How to get rid of lice?

6-step lice treatment

1. Before the session, wash hair with an anti-lice shampoo (see our home cosmetics recipes below) and conditioner to detangle and facilitate combing.
2. Place a towel or small white sheet around the person's shoulders and/or place the person's head over the sink.
3. Start by detangling the hair, using an ordinary comb or brush. This will make it easier to comb through later. You can also coat the hair with coconut oil or babassu oil. This way, the anti-lice comb won't snag the hair, and nits and lice will come off more easily, as they "suffocate" and slide off under the effect of the oil.
4. Then take the hair strand by strand (one comb width at a time) and slowly comb through, starting as close as possible to the base of the hair and working up to the tip. Preferably use a fine-toothed anti-lice comb, which pulls out the nits as opposed to a plastic lice comb. This mechanical operation is effective but incomplete, and must therefore be combined with a treatment. This movement will remove as many nits and lice as possible. For greater effectiveness, it's best to perform this action in the opposite direction to the person's usual combing. Several passes of the comb may also be necessary. Work in successive strands until no lice or eggs are visible to the naked eye. You can fold each strand of cleaned hair over to the side of the head and secure it with a hair clip, so as not to mix it with the still-infected hair.
5. At the end of the combing session, wash the hair again with anti-lice shampoo and rinse the head thoroughly with a strong, hot shower jet to eliminate adult lice and nit debris deposited on the scalp.
6. Wash your lice comb thoroughly in hot, soapy water after use.

Additional anti-lice tips

• Each time you remove lice and nits from the hair, wipe the lice comb on a paper towel or rinse the lice comb with hot water, so that it's clean for the next strand of hair.
• Operate in good lighting conditions, as lice are often difficult to see.
• Note that the areas most favored by lice and most infested with eggs are around the ears, and the neck area (blood flow in these areas, blood being the basic food of lice).
• Treat all lice carriers on the same day.
• After each combing session, it is advisable to change clothes and wash the clothes removed.
• Throughout the anti-lice treatment, wash clothes, sheets, bedding, hats, car seats and towels at a temperature of at least 60°C to kill any lice and larvae that may have settled there.
• Make sure everyone in the household has their own comb, to limit the risk of contagion.
• Disinfect every object likely to harbor lice.

The lice combing operation should be repeated every day (or 2 days) to ensure that newly laid eggs are eliminated between 2 combing sessions. Repeat the combing sessions until all lice and nits have been eradicated. This can take from 10 to 3 weeks.

How to make your own natural anti-lice products ?

During the endemic period, you can reduce the risk of being contaminated by lice. Some essential oils have formidable properties that lice can't resist. Here are just a few examples of how vegetable and essential oils can be used to combat head lice naturally.

Quick lice prevention remedies

• Apply 3 drops of anti-parasite essential oil (lavender, tea tree, rosemary camphor or myrtle cineol) in the morning to your child's hair and clothing (collar or hood).
• Brush hair with a fluid oil such as coconut oil, babassu oil or Coco-Silicone. Lice and nits won't cling well, and any colonizing lice will be asphyxiated as soon as they arrive.
• During the endemic period, wash hair with a shampoo enriched with anti-parasite essential oils.

Natural anti-lice treatment with essential oils n°1

Mix the following essential oils in a brown glass bottle:

• 3ml Tea Tree essential oil (Mélaleuca alternifolia)
• 1ml Cedar (Cedrus atlantica) essential oil
• 3ml Lavandin essential oil (Lavendula burnatii super)
• 1ml Myrtle CT Cinéol essential oil (Myrtus communis)
• 2ml Rosemary CT camphor essential oil (Rosmarinus officinalis L. camphoriferum)

Shake well and ideally leave to stand for 3 days before use, so that the different substances can amplify their effects through synergy. This synergy of essential oils can be used in two ways:

• For prevention, pour 3 drops of the synergy into a dose of shampoo to be used every 2 days. In the morning, pour 3 drops on the nape of the neck, temples, behind the ears and hair;
• As a curative treatment (in addition to oil masks and the anti-lice comb), rub 6 to 10 drops of the mixture into the scalp, avoiding contact with the eyes.

This synergy can be used by children aged 5 and over, while respecting the precautions for use of essential oils (risk of allergy, etc.).

Natural anti-lice treatment with essential oils n°2

In a brown glass bottle, mix equal parts of the following essential oils:

• lavender essential oil (Lavandula angustifolia)
• rosemary CT cineol essential oil (Rosmarinus officinalis L. cineoliferum)
• rosemary CT camphor essential oil (Rosmarinus officinalis L. camphoriferum)
• juniper essential oil (Juniperus oxycedrus)
• geranium essential oil Pelargonium x asperum

Shake well and ideally leave to stand for 3 days before use, to allow the different substances to amplify their effects through synergy. Preventive use (repellent): every day, add 3 drops of the synergy to a dose of shampoo and wash your hair as usual. Also apply a few drops to the nape of the neck, temples, behind the ears and hair.

