Question:
I am in need of home remedy to kill head lice that are infant safe.
Somehow my 18 month got head lice. We tried Nix after consulting our
pediatrician, but after a week we are still pulling live bugs out of
hair. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated?
Answer:
Tea tree (Melaleuca alternifolia) grows in Austraiia and Asia - a tall
evergreen with white, spongy bark. The OIL from the leaves is used.
Good for acne, athlete's foot, Australian Aboriginals used the leaves to
treat cuts and skin infections - by crushing leaves and applying to
affected area. Captain James Cook and his crew named the tree "tea
tree" using its leaves as a substitute for tea. During WWII Australian
soldier were given tea tree oil as a disinfectant. I had clients who
used tea tree oil and tea tree oil shampoo for head lice and they
reported it worked. Can be found in health food stores. Info from
book 'The Natural Pharmacy'. I am not selling a product - just passing
along some information for evaluation.
We went through this last fall. Don't waste your money on over the counter
pyrethrin remedies...they don't work on the resistant strains of lice that
are prevalent now. My daughter brought the headlice home from school and we
finally had to use the prescription strength Quell to get rid of them. Also,
I had to pick every nit off of every hair...you can dip a comb in vinegar
and it will loosen the nit so you can scrape it off with your fingernail. Or
you can anoint their head with olive oil and pick the nits off. This picking
procedure went on for about a week...very long, thick and curly hair.
Our pharmacist recommended 10 drops of pure tea tree oil to a teaspoon of
our regular shampoo for my husband...who is allergic to pyrethrins. He
shampooed and left on for ten minutes (do not get in eyes). This worked
beautifully for him and I did not even have to nit-pick his hair. I wish I
had done this for our daughter...but hindsight is always keener!
