Head lice, though not harmful, can be quite embarrassing and cause extreme itching. It’s common in children and once you are infested, it’s quite difficult to bid goodbye to head lice. Though there are shampoos and other over-the-counter head lice treatments available, those can bring skin irritation as it consist of insecticides like permethrin and pyrethrin. Now, if you wonder what option is safe for head lice treatment, then I would recommend a natural treatment that you can easily apply at home. Yes, all you need to have is olive oil in your kitchen.
Also discover, how to use lemon to remove lice from your head.
Why use olive oil for lice treatment?
Olive oil is thick and when coated over the hair, it gets into the breathing apparatus of lice cutting off the oxygen supply and hence kills them by suffocating them.
How to use olive oil to get rid of head lice?
- Divide your hair into several sections and start applying olive oil all over your hair strands and scalp.
- Make a hair bun and cover it with a tight fitting shower cap so that lice cannot escape.
- You can either leave it for overnight or for at least 6-8 hours.
- Then, remove the shower cap and with the help of nit comb, comb out the lice from your hair.
- Once done, shampoo your hair and then blow dry close to your scalp in medium hit to kill the nits.
- Repeat thrice a week till you get rid of lice in your head.
Tips: For better result, you can also add few drops of essential oils such as tea tree oil or lavender oil. This will prevent lice infestation, promotes healing and gives a pleasant smell too.
Does olive oil kill nits too?
Olive oil works well for adult lice and not their eggs i.e. nits. It is because the protective outer shell of nits is impenetrable and hence olive oil doesn’t work to suffocate and kill them. However, once they hatch from the nits, it can work well to kick them off.
So, have you thought of using olive oil as a remedy for head lice? If not, it’s a time to take it in action. It’s so simple and effective. Do try it by yourself today and let us know how it worked for you in the comment section below!
Get more tips on getting rid of head lice naturally here!