This synergy can be used by children aged 5 and over, while respecting the precautions for use of essential oils (risk of allergy, etc.).

These oils can be used as a single active ingredient or in synergies (blends of several essential oils). You'll find a selection below:

• Tea tree essential oil (Melaleuca alternifolia)
• Cedar (Cedrus atlantica) essential oil
• Eucalyptus globulus essential oil
• Juniper (Juniperus oxycedrus) essential oil
• Geranium essential oil Pelargonium x asperum
• Lavender essential oil (Lavandula angustifolia)
• Lavandin essential oil (Lavendula burnatii super)
• Myrtle CT cineol essential oil (Myrtus communis)
• Rosemary CT cineol essential oil (Rosmarinus officinalis L. cineoliferum)
• Rosemary CT camphor essential oil (Rosmarinus officinalis L. camphoriferum)
• Complete essential oil of Ylang Ylang (Cananga odorata)

The "trick"? Only fluid oils can suffocate lice...

Anti-lice plant oils

• Babassu oil
• Calophyllum oil (Tamanu)
• Safflower oil
• Neem oil
• Coconut Oil
• Apricot Kernel Oil
• Grape seed oil
• Monoi oil
• Coco Silicone(Coco-Caprylate)
• Fractionated coconut oil Caprylic Capric Triglycerides

By the way, how do you get lice?

Lice are mainly caught through physical contact between people. Transmission occurs directly from one parasitized person to another. Even brief contact is enough for lice to pass from one person to another. A single, highly parasitized individual can act as a parasite reservoir. The risk factor for transmission is the cohabitation of a large number of people in a confined space. For this reason, children and teenagers are the main victims of head lice. Girls are more likely to get lice than boys, probably because of their longer hair, which also makes treatment more difficult.

Contrary to popular belief, lice don't fly or jump. They only use their legs to walk or climb. Once the louse has got its legs into its victim's hair, it can easily infect other people and reproduce very quickly. Lice are highly perennial insects that spread and multiply very quickly. A single louse can spend its day on several heads. The egg is attached to the base of the hair by the female using a kind of natural, transparent glue, which she quickly produces. A louse lays up to ten eggs a day, and their host's blood enables them to survive for up to 3 weeks.

Even if lice die very quickly (P. Capitis cannot survive more than 4 to 36 hours outside the scalp), it is advisable to avoid exchanging combs and brushes, or even hats, scarves, coats, etc., at short intervals.

Lice are not caused by a lack of hygiene, and can be found in both clean and dirty hair. Lice are resistant to soap and water..

You can't get lice by stroking a cat, dog or any other animal, because animal lice don't like humans, and vice versa (human lice won't go on animals). Transmission via water has not been proven (swimming pools, etc.).

How does a head lice infestation manifest itself?

The medical term for external infestation of the skin by head lice is pediculosis. Pediculosis of the scalp manifests itself as itching, particularly around the ears and the nape of the neck, leading to scratching and superinfection (impetigo). Itching may also be absent (if the person is not allergic to the salivary substance of lice), so absence of itching does not necessarily mean absence of lice. The topography of these symptoms is suggestive of the diagnosis, particularly if there are lice in the vicinity. However, pruritus is absent in 40-50% of cases. People who harbor head lice are susceptible to small red lesions at the site of each new bite, which may go unnoticed. Pediculosis is considered a common but benign disease. The worldwide distribution of pediculosis of the scalp is independent of climate, and can sometimes develop into an epidemic.

How can you check whether you or your child is infected with head lice?

Check your child's head carefully every night, especially around the ears and neck. As lice and nits are generally very difficult to see, the use of an anti-lice comb is essential.

How can lice infestation be prevented?

It's a good idea to check children's hair regularly for the presence of these parasites, especially when they return from summer camps and 1-2 months after the start of the school year. Avoiding direct contact greatly reduces the risk of propagation. It is therefore preferable to inform those around you and at school of the presence of lice, in order to limit contact, particularly between hairs. A short haircut is not effective on nits (attached to the base of the hair), but is nevertheless very useful for facilitating both physical and chemical treatments.

All about lice

Unfortunately, for many people, the start of the new school year also means the return of head lice.

The main reason for this phenomenon is that, during the vacations, vigilance is relaxed. During the school year, parents regularly check their children's heads, since many of us suspect that school is the main vector for head lice. But it's the summer and summer vacations that are particularly conducive to these parasites! Between summer camps, summer camps, campsites, etc., there are plenty of opportunities for lice to jump from head to head. In fact, tourist areas are the most affected. You can visualize the proliferation of lice in real time on this site:http://www.openhealth.fr/fr-fr/Cartes-IAS/iaspoux#.VANB1WR5M9F

Ideally, every family should check their children for lice during the vacations, and take immediate steps to eradicate them. In this way, the traditional return of head lice at the start of each school year can be avoided.

