PRINTER FRIENDLY VERSION

Remedies for Head Lice

• What are lice and nits?
• How can we tackle the problem?
• Preventing head lice from "settling in"
• Off the Shelf Treatments
• Do It Yourself Lice Treatment

What are lice and nits?
Lice are small, brownish grey, six legged creatures. It is difficult to see them because they are light sensitive but sometimes you can spot them as they crawl through the hair. They are capable of moving from head to head, therefore anyone's head of hair can become a home to lice. Lice live by biting the scalp and sucking out the blood. Their saliva contains an antiseptic, which can cause a mental slowing down if the host is continuously bitten over a long period of time. This is thought to be the original meaning of the term "nitwit." Nits are the empty egg shells of the hatched lice. They look a bit like dandruff and are stuck firmly to the hair shaft. Nits are much easier to spot than lice.

How can we tackle the problem?
It is now generally accepted that regular use of organophosphate based head lice treatments on children is not a good idea. The scalp is a sensitive and highly absorbent area of skin. It is quite astounding that parents are recommended to use such products on their children, when some of their ingredients have been banned for use on animals. Do not despair! There are safer plant based alternatives.

Off the shelf treatments are based on either essential oils or herbal tinctures. Herbal tinctures are more gentle than essential oils. Most treatments have a matching shampoo, using this will help to ward off lice. These ready prepared treatments are very convenient, but can work out expensive if you have to use them frequently.
DIY Lice Treatment is cheaper, if your child is at school or nursery we recommend you do a DIY treatment on a regular basis to keep nits at bay.
Remember, as with all health problems PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN CURE.

Preventing head lice from "settling in"

• If your child has long hair - tie it back, or even better plait it, when they are in the company of other children.
• When brushing your child's hair in the morning before school, put one drop of either lavender or tea tree oil (whichever smell they prefer) onto the brush. The oil rests on the hair (not the scalp) and deters lice from settling into the hair.
• Brush the hair before bed as well - regular brushing dissuades nits from hanging around.
• Once a week do a quick nit check. Look behind the ears, under the fringe and at the nape of the neck for the cream coloured, dandruff-like nits. If there are just a few eggs follow this with a shampoo and then comb through the hair with a fine tooth nit comb. Use conditioner (a tea tree one is ideal) to make the job easier. Rinse the conditioner out and then follow with a quassia bark rinse (see later section.)
• You may choose to use a tea-tree based shampoo. Some of the essential oil shampoos are rather strong and may not be suitable for those with sensitive scalps. The Urtekram tea-tree shampoo is one of the more gentle ones. The Desert Essence Scalp Treatment Shampoo is strong enough to treat a mild case of head lice (in conjunction with the Treatment Conditioner).

Off the Shelf Treatments
These are ideal for more serious infestation - where there are eggs throughout the hair. They also offer a more convenient method of preventing re-infestation.
Delacet is a herbal based treatment containing tincture of Larkspur. The active ingredient of the plant is called delphinine and is a strong insecticide and parasiticide.
Chinese Whispers is a product based on a blend of Chinese parasiticidal herbs. The shampoo and convenient treatment spray are used together to treat and prevent nits.
Bioforce's Neem Care Riddance based on an extract of seeds from the Neem tree, widely used in India. According to recent tests, a shampoo containing Neem seed extract was found to clear head lice infestation in children after only two applications.
Biz Niz is an essential oil based treatment, which contains a mixture of several essential oils. It can be used as a treatment, by applying it to the scalp, or as a preventative - a small amount of the product is rubbed through the hair before contact with other children. Those with sensitive scalps should choose one of the previous three herbal products.
Dessert Essence Treatment shampoo and conditioner may be used to treat mild to moderate infestations. Regular use of essential oil based shampoos may not be suitable for those with sensitive scalps.

Do It Yourself Lice Treatment
Add about ten drops of lavender, tea-tree or geranium essential oil to a cupful of olive oil. Massage the oil into the scalp and leave for about two hours. Shampoo the oil out of the hair and then, using conditioner, comb the hair thoroughly with a fine-toothed comb. Aim to get the nits off the hair shaft. Rinse out the conditioner and then rinse through the quassia bark infusion. Leave this in the hair and dry as normal.
To make the infusion soak a large handful of quassia bark chips in a one and a half litres of cold water overnight. Strain through a colander and then it is ready for use. If you catch the rinse in a bowl it can be used to treat two or more heads. The rinse is very safe, yet it might dry out the scalp a little.
Count the day you use the olive oil blend as day 1. Do a quassia rinse (on dry or wet hair) for days 3, 5, 7, 9 and 10. This covers the cycle of any hatching eggs that might have been missed. Make up a new batch of the rinse for each day. Treat everyone in the family at the same time.

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