These pesky critters… A nightmare for all parents and teachers because every year – and even several times a year – they invite themselves into our children’s hair to take up residence there. Well attached with their eggs, they can be extremely difficult to dislodge. Fortunately, there are tricks to get rid of them. Review of effective products against head lice and nits.
Lice. Only 3 letters, as many millimeters but a disproportionate capacity to make your life hell! Each year, they infest nearly 20% of school children and even attack the youngest, from nursery school, the community encouraging their spread (lice are transmitted by direct contact, they do not fly or jump). Invasions, if not contained properly and quickly, can last for weeks or recur. They affect all social categories without distinction and contrary to what one might think, they are not always accompanied by itching or other symptoms.
Pediculosis – the name for the infestation of a person with lice and nits – may be mild, but it is incredibly painful because it is sometimes difficult to treat. Many chemical treatments are available in pharmacies and parapharmacies, but they are very aggressive and irritating for children and their sensitive scalp. Other remedies, more natural and using products that are easy to find on the market, are just as effective.
Lice and nits: How to recognize them?
Do not draw your vinegar or oils at the slightest scratching gesture. If itching can indeed be part of the potential warning signs of lice invasion, it can also be caused by other ailments (irritated scalp, dandruff, eczema, etc.) A quick examination of your child’s head will allow you to identify the culprit. In good light, inspect his hair, strand by strand, starting at the nape of the neck and behind the ears, which are often the first places for lice.
Head lice are different from body lice and pubic lice. They only stick to the hair and do not go into other hairy areas or onto bare skin. However, like their brethren, they feed on blood. Lice reproduce very quickly, hence the importance of early detection. They lay eggs, called nits, stuck to the hair thanks to the cement produced by the female louse.
The main characteristics of adult lice:
- measure between 2 to 4 millimeters
- have three pairs of legs
- have an elongated body
- are brown in color (especially when full of blood)
- leak light, making it easy to spot them during a scalp examination
- have a life expectancy of 1 to 2 months
- lay 5 to 10 eggs per day
The characteristics of nits:
- are at the root of the hair
- rather greyish in color when full, more whitish when empty, and shiny in appearance
- they are stuck to the hair and do not come off easily, even when they are empty (unlike dandruff which, even oily, does not adhere as much to the hair fiber)
- hatch after 7 to 10 days
If an examination on dry hair is not enough to remove the doubt, it is also possible to redo it once the hair is wet and covered with a detangling conditioner which will prevent lice and nits from adhering. Then, pass the famous lice comb, strand by strand, making sure to wipe it well on a handkerchief or piece of paper towel after each passage. You can then look at it to see if there are any lice or eggs there.
Vinegar (white or cider)
Vinegar is an aqueous solution whose low content of acetic acid will be enough to kill the lice and dissolve the glue that allows the nits to adhere to the hair fiber. Its smell is as strong as it is effective!
Miracle product and to do everything, especially cleaning, white vinegar is also a formidable weapon against lice. There are two ways to use it to eliminate these parasites.
1/ Cold, like a shampoo:
- Dilute one volume of white vinegar in one volume of water
- Pour the water/white vinegar mixture over the hair and gently rub the scalp so as not to irritate it too much
- Leave on for 10 to 30 minutes
- Comb each strand with a special comb, wiping after each pass to remove nits and dead lice
- Rinse with warm, clear water
- Use a mild shampoo to remove the smell of vinegar which can be stubborn
- Repeat the operation several times if necessary but at one day intervals
2/ Warm, like a mask:
- Dilute one volume of white vinegar in one volume of water
- Heat the mixture, without going to the boil (it should not burn the skin)
- Cover the scalp and cover with a warm towel
- Leave the water/white vinegar mixture to act for 30 minutes, it will suffocate the lice and take off the nits
- Pass the lice comb, making sure to clean it well after each wick
- Rinse and wash hair with mild shampoo
Apple cider vinegar is also a strong ally against lice and their eggs. On the other hand, it will be used in rinsing, after a mild shampoo.
- Dilute 4 tablespoons of cider vinegar in a large volume of warm water (sink or water bottle)
- Gently apply to the hair, head down
- Leave on for a few minutes
- Pass the lice comb, making sure to clean it well after each wick
- Let air dry (especially no hair dryer), the smell will dissipate but will remain noticeable by the lice who hate it
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Tea tree essential oil
Recognized for its properties, among others, antiseptics, the tea tree, or tea tree in French, is an excellent natural trick against lice and nits. It is used in the form of a hair mask:
- In 50ml of vegetable oil (olive, sweet almond, argan oil or coconut oil previously heated to make it liquid), mix 15 to 20 drops of tea tree essential oil
- Distribute the liquid on the scalp and massage gently to distribute it well and impregnate the root
- Leave on for several hours, or even overnight, under a shower cap
- Pass the lice comb, making sure to clean it well after each wick
- Wash hair with a mild shampoo (two washes may be needed to remove oil)
- Repeat the operation 3 to 7 days later
Lavender essential oil
The lavender has been used for centuries as a curative and preventive treatment for many ailments. It is known for its antiseptic, anti-inflammatory and antiparasitic properties. Lavender (aspic or officinale) and lavandin in the form of essential oil act as a repellent against lice and therefore help prevent infestations.
Apply a few drops of oil, pure or slightly diluted in a fatty substance (argan or coconut oil), on the neck, temples and around the ears.
It is also possible to add a few drops to a mild shampoo or to use it as a spray, always diluted, to be applied regularly to the hair.
Please note, like all essential oils, lavender or lavandin is strongly discouraged for pregnant women and children under 7 years old (3 years for true lavender).
Baking soda
Like white vinegar, baking soda is widely used for household chores. But it can also be used in the fight against lice and in particular the nits that it will dry out. Bicarbonate is used in the form of a paste and must imperatively be of food quality.
- Mix 8 tablespoons of baking soda with water until you get a fairly thick but malleable paste.
- Distribute this paste evenly on the scalp and massage
- It is also possible to sprinkle baking soda directly on the roots and then wet the hair with a spray.
- Leave on for several hours, or even overnight, under a shower cap
- Wash hair with mild shampoo
- Pass the lice comb, making sure to clean it well after each lock so as not to spread the nits
- Wash hair again and let air dry
Wash all potentially infested fabrics
Lice can survive 3 days outside the hair. It is therefore imperative to clean everything that may have been in contact with your child’s hair: sheets, pillowcases, pillows, clothes, accessories, stuffed animals, hairbrush… Don’t leave any chance of survival for parasites because a couple is enough to start an invasion.
The best solution is to machine wash at 60°C. However, be careful with delicate fibers such as wool, which may shrink at high temperatures. You can place these clothes or accessories in “quarantine” in garbage bags, several days. Lice will starve. You can then take them to the dry cleaners or carry out a delicate wash.
For comforters whose children would find it difficult to stay separated for too long, freezing them for a day should effectively rid them of unwanted items.
Avoid exchanges
Of course, you will not be able to prevent your child from playing and being close to his friends. On the other hand, you can help him adopt behaviors that can limit the spread of lice. The golden rule: do not exchange your clothes or accessories (hat, scarf, etc.) with your little friends! A swimming cap and tidy things so as not to mix with those of others during sports sessions are also good reflexes.