Head lice are tiny wingless insects that only live on the human head, attaching themselves and their eggs to the hair shaft. Contrary to popular belief, head lice do not spread any disease, and they are not caused by poor hygiene. They are spread by close person-to-person contact. If you or your child winds up with head lice, it's often possible to treat the problem with tea tree oil.
EditSteps
EditRecognizing and Minimizing Head Lice Infestations
- Recognize the symptoms of head lice. Many things can cause an itchy scalp, and it’s easy to mistake conditions such as dandruff for head lice.[1] It’s important to know what to look for so that you can treat head lice effectively:
- Use a fine-toothed comb to examine the hair and scalp for lice and nits. Live head lice are about the size of a sesame seed (between 2-3mm long). Nits, or lice eggs, are usually yellowish white and stick onto hairs near the scalp. They are slightly smaller than adult lice.[2]
- Look for nits that are stuck to the hair shaft. Nits stuck to the hair shaft within ¼ inch of the scalp are the most likely to be viable (i.e., will hatch into lice). This is because head lice feed on tiny amounts of blood they draw from the human scalp. They also thrive on the warmth provided by your head. Nits that are further down the hair shaft are usually dead or already hatched.[3]
- Use a magnifying glass to examine the hair and scalp. Dirt particles and dandruff can often be mistaken for lice, so use a magnifying glass to determine whether there are live lice in addition to nits. If you don’t see live lice and the only nits are further down the hair shaft from the scalp, the infestation is probably already over.[4]
- Look behind the ears and at the hairline. Lice and nits are often easier to see in areas where the hair is thinner.[5]
- Examine everyone in the household for head lice. Although they cannot fly or jump, head lice are extremely contagious and can easily infest everyone in a household.[6] If one person in your household has head lice, check everyone’s hair and scalp for signs of infestation.
- Head lice are most easily spread by sharing hair brushes, hats, or beds with an infested person. If you have children who sleep in the same bed or room, or who share clothing regularly, make sure you examine everyone for head lice.
- Put clean clothing on. If someone in your household has head lice, have them remove their clothing and put on fresh clothes. There may be some nits on their clothes, especially shirts, scarves, or hats.[7]
- Wash household items used by the infested person. Head lice are not caused by poor hygiene. However, they can cling to fabric and household items and could spread from those items to other people, so it’s important to clean and disinfect those items thoroughly.[8]
- Machine wash and heat dry clothing, bed linens, hats, towels, and other fabrics that have come into contact with the infested person. Use hot water and the high heat drying cycle. If the items cannot be machine washed, seal them in a plastic bag and store them for 2 weeks. This will suffocate the lice.[9]
- Soak combs and brushes in very hot water (a minimum of 130°F) for 5-10 minutes, or run them through a hot dishwasher cycle.
- Vacuum floors and upholstered furniture. Head lice cannot survive very long if they can’t feed on humans, but vacuuming will help eliminate any lice that have fallen off a person and keep them from attaching to someone else.
- Treat everyone in the household at the same time. Anyone who has signs of lice infestation, or who shares a bedroom with the infested person, should be treated immediately. Otherwise, lice may remain in someone’s hair and start another infestation.
EditUsing Tea Tree Oil to Treat Head Lice Infestations
- Purchase pure tea tree oil. Tea tree oil has natural antimicrobial, anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal, and anti-viral properties.[10] Although the exact mechanisms are not yet understood, tea tree oil has been shown to be effective in killing lice nits and reducing the number of live lice. It may also have lice-repelling properties.[11]
- A combination of tea tree oil and lavender oil has been shown to kill lice eggs and live lice.[12] Look for pure lavender oil.
- While many shampoos and conditioners have tea tree oil in them, they are unlikely to have a high enough concentration to be effective. A minimum concentration of 2% tea tree oil is required to kill lice nits.[13]
- Look for “steam-distilled” tea tree oil from the Melaleuca alternifolia tree.
- Purchase a lice comb. This type of comb has very closely spaced teeth that help you examine the hair near the scalp.
- If you don’t have one, purchase a magnifying glass too. This will help you examine the scalp after treatment.
- Make a tea tree oil solution with shampoo. Because pure tea tree oil can cause skin irritation, it’s best to mix it with a mild shampoo before using it as a treatment.
- Use an eye dropper to put 2-4 drops of tea tree oil in a small bowl.
- Add 2-4 drops of lavender oil.
- Add 96-98 drops of a mild shampoo. (If you want to eyeball it, add enough shampoo to make a small pool about the size of a quarter.)
- Add a few drops of olive or coconut oil, as this will help suffocate the lice.[14]
- Stir the mixture together until blended thoroughly.
- Work the shampoo mixture into the hair. Pay extra attention to the scalp area, as that is where most of the nits and lice will be. Cover the hair with a shower cap or swimming cap. Leave the treatment in for 30 minutes.
- If your child experiences itching or burning during the treatment, this may be a sign of an allergic reaction.[15] Rinse their hair immediately with warm water and re-wash the hair with a very mild shampoo. Towel-dry the hair and then allow it to air dry. Repeat the wash if your child still has an itchy or red scalp.
- Work the shampoo into a lather and rinse. Thoroughly lather the hair and work through it with your fingers to make sure you eliminate as many lice as possible. Rinse completely with warm water.
- Apply conditioner to the hair. Because it is very thick, conditioner can help suffocate any lice that were not killed by the tea tree oil. It will also help you run the lice comb through the hair. Do not rinse out the conditioner.
- Use a lice comb to comb through the hair. Start at the scalp, because this is where lice nits are laid and hatch. If the person being treated has long hair, divide it into sections and comb through one section at a time.
- Take your time with this step! If you don’t catch even a few nits, they could hatch within a few days and start the whole infestation over again.
- Repeat Steps 3-7 daily for 7 days. This may seem like overkill, but it is highly effective. Because lice nits take about a week to hatch and mature into adult lice, maintaining the treatment for a full week helps ensure you kill any stragglers.
- Use a shampoo containing tea tree oil regularly. Add a few drops of tea tree oil to your shampoo using the same ratio as for the treatment, or purchase a shampoo that already contains tea tree oil. Using this shampoo once a week may help prevent a reinfestation.
EditTips
- If your child has head lice, make sure to tell your child’s school or daycare so that they can alert other parents. Young children spread head lice very easily, and widespread preventive action can keep head lice infestations from reappearing.[16]
- Head lice can only live on human heads; they are not spread by pets.
- Keep your children away from “head-to-head” contact as much as possible (no headbutting, no sharing pillows at sleepovers, etc.). Encourage them not to share clothing, hats, barrettes, or other items with others. This will help reduce your child’s risk of picking up lice from a friend.[17]
EditWarnings
- Tea tree oil is toxic when ingested by mouth. Do not apply tea tree oil near your mouth, and do not ingest it orally.
- Tea tree oil has not been tested for safety in pregnant or breastfeeding women and is not recommended for use by these women.
- Some people may have an allergic reaction to tea tree oil. If you experience redness, irritation, or itching, stop using the tea tree oil treatment.
- Tea tree oil may cause hormonal side effects in pre-pubescent males, including abnormal breast growth (gynecomastia). While no direct link between tea tree oil and this condition has been established, it is not recommended that you use tea tree oil on young males.[18]
EditThings You'll Need
- Tea Tree Oil
- Lice comb
- Magnifying glass
- Mild shampoo and conditioner
EditRelated wikiHows
EditSources and Citations
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