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How to Safely Remove Lice From Head and Home

This article courtesy of Herbal Remedies

Lice Treatments and General Lice Information

Head lice (scientific name Pediculus capitis) are parasitic insects that feed on human blood and cause severe itching of the head from their bites. Pediculosis is the general term used for infestation of the body or hair with adult lice, larvae, and nits (eggs). Head lice are relatively common and are not a major health hazard. More than 12 million Americans, mostly children and school professionals, are infested with lice each year. Lice is plural for louse. Lice also infect pets and animals, which require the same treatment as Head Lice.

Step One: Before beginning the process of cleaning the hair of a lice infected individual, make sure you are working in an area that is not carpeted, preferably a bathroom with tile floors. Make sure there are no rugs on the floor, towels or clothes lying around (they make great hiding places for the lice and nits whose homes are being disturbed).

Best to remove shirt or clothing near the area to be cleaned. If the infected hair is long, it may be beneficial to loosely tie the infected hair up on top of the head either with clips or in a ponytail. The lice will try to run and flee the area to be treated when they sense danger, so cut off their escape routes. They may hide in or behind ears, or on the neck. Dip a cotton swab into a safe cleansing liquid and clean out the ears then paint a ring around the outside of the ears and the hair line around the head.

On a dry head, start at the nape of the neck along the hairline and work around the head saturating the hair as you go moving towards the crown where the hair is tied up. Remove the clips or pony tail and continue to apply the Lice cleanser using enough to completely saturate the hair.

Massage the head and work into a lather then comb through hair to ensure coverage (use a metal, regular toothed comb). Wrap or tie the hair back up on top of the head. Every ten minutes or so, massage the hair until 30 to 40 minutes have past.

Reapply the cleanser and work into lather, then comb through hair again (with a metal regular toothed comb). Let sit in hair for another 20 minutes, then rinse thoroughly.

After Dry hair and comb (with nit comb) to remove any remaining lice or nits. The "nit picking" should be done in daylight, outside if possible, and never on carpet. Clean all surfaces and floors after working on hair. Use hot water and a non-toxic liquid cleanser. It is imperative that the head be closely examined for remaining nits.

Step Two: Lice are highly contagious and it is extremely important that they are eliminated as fast and completely as possible. Proper sanitation of anything in contact with lice is critical to insure re-infestation does not occur.

When lice are first detected, it is important to launder, in a separate load, everything with which the infected person has come in contact. We recommend the use of a non-toxic laundry solution for this process. Do NOT dry clean or use chlorine bleach.

Bed clothes (including pillows), jackets (and any jackets that may be hanging close to the infested person's jacket), clothing (everything in the laundry basket), hair combs, brushes, ribbons and doodads, rugs and mats should be laundered in hot water at least 140 degrees. It is best to soak laundry in "pre-soak" or "pre-wash" for at least 30 minutes.

Items that are not washable, such as stuffed animals and sofa pillows, may be placed in an air tight plastic bag and sealed for 30 days, causing the lice to suffocate. Carpets, furniture and car seats should be vacuumed twice. After each vacuuming, the vacuums bags should immediately be removed from the vacuum cleaner, sealed in a plastic bag and disposed of outside of the house. After vacuuming, those same areas should be steam-cleaned, if possible.

Various safe enzyme based products may be used to kill lice. These enzyme based products actually deteriorate the skeleton of the lice, the larva and the nit. Enzyme based solutions may be added to the wash cycle and sprayed directly on the infected areas of the body or clothing.

References: Prescription for Nutritional Healing "Chemical Poisoning" p.197, James F. Balch. M.D. and Phyllis A. Balch, C.N.C.

celtica · Joined: 04 Apr 2006 Posts: 9

i have found that quasi bark is a good natural remover of head lice.
place one heaped tablespoon of bark in a saucepan with one pint of water, bring to the boil and simmer for fifteen mins, remove from heat and let stand until it is cool enough to be poured over the infected head. strain,using a fine mesh strainer and then use as a final rinse after shampooing hair.
do not rinse out. i tend to use the nit comb afterwards although this is not escential.
the strained liquid can also be bottled and sprayed onto the hair daily as a deterant.
blessings,
celtica

Freespirit · Joined: 03 Mar 2006 Posts: 5 Location: Worcestershire. UK

I have found the Nitty Gritty NitFree Nit Comb to be one of the best on the market at the moment. For more info see there website.

http://www.nittygritty.co.uk/ng/index.jsp

I know it's expensive for a comb but it does work.

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