5 steps to eliminate lice and nits (with home remedies)

To eliminate lice and nits there are some homemade and natural measures, such as washing your head with apple cider vinegar or using essential oils, which can be tried before using pharmacy remedies.

This type of treatment can be carried out on adults or children, however, if the lice infestation does not improve within 1 week, it is advisable to consult a dermatologist or pediatrician, as it may be necessary to use pharmacy shampoos.

Lice are a parasite that passes from one person to another through direct contact with the hair, and it is important to take care during treatment, such as washing bedding and clothing in hot water and treating other people in the house who have lice. See how lice and nits are treated.

The 5 essential steps to get rid of lice and nits naturally are explained below:

1. Wash your head with vinegar

The first step is to wash your hair with a mixture of vinegar and warm water, which must be applied directly to the scalp. Vinegar has properties that help kill and eliminate lice and nits.

Ingredients

• 1 glass of apple cider vinegar;
• 1 glass of warm water.

Preparation mode

Mix a glass of vinegar with a glass of warm water. Then, spread this mixture over the entire scalp and cover the hair with a cap, leaving it to act for approximately 30 minutes. Finally, you can wash your hair normally with your usual shampoo.

Apple cider vinegar should always be diluted before coming into contact with the skin, as it is an acidic substance that can cause irritation..

Furthermore, if there are wounds on the scalp due to scratching, you should avoid using apple cider vinegar, as it can cause burning and irritation to the scalp.

2. Essential oil blend

The second step is to apply a mixture of essential oils directly to the scalp and leave it to act for around 20 minutes, wearing a cap.

Ingredients

• 50 mL of coconut oil;
• 2 to 3 drops of tea tree essential oil (tea tree);
• 2 to 3 drops of essential oil anise;
• 50 mL of apple cider vinegar.

Preparation mode

Simply mix all the ingredients and apply directly to the scalp and leave for 20 minutes, then you can wash your hair with the shampoo you are used to.

Before applying the mixture of essential oils, you must check if you have allergies and, therefore, it is recommended to apply a drop of the mixture to the skin on the back of your hand and wait 24 hours..

If allergy symptoms such as redness, itching, swelling or the formation of small blisters appear on your hand, you should wash your skin and not use the mixture of essential oils as a home remedy to eliminate lice and nits.

This essential oil blend should not be used by pregnant women.

3. Ordinary or electronic fine-tooth comb

The third step is to pass a common fine comb through all the hair, separating strand by strand, in order to make sure that all the hair is combed in this way.

Instead of a common fine-toothed comb, you can use an electronic comb on dry hair, which is more effective in eliminating and identifying lice. See more how to identify nits and lice.

This comb emits a continuous sound while it is turned on and a more intense and louder sound when it finds a louse. It emits an ultrasound frequency that is not perceived by the person, but is enough to kill the lice.

4. Washing clothes at high temperatures

Lice can be transmitted through brushes, combs, hats, pillows or sheets and, therefore, it is very important to wash these objects frequently, to avoid a new infestation or even transmitting the parasite to another person.

Therefore, all objects that have been in contact with hair, such as sheets, blankets, clothes, plush toys, hair clips and bows, hats, caps, rugs, cushions and sofa covers, must be washed in water with temperature above 60º, to eliminate lice.

5. Repeat the steps 9 days later

Lice have a life cycle of 9 days and, therefore, lice that were nits and that were not eliminated with the first pass, can end up developing in up to 9 days. Therefore, repeating all steps after 9 days ensures that all lice are eliminated.