How to use tea tree oil to prevent head lice

How to use tea tree oil for head lice?

The people know many other means to help cope with head lice.
Alcohol cannot be applied to hair in its pure form, but there are many recipes based on it. After applying alcoholic infusions, you need to warm your head and wait half an hour. The effect is explained by the antiseptic effect of alcohol, thanks to which it helps to destroy adult parasites, but does not act on nits. Its use is contraindicated in children.

Tar soap

Tar or laundry soap helps fight parasites due to its antiseptic effect and specific smell. They just need to lather their heads and hold them under polyethylene for 2-3 hours. Then