or nursing should not use pesticide shampoos either, because the pesticide can cross through the placenta and through breast milk and can harm the infant.

You can also use a variety of essential oils that is very effective at disinfecting and killing the lice. Essential oils are a lot safer to use than insecticide based shampoos. The itching and sores that are caused by the lice are also relieved and soothed when you use essential oils for head lice treatments.

Another option is the home remedy option. Home remedy head lice treatment is basically designed as a way of smother the lice and then by loosening their nits from the hair follicles they can be combed out. With the use of the home remedy option you will be using food products like mayonnaise, peanut butter or olive oil. These food substances are applied to the hair and scalp and left on for 8-10 hours. This is the messiest head lice treatment option there is. The whole process needs to repeated if necessary too. Home remedy cures or folklore cures may or may not be successful and are among the least popular head lice treatment options.

Mechanical head lice treatment is basically done by carefully combing the hair out from the bottom of the hair follicle to the tip of the hair to remove the lice and their nits. This can be successful if you don’t miss a single nit. Also, it takes hours and hours to remove them mechanically.

Your decision on which head lice treatment option to use will depend on your comfort level when it comes to using insecticide based products and shampoos. Essential oils like Neem oil or Tea Tree oil are the best and safest natural alternative treatment to successfully rid your child of head lice infestation.

Last updated on Dec 23rd, 2009 and filed under Skin Care. Both comments and pings are currently closed.