Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 3: Using oil
• Method 2 of 3: Using a lice comb
• Method 3 of 3: Using rubbing alcohol
• Tips
• Warnings
• Necessities
• Using oil
• Using a lice comb
• Using rubbing alcohol

Head lice are wingless insects that live on the scalp. They can be tricky to remove and kill. By following the methods below you can kill the lice without using harsh chemicals that can also harm humans. Be patient and trust that you can fix this problem with a little knowledge. Following the first steps in this article will help keep your home free of lice. The following methods allow you to get rid of lice from your scalp naturally.

To step

1. Wash your clothes at the highest possible temperature at which the fabrics can be washed without shrinking. Do not follow the normal washing instructions and accept that the color will fade slightly in order to cook out all the lice eggs.
   • Also dry your clothes in the dryer at the highest possible temperature.
   • Keep enough clothes and bedding separately for a month and store the rest in plastic bags after washing. Use only the minimum of necessary supplies - if you want to get rid of the lice as quickly as possible, keep only one blanket, a pillow and a towel per person (no sheets or other bedding).
2. Vacuum all upholstery, mattresses, carpets and carpets. You may need to completely remove lice-infested carpeting.
3. Buy water-resistant plastic from a hardware store and cover all upholstery and mattresses with it for a month. Wipe the plastic daily.
4. Clean all hard surfaces and hard floors with a mixture of 10 parts water to 1 part bleach. Wipe all commonly used surfaces daily.
5. Treat the heads of all family members at the same time.

Method 1 of 3: Using oil

1. Completely soak hair and scalp with mayonnaise, petroleum jelly or coconut oil.
2. Cover the head with a plastic bag or shower cap for 12 to 24 hours.
3. Heat the shower cap with a hair dryer or simply sit in the warm sun.
4. Apply shampoo to your hair without getting your hair wet first. Soak the entire head with shampoo and use about 175 milliliters of shampoo per family member.
5. Cover the scalp with plastic again. Leave the shampoo on for about half an hour so that the oil can dissolve.
6. Rinse the hair as thoroughly as possible. Don't worry if the scalp still feels a little greasy. You will remove more of the oil when you later comb your hair and divide it into different sections.
7. Comb your hair with a wide tooth comb to remove tangles.
8. Divide the hair into sections about 2 to 3 inches, starting at the bottom of the nape. Read the directions for use for the lice comb you bought so you know how to use it properly.
9. For long hair, use hair clips or pins to keep the uncombed hair separate while you comb through all the sections separately with the lice comb.
10. Make sure the teeth of the comb touch the scalp before pulling the comb down to comb out a particular section. Comb the same section again in the opposite direction.
11. Rinse the comb in a pan of hot water after each section, then wipe the comb on a paper towel.
12. Braid longer hair or tie it up in a ponytail so you know which sections you have already combed out.
13. Work up the back of the head in 2- to 3-centimeter rows following the steps previously described. Continue until you have covered the entire back of the head. Repeat the process on both sides of the head until you have combed through each section.
14. Wash your hair again if you wish to remove the rest of the oil. Apply shampoo to your hair without getting your hair wet first. Note that it is more difficult for lice to attach nits to an oily scalp.
15. Wear a plastic shower cap while sleeping to prevent any living lice from re-entering your scalp.
16. Check the scalp daily and repeat steps 1 through 12 once a week for the next three weeks.

Method 2 of 3: Using a lice comb

1. Buy a metal lice comb with long teeth and a small magnifying glass. The teeth of the lice comb should be about 4 to 5 inches long.
2. Wash your hair and towel dry it.
3. Pour a tablespoon of conditioner into the palm of your hand and spread it into your damp hair before you start combing.
4. Fill a large, light-colored bowl with boiling hot water.
5. Divide the hair into sections and comb each section. Submerge the comb in the hot water after each stroke. Make sure to comb the hair in all directions, especially on the neck and behind the ears. It should take you about 15 to 20 minutes to do this.
6. Place the bowl under a strong lamp and examine the water with a magnifying glass. If you have combed lice and nits out of the hair, you should see them now.
7. Treat your hair in the shower with the lice comb for 2 weeks. After shampooing, apply conditioner to your hair and comb the conditioner out of your hair for several minutes. Make sure to comb the hair in all directions. Rinse the rest of the conditioner from your hair.
8. After two weeks, examine your hair again for lice and eggs using the comb, a bowl of hot water, and the magnifying glass.

Method 3 of 3: Using rubbing alcohol

1. Buy a bottle of rubbing alcohol.
2. Tilt your head back over a bathtub.
3. Hold the bottle of alcohol over the center of your forehead, a short distance from the hairline.
4. Pour the alcohol over the hair, making sure to get all of the hair wet. This will sting.
5. Run your fingers through the hair, making sure the scalp is covered with alcohol as well.
6. Rub some conditioner into your scalp. Then take a comb with long teeth and comb all the lice out of the hair. It should take about an hour for all lice to be removed from the hair.
7. Take a shower and wash your hair and scalp thoroughly. Shampoo your hair twice and then use conditioner.

Tips

• It can take 7 to 10 days for lice eggs to hatch. So comb your hair every day to make sure all eggs and young lice are removed.
• A flat iron kills lice eggs because of the heat. So you can use this as an alternative.
• Lice don't like garlic. So eat a lot of it during your treatment. This reduces the chance that you will suffer from lice again. (NOTE: This will not help to get rid of your head lice and is only a method to avoid getting head lice again.)
• If you are using coconut oil, make sure you buy a good quality coconut oil. This will last a very long time and has many other health benefits.
• Examine the hair of school-age children once a month for two months to see if they have recurred head lice.
• The best lice combs have rounded teeth so that the hair doesn't break off during combing.
• You don't have to cover your furniture with plastic. There are special lice sprays available that you can spray on your furniture. In addition, you can also wipe your furniture with a mixture of 2 parts ammonia and 8 parts water.
• If there is a head lice epidemic in your area or that of a family member, avoid getting head lice yourself by using a comb dipped in warm water and a few drops of tea tree oil several times a week.
• Pour a mixture of 1 part coconut oil and 1 part tea tree oil into a bag. Put your hair in the bag for two hours and then repeat the process.
• If you suspect that you have lice in your eyebrows or eyelashes, you can cover them with a layer of petroleum jelly. Then rinse off the petroleum jelly and repeat the process several times a day.

Warnings

• Be careful when using plastic bags around small children. Plastic bags can cause suffocation.
• The short-toothed plastic lice combs that are often sold with lice chemicals don't work effectively. The teeth often spread apart during combing, leaving the lice and eggs in the hair.
• Be careful not to get rubbing alcohol in your eyes. This will be painful and can also cause blindness.
• You should shampoo your hair several times to remove any residue of oil that you put in your hair to suffocate the lice.
• Use these methods never to get rid of pubic or clothing lice.

Necessities

• Washer and dryer
• Plastic bags (garbage bags or shopping bags)
• Bleach
• Vacuum cleaner
• Water resistant plastic or large plastic tarpaulins

Using oil

• Mayonnaise, petroleum jelly, coconut oil, or cooking oil (enough for 1 cup per family member)
• Shampoo
• Metal lice comb
• Mixture of essential oils (optional)

Using a lice comb

• Metal lice comb
• Hot water
• A light-colored bowl
• Shampoo
• Conditioner

Using rubbing alcohol

• Rubbing alcohol
• Shampoo
• Conditioner
• Metal lice comb