Head Lice Help

When we hear the word "lice", the common response is a shiver or feeling of dread. Some of us remember grade school days where kids were lined up and teachers with flashlights and combs and rubber gloves would pour through each head searching for evidence of lice. Those memories are uncomfortable for everyone,...especially those who ended up going home, feeling banished because some little insect discovered a new head to invade. And then there is all that itching and medicated shampoos and combing hair over and over and over and haircuts that seem to take self-confidence away too. It's no wonder we hate the word "lice!"

Lice don't target specific individuals. They are opportunists, and they will take advantage of anyone, child or adult. So prevention really is the best approach. How do you prevent?

• Tea tree oil shampoo is a great deterrent for head lice. Tea tree is a good deterrent for a LOT of pesky insects and is oftentimes included in insect repellents. It is good for the skin as well, easing inflammations and killing bacteria that cause irritations and discomforts. If tea tree oil is a regular presence for your body, then your body becomes an unfriendly presence for pests such as lice.
• Caution and awareness are good preventive measures also. Lice are transferred by head-to-head contact. That could mean sharing a brush or comb, or sharing a hat or coat. Girls with long hair are especially susceptible to lice. This little ounce of wisdom and education for children can help YOU avoid hours and hours of work to get rid of them.

There may be a time when lice still invade, so how to get rid of them is the next important information.

• Again, tea tree oil shampoo. Tea tree oil is capable of killing lice. Look for a shampoo from a reputable source. Don't settle for just anything just because it mentions tea tree oil. You want one that is going to take care of the problem. If you have to, add a couple drops of tea tree oil to an application of shampoo and apply it to the head like normal. Massage it into the scalp and leave it on for a few minutes to give it time to do some good. Tea tree will even penetrate the eggs and kill the lice inside.
  
• After rinsing your shampoo out, use some apple cider vinegar to rinse the hair again. Massage it into the scalp also and allow it to sit there for a few minutes. The vinegar actually begins dissolving the lice bodies and the eggs and helps to wash them away. Doing this twice per day is recommended.
• Invest in a high quality nit comb and comb out the nits. If you choose to cut hair short, you'll have less work to do combing, but definitely comb and comb until you see no more in the hair. Look close to the scalp and be thorough!
• Wash everything! Use hot water and launder all bedding, coats, shirts, towels, hats,... everything! You can even put a few drops of tea tree oil on a piece of white cotton fabric and toss it in the dryer to spread that bonus help into clothing.
• Remember that if one person in your household has acquired lice, chances are that all members are exposed in varying degrees and all are susceptible. Take care of everyone even if you only see evidence of lice on one person.
  

If lice come to your house, don't take that as a sign that you are a nasty person. It doesn't mean that at all. It just means you are currently unfortunate. The good thing about it is that you will have the opportunity to learn and implement new things into your health regimen and perhaps this will be the LAST time you ever experience head lice.