Morphology and biology of the human louse(Pediculus humanus)

Pediculus humanus comprises two subspecies that are parasitic on humans: Pediculus humanus = body louse and Pediculus humanus capitis = head louse.

Our subject here is the head louse (Pediculus capitis), the smaller of the two subspecies:

The head louse is a tiny insect often barely visible to the naked eye. They measure between 1.5 and 3 mm. It has 6 legs, the first 2 of which are wider to grip the hair. Lice feed exclusively on blood, which causes pruritus. They are hematophagous and can live on the scalp for up to two months! Away from the hair, lice can survive for 2 to 3 days, depending on the heat and humidity they're particularly fond of. Lice breathe through orifices that can close and become impermeable to water, preventing them from drowning. They are, however, asphyxiated by fine oils (coconut oil, coconut silicone).

The female can lay 4 to 10 eggs a day for 20 to 30 days, for a total of 100 to 200 eggs. Lice eggs are called nits. The time it takes for nits to develop depends on the surrounding temperature (at an optimum temperature of around 31°C, a louse egg hatches after 8 days). When eggs are laid, the nits are firmly stuck to the hair near the scalp, where incubation is facilitated by heat and humidity. Alive, nits are brown, shiny, oval and about 1 mm long. They can be mistaken for dandruff, but you soon realize that nits are literally stuck to the hair shaft.

Within a week, the nit produces a larva that becomes an adult. It transforms into a small louse (pupa) which becomes an adult louse around 10 days later. The louse then lives for about 3 weeks before dying. During its lifetime, it feeds on its victim's blood, circulates among strands of hair, and constantly reproduces and lays eggs. The louse needs to feed on its host's blood to survive. So if it falls from its victim's head, it won't survive more than 2 days before starving to death.

After hatching, the empty egg shell remains attached to the hair for several months, taking on a whitish color and gradually moving away from the root as the hair grows. Empty nits resemble dandruff, but resist washing and brushing. Lice excrement resembles brown dust particles.

Other frequently asked questions about lice

• Where do lice come from? Lice didn't arrive by air or ground. They are parasites that have probably been around since the dawn of time. Archaeologists have found dried lice and their eggs in Egyptian mummies. Anti-lice combs were widely used by Egyptian pharaohs in their day.
• How are lice spread? Lice are spread by direct physical contact between two people. They can also be spread by a quick exchange of headgear (hat, cap, etc.) or pillow between two people. Lice don't jump or fly. They don't survive long unless they quickly find a host to feed on.
• How long does a louse last? A louse needs human blood to survive. It dies of dehydration after 4 hours in dry, sunny air, and after 36 hours at most (if the air is humid and warm).
• Do I have to treat everyone in the household if one of the members is infected? If lice are found in one of the occupants of the house, you need to check everyone living under the same roof, using your hands or the lice comb. There's no point in treating anyone with an anti-lice product as a preventive measure, especially as these products are primarily chemical and can cause allergic disorders. On the other hand, all those affected should be treated at the same time.
• Do I need to treat my home for lice and nits? Lice don't survive outside the hair follicle, as they need human blood to survive. That's why there's no need to treat your home with chemical lice or pest control products. Concentrate your efforts on combing the hair with an anti-lice comb.
• Can animals spread lice to humans? Animals cannot "catch" lice from humans. In fact, the lice we catch feed exclusively on human blood.
• How to effectively treat lice and nits without chemicals? Some people recommend exclusive treatment with an anti-lice comb, especially for allergy sufferers, pregnant women and children under 6 months. This involves combing the hair in the same way as above, but repeatedly (3 times, then 2 times a day), for a minimum of 10 days and up to 3 weeks. Soaking the hair in a fluid oil such as coconut oil and its derivatives, or an anti-parasitic oil such as neem oil, for example, suffocates lice and facilitates nit removal. For best results, brush the oil into the hair and scalp and leave it on under a bathing cap for 1 to 2 hours.
• How can you tell if you have lice? An itchy scalp is the main symptom of infection by lice and nits. However, as itching is essentially caused by an allergic reaction to the salivary liquid deposited by the louse at the root of the hair (when it lays its eggs), this allergic reaction does not necessarily occur if the person is not sensitive to this liquid. Small red lesions around the ears and the nape of the neck.
• What are the characteristics of pediculosis ?nitsLive nits are oval, brown, smooth and shiny, stuck to the base ("stem") of the hair (around 3-10 mm from the scalp, where body temperature is highest), then form a dull, whitish shell after hatching 3 weeks after laying; they remain stuck to the hair by spumaline, a kind of glue forming a keratin-based sleeve. Even dead nits do not detach spontaneously.live liceHead lice: head lice are mobile, transparent when they're fasting and turn gray when they've fed on blood. Like their nits, they are not easy to spot with the naked eye in the hair, due to their small size, and especially on blond hair from which they are barely distinguishable (examine the places where they prefer to shelter: behind the ears, the nape of the neck at the base of the scalp and the top of the head. Examine the hair shaft (whiteheads). Use a fine-tooth comb 0.3mm).