Head lice are tiny bugs, survive on blood from the human scalp. An infestation of head lice most of the time affects children and leads to a direct transfer of lice from one person’s hair to another person’s hair.
Having head lice infestation is not a sign of poor hygiene or a polluted environment. It does not carry viral infection or bacterial diseases. Over the counter medications or home, the remedy helps to treat the head lice problem. Follow treatment instructions mindfully remove the lice eggs from the scalp.
Symptoms
Table of Contents
Itching
The most widely recognized symptom of a lice invasion is tingling on the scalp, neck, and ears. It is a hypersensitive response to mite chomps. When an individual has a lice invasion unexpectedly, tingling may not happen for 4-6 weeks and a week after infestation.
Lice on the scalp
It may be noticeable but are hard to find because they are tiny, and skip light and move very quickly.
Lice Eggs On Hair Shafts
Nits stick in hair shafts is another sign, which can be difficult to find as they are very tiny. They are easily seen around the neckline hairline and ears. Empty nits may be visible in lighter color hair. However, the nit’s presence does not necessarily show an active infestation.
Sores on the scalp, shoulders, and neck
Scratching can also cause red and small bumps, which may get infected with bacteria.
When to take doctor help?
Check with your doctor before you get treatment if you notice that you or your child have got head lice infestation. Research shows that many kids have been got treatment for head lice with several over-the-counter medications and home remedies. The condition often mistook with nits include:
- Dead hair tissue bead
- Dandruff
- Dirt, Scabs, or other debris
- Hair product side effect
- Other little insects in hair
Causes
A head mite is a grayish or tan bug about the size of an organic product seed. It lives over human blood from the scalp of an individual.
The louse life cycle
A louse goes from three stages:
- Eggs hatch after 6-9 days.
- Nymphs young forms of the louse that become grown adults after 9-12 days.
- Adult lice can exist for 3-4 weeks. The female louse produces 6-10 eggs a day.
Transmission
Head lice crawl, but they cannot fly or jump. Transmission of a head louse from one to another person is often by direct head to head contact, often within a family or in children who came in close contact at play or school.
Indirect transmission is not common, but lice may grow from one person to another person by certain things, such as:
- Headphones
- Hats and scarves
- Hair accessories
- Brushes and combs
- Pillows
- towels
- Upholstery
Indirect passing could also happen among things like clothing stored. For example, scarves or hats hung on the same hook or stored in the same school could transmit lice. Household pets, such as cats, and dogs do not spread the head lice.
Risk factors
As the head lice are spread basically by direct person to person contact, the risk of transmission is more among younger people who go to school or play together.
Complications
If your kid scratches an irritated scalp from a head-lice infestation, the skin can break and build up a disease.
How to Apply Olive Oil for Head Lice?
Here is detail about how olive oil works effectively for killing head lice. A study conducted by Harvard-School-of Public-Health conducted research that discovered that were submerged in olive oil died from asphyxiation after two hours. Similarly, the research found that it took eight hours for head lice to die from suffocation after being applied with olive oil. Therefore, the key is olive oil creates suffocation after coating it on the scalp by limiting the oxygen supply.
What You Need
- Olive oil
- Nit removal comb
- Clarifying shampoo
- Paper towels
- Blow dryer
- Trash bag
How to use it?
- Wash your hair with clarifying shampoo to eliminate any product residue from hair. This step is necessary as this deposit stop olive oil from attaching to hair shafts and lower its effectiveness.
- Apply olive oil in all scalp and hair, making sure that they are saturated. You can separate hair into multiple sections while doing applying olive oil to make it easier.
- Tie hair upward in a bun and wear a shower cap. Make sure that the elastic of the shower cap is tight enough to sit safely around the head. It will limit the lice from escaping.
- Let the olive oil applied hair in the shower cap for 4-6 hours.
- Take out the shower cap and clean the hair to remove lice with nit discharge comb. Clean the comb with paper towels at frequent intervals and throw them in the trash to stop lice from escaping.
- Once you are sure that you have excreted all the lice, then wash your hair twice with shampoo.
- Divide hair into parts and blow dry it near to the scalp in medium heat to remove the nits.
- Follow this routine 2-3 times every week till hair gets free from lice.
Different Ways to Use Olive Oil for Head Lice
You can include some other essential oils with olive oil to remove head lice effectively.
Olive Oil and Eucalyptus Oil
While olive oil kills head lice by limiting the oxygen supply to head lice, eucalyptus oil also works effectively. Eucalyptus oil consists of the eucalyptol component work as an antiseptic and makes it a more natural ingredient to utilize with olive oil.
What You Need
- 4-tablespoons Olive oil
- 15-20 drops of Eucalyptus oil
- Nit removal comb
- Shower cap
How to use it?
- Blend the olive oil and eucalyptus oil in a bowl.
- Apply this oil blend everywhere on your hair and scalp.
- Tie your hair up, wear a shower cap, and leave it on for 2-3 hours.
- Eliminate the shower cap and brush out all the lice and nits.
- Wash and cleanser your hair.
- Follow this normal threefold every week.
