Worse than the lice that infest our hair are the nits or eggs of these lice. A single lice can lay more than a 1000 eggs at any one time. Therefore, it is imperative that you remove the nits from your hair along with the lice if you want to prevent re-infestation.
Sadly, that’s easier said than done! For in sharp contrast to lice that roam around freely on the scalp and can be removed easily, nits attach to the hair follicles very tightly and literally have to be pulled out by force (ouch!). They are also miniscule in size and can easily remain hidden which would make it even harder to remove them.
Effective Home Remedies For Nits
Fortunately, there are simpler ways to get rid of nits rather than opting for expensive treatments and medications which could also cause side effects. The following home remedies have been tried and tested by numerous individuals and are known to provide fruitful results without causing much strain in the process. Note that these remedies would need to be followed regularly at least for a couple of weeks for long term results.
1. Comb & Comb And Comb
Combing the hair regularly with a fine toothed comb can effectively remove lice and well as the nits in the hair. A very fine toothed comb needs to be used to remove the nits. Several shops sell nit combs that are specifically built for the purpose of removing nits. Combing the hair with these specialized combs would effectively remove the nits attached to the hair follicles.
One needs to follow a particular approach to combing hair when it comes to removing lice and nits. Accordingly, the hair needs to be divided into different sections and each individual section needs to be combed separately.
The lice and nits that attach to the comb after every stroke can be dropped into a bowl of vinegar or onto a towel that has been soaked in vinegar beforehand. A bowl of hot water can also kill the lice and nits instantly.A newspaper can also be used to catch the lice and nits that fall down while combing (these should be dropped in the vinegar solution as well). Combing the entire hair section wise would take at least 15-20 minutes but would yield positive results in the end.
2. Apply Conditioner
Applying a good amount of conditioner on the hair can smother the lice and nits and loosen their hold on the hair follicles, thus making it easier for an individual to remove them. The conditioner needs to be applied after shampooing and rinsing the hair, and needs to be left untouched for about 20 minutes. Combing the hair with a fine toothed comb afterwards would help remove the lice and nits.
3. Apply Olive Oil And Vinegar
A good way to remove stubborn nits from the hair is to apply a mixture of olive oil and vinegar on the hair and leave it on for about 20 minutes. While the olive oil would smother the nits, the vinegar would dissolve their exoskeletons and loosen their hold on the hair follicles. The ingredients can be washed off with warm water afterwards.
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4. Wash With Coconut Oil Based Shampoo
Washing the hair with coconut oil based shampoos can help remove nits to an extent. Coconut oil is a natural irritant for lice and nits and can get rid of them effectively. While most of the lice and nits would be washed off during rinsing, combing the hair immediately after a wash would remove leftover lice and nits.Alternatively, applying a good amount of virgin coconut oil on the hair and leaving it overnight can also irritate the nits and kill them so that they can easily be removed the next day by combing the hair.
5. Apply Mayonnaise
Although a bit sticky to get rid of afterwards, mayonnaise can help smother the nits and kill them instantly. Dead nits would be easier to remove from the hair follicles. Applying mayonnaise all over the hair, rinsing it off after 15 minutes and combing the hair immediately afterwards can help eradicate nits effectively.
6. Apply Onion Paste
Grinding some fresh onions and applying the resultant paste on the hair can help remove nits effectively. The hair needs to be sectioned and combed thoroughly after applying the paste in order to remove the nits completely and prevent re-infestation.
7. Apply Orange Juice
Orange juice is an excellent home remedy for lice removal and can provide fruitful results within a very short period of time. Orange juice acts as a toxic insecticide and kills the lice and nits instantly without damaging the hair or scalp in the process.
Fresh orange juice would be considered best for this remedy as processed juices would not be that effective on the nits. Accordingly, fresh orange juice needs to be rubbed all over the hair and left untouched for about 20 minutes. The juice would kill the lice and loosen the nits’ hold on the hair follicles.The hair needs to be properly combed afterwards with a fine toothed comb to remove the lice and nits that would have died by now. The comb would also need to be soaked in hot water after every stroke to get rid of any lice or nits that would have survived the juice.
8. Apply Boric Powder Mixture
Boric powder is commonly used to deal with flea infestations. A mixture of boric acid, Vaseline, olive oil, castor oil and mayonnaise can be applied on the hair and scalp and left overnight. The mixture would effectively smother the lice and nits and loosen their hold on the hair follicles. Washing the hair with a good quality shampoo the next day would effectively get rid of the nits.
9. Apply Essential Oils Mixture
Essential oils can offer relief from the bites caused by lice and can easily remove them as well as their eggs from the hair. An appropriate oil mixture for head lice treatment would include olive oil (75 ml), tea tree oil (20 drops), eucalyptus oil (20 drops), lemon oil (10 drops) and aniseed oil (10 drops).The mixture needs to be applied over the scalp and hair follicles thoroughly, and left for about an hour or so. Washing the hair with a good quality shampoo afterwards would effectively wash away the dead lice and nits.
