Lice treatment: 10 tips to eliminate them effectively

Lice affect children and adults, although it is more frequent that they affect the former. Along with going back to school is anguish over the possible outbreak of lice. Once there is a child with lice in the class it is likely to spread to the rest of the classmates.

It is not pleasant to deal with this issue, and lice can affect parents. Fortunately, there are products that can help eliminate them and keep this at bay. Lice treatments are simple, and there are good tips to effectively remove them.

• You might want to read: "Stye: causes, symptoms and treatment to cure it"

Lice treatment: everything you need to know to eliminate them

When there are suspicions of having lice, act as soon as possible the better. Lice treatment is key, and to effectively eliminate them it is best to know and apply the best tips. If not, the lice can increase and the itchiness too.

It is possible to eliminate them, but you have to carry out a series of steps and buy the necessary products. Another important point is to have enough constancy, and that is that it is not advisable to leave the treatment halfway.

1. Thoroughly review

Before applying any product you have to confirm whether or not there are lice. For this, it is best to check the hair thoroughly, since lice can be seen with the naked eye. You can use a normal comb, but there are specific combs for lice or pests.

A quality scrubber that allows the head to be checked in sections, eliminating many of them. In any case, if a single louse is found later, a product must be applied to kill them.

• We recommend you: "Hyaluronic acid: 14 properties and benefits

2. Washing your hair with tea tree oil

Tea tree oil is effective in fighting lice. This oil is very powerful, and applied directly could irritate the skin. In fact, it is sold in small bottles, and what is usually done is to dilute it.

It is best to put this oil inside the shampoo bottle and mix it. Washing your hair regularly with this oil is highly recommended, although some people do not like its smell. This is a supportive treatment, but must be accompanied by one of the following.

3. Permethrin

Permethrin is very efficient in eliminating lice. It is a very safe pesticide that can also be used by children over two years of age, pregnant women and lactating women. Its price is also economical

Still, in some cases lice have developed resistance to permethrin. Therefore, it may not work for everyone, although it is still one of the most recommended lice treatments.

4. Dimethicone and cyclomethicone

Dimethicone and cyclomethicone can be used in asthmatic children or sensitive skin. They are made from high-density silicones that cause physical damage to lice, so no resistance is created.

Although its cost is significantly higher, its efficiency is very high. It can be used during pregnancy, in children older than one year and breastfeeding women. Currently dimethicone and cyclomethicone products are the most widely used.

• It might interest you: "Alum stone: 5 benefits and uses of this mineral"

5. Benzyl alcohol

Benzyl alcohol is the newest substance to treat head lice. It is highly efficient and can be applied in children from 6 months of age. It works by killing the lice, and must be applied a second time to remove the lice from the eggs that have remained.

In some cases it can cause slight redness and burning, but it is not usually serious. So far no resistance to benzyl alcohol has been recorded, so its use continues to be efficient and highly recommended.

6. Personal hygiene

Lice are not due to poor grooming. This is important to understand, as people are sometimes stigmatized for having lice, interpreting that they do not wash enough. Washing hair daily is not even recommended for its health, as it loses all its natural protective sebum.

It is recommended to the general population to wash their hair once a week, and to people who have lice to do it every day with the appropriate products. People who have lice do have to be constant to fight these parasites.

7. Apply the product correctly

It is very important to apply the product properly. For this it is important to read the product instructions. Being inconsistent can have a negative impact on the favorable outcome of lice treatment.

Before starting, you have to comb the entire head, dividing it into sections. Doing it with wet hair can make the job easier. Once the hair is dry, the product must be applied and the lice comb passed again.

• You might want to read: "The 10 best perfumes for women (the best sellers)"

8. Repeat the process

Regardless of the type of product chosen, it is important to repeat the process. Applying a product just once is not enough to kill all the parasites and eggs. The fact that no trace of lice is visible does not mean that they have been eliminated.

After the first application, new lice are likely to grow and need to be removed. It is recommended to repeat according to the instructions of the product, although it is often done after 7 or 10 days.

9. Medical consultation

It is important to know when it is better to go to the doctor. If over-the-counter substances have been applied appropriately and the problem persists, resistance may have developed and it is best to see a doctor.

In these cases, an oral prescription drug is usually prescribed or the substance can be changed to apply to the skin. The pills are usually the definitive solution, but they are a bit more aggressive and usually do not need to resort to them.

10. Have patience

If the previous steps are carried out, you are acting well, and it only remains to be patient. Lice can be very discomforting, and after the first application the skin may be sensitive and you may still feel like scratching the scalp.

But with this, it is not necessary to think that the product is not working, which must always be allowed to act for the time indicated in the package insert. It may take two weeks for the problem to be completely resolved, but the treatments discussed are effective and you have to be patient.

• It might interest you: "How to eliminate pimples: 8 natural and quick solutions"

Bibliographic references

• Bartlett, C.M. (1993). Lice (Amblycera and Ischnocera) as vectors of Eulimdana spp. (Nematoda: Filarioidea) in Charadriiform birds and the necessity of short reproductive periods in adult worms ". Journal of Parasitology, 75 (1), 85–91.

• Mumcuoglu, K.Y. (1999). Prevention and Treatment of Head Lice in Children. Pediatric Drugs. 1 (3): 211–218.

• Rózsa, L. (1997). Patterns in the abundance of avian lice (Phthiraptera: Amblycera, Ischnocera) "(PDF). Journal of Avian Biology. 28 (3): 249–254.