The following article will take you through the effects of using tea tree oil for lice by way of prevention and treatment. Continue reading to know if this can work as a viable option for lice prevention.
If you have ever had lice then you will know exactly how it causes for mind-numbing irritation. The urge to scratch your scalp all the time is overriding, and the inability to concentrate on anything because your mind is constantly thinking about the itching is extremely distracting and limiting.
Head lice are common when you’re a young kid interacting with other young kids. More common in girls, because of their long hair. And since it can easily pass on from one person to the next, there needs to be immediate hair care administered. Also, because the scratching doesn’t stop, it can lead to inflammation of the scalp, and the emergence of wounds that cause pain and become susceptible to infection and other scalp problems. That is why it is important that a solution is reached upon. Tea tree oil for lice has been found to be very effective for this cause and that is what we will be going over in the sections that follows.
Prevention and Treatment
Tea tree oil is a type of essential oil that has antibacterial, antiseptic, and anti-inflammatory properties. There are 2-3 ways of using this oil for prevention of the lice. One has to make sure that one uses only pure oil that has no additives. One needs to also understand that using tea tree oil needs to be done with a lot of precaution as it can cause allergies in some. Use a little oil on the underside of the arm to see if it causes any inflammation. If not, you can make use of the oil as a lice repellent.
The following treatment is a three step process.
Massage
The simplest way of using tea tree oil is to use about 4-5 drops of the same and then rub them on your scalp. Then massage with fingertips and let it seep in. Tie a cloth over the head and let it stay for about an hour. Then proceed to wash it. Some people use a nit comb to comb through the length of the hair because the oil makes the process easier. After you’ve combed through the hair and killed all the live lice, you can move on to the head wash.
Head Wash
Take any baby shampoo that preferably has no scent attached to it. This ensures that it is mild and will therefore not cause further irritation to the already inflamed scalp. Take a coin-sized amount of the shampoo and add 3-4 drops of tea tree oil to it. If the infection is quite severe, then add the same amount of olive oil in addition to the tea tree oil and mix well. Use this to scrub the scalp well, making sure that you cover every inch of it and every hair strand well. Wash off. This treatment not only treats, but also prevents a head lice infestation.
After Care
It’s not just enough to use tea tree oil for a massage and a bath, there needs to be aftercare involved as well. After the bath, use a nit comb to comb through the hair and kill whatever head lice that you hadn’t got in before. Make sure that the comb is sterilized (immerse it in scalding hot water in which an antiseptic liquid has been added).
This will get the grown lice, but the eggs are more difficult to get rid of. For that, you’ll have to manually look through the hair strands (the eggs are white, drop-shaped) and continue to do so for a week or two after that to ensure that the infection has not made a comeback. This is important because the head lice life cycle is a tough one to break. One will also have to change the bed covers and cushion covers so that the infection does not spread to the others and does not return. Check for all other members of the house as well to ensure that the infection has not passed onto anyone.
Make sure to maintain high levels of personal hygiene and have a head bath regularly to keep the scalp clean and free of lice. That way you won’t have to get into head lice treatment at all. You can finally stop the itching and take care of your scalp.