Olive Oil, White Vinegar, and Coconut Oil
Olive oil and coconut oil work in moderate ways when it comes to removing head lice. They both coat the lice and suffocate them and slow down their moving ability. White vinegar, in contrast, helps to dissolves the glue, which helps eggs to stick in the hair shaft and make it easier to eliminate it.
What You Need
- 2-tablespoons olive oil
- 2-tablespoons coconut oil
- Shower cap
- White vinegar
- Anti-lice shampoo
- Nit removal comb
How to use it?
- Blend the coconut and olive in a bowl.
- Use this mix all over the scalp and hair.
- Use a shower cap and keep it for one hour.
- Remove your shower cap and comb hair to remove the lice and eggs.
- Wash hair with shampoo. Now, apply a little white vinegar to hair and scalp and keep it for one hour.
- Again, comb your hair and wash with the anti-lice shampoo.
- Follow this routine two times a week.
Olive Oil with Tea Tree Oil
A blend of olive oil with tea tree oil works effectively against head lice by decreasing the oxygen while the accompanying goes about as a natural pesticide to execute them adequately.
What You Need
- 3-tablespoons olive oil
- 1-teaspoon tea tree oil
- 2-tablespoons herbal shampoo (Dilute with other oil to prevent harsh effects)
- Nit removal comb
- Shower cap
How to use it?
- Merge olive oil, shampoo, and tea tree oil in a bowl.
- Apply this blend all over the scalp and hair and use a shower cap.
- Retain this blend in hair for 30 minutes.
- Wash hair with warm water and herbal shampoo.
- Brush your hair to eliminate dead lice and eggs in wet hair.
- Follow this routine two times a week.
Sesame Seed Oil and Olive Oil
The antiseptic, antibacterial, and insecticidal qualities of sesame seed oil act effectively with olive oil to remove head lice and eggs.
What You Need
- 1-tablespoon olive oil
- 2-tablespoons sesame seed oil
- Nit removal comb
- Shower cap
How to use it?
- Mix both sesame seed oil with olive oil and apply to scalp and hair.
- Wear a shower cap and keep it all night.
- Comb out all the dead lice the next morning and wash hair with shampoo.
- Follow this remedy every day.
Does Olive Oil Kill Nits?
No. Olive oil is not for killing lice nits because the protective shell of lice egg is firm. Therefore, the only way to remove baby lice is to wait till they get hatch from eggs and then suffocate them using olive oil.
You may never have considered utilizing olive oil to killing lice. Yet, since you realize how compelling it is against those troublesome little buggers, it’s time you tried it out yourself.
The Essential Tools for Olive Oil Lice Remedy
In addition to the olive oil, a good lice comb is important to remove it.
- Apply olive oil any other remedy with olive oil in scalp and hair.
- Wait for 6-8 hours to make lice suffocated in the oil.
- After that use lice comb in hair and wipe out the lice on a paper towel, then rinse your hair with soapy water.
- Again, do the same 2-4 times till no lice appear on the comb.
- Repeat this step for 2-3 weeks.
Is Olive Oil Expensive?
Yes, olive oil is not something commonly available like other oil. You can get organic extra virgin olive oil at an average cost of $1 per ounce or around $16 for a normal-sized bottle. That compares to at least a 1/2 bottle of olive oil for each treatment. Make sure to use olive oil much time as the lice eggs do not go easily.
Lice Combs
The lice comb use is important for a professional or home lice treatment. Olive oil does its job for suffocating lice, and lubricating the scalp, thereby it makes the comb to remove lice.
Mistaken Advice
False & True
1.Wet combing may not work.
Truth
The effectiveness of wet combing depends on which type of method and comb you use.
Bug removing wet combing is the only medically evaluated method proven to work for finding and treating an infestation.
2.There is no need to check that a treatment has worked when using products that kill lice in two doses a week apart.
Truth
The product may remove the lice but not its eggs.
A louse may leave, but not eggs may remain in the hair.
A louse gets ready to hatch after 6-days, some may take 9-10 days, and others take 12 days.
3.After applying a single dose of the product, relax because it is the infestation ends.
Truth
It is specifically hard to kill louse eggs in a single dose. Always check for baby lice in every 5-days on day 12 after using this treatment.
4.People who spread lice are not caring to treat their hair.
Truth
It is not the truth as many people use products that claim to remove the infestation, which does not. They may spread lice without knowing.
5.Fine tooth combing in dry hair is comparable to wet combing to get lice.
Truth
The most positive way to get it wet comb because soaking wet lice stay still. In dry hair, lice move suddenly away from uneasiness.
6.Lice have the first sign of Itching.
Truth
Itching may also take weeks to grow after catching lice. Some people never feel the itch.
7.Head lice can be detected at a glance.
Truth
No, head lice not seen as they shelter close to the scalp and hide. The most reliable way to discover lice is to use a bug buster comb depending on directions.
8.Any Fine Comb Will Do for Catching Lice
No, the comb choice is important to success. The bug buster comb unusual with as deeply beveled edge on the teeth, perfect for slipping under lice in the hair roots. It has the maximum tooth spacing to trap recently hatched lice while still do the free movement from the hair.
Rounded teeth on metal and other plastic combs can slip over and not detect them.
Lice are difficult to find in metal combs and can be accidentally combed back onto the hair.
Different plastic combs are flimsier and not allow lice and hair from the teeth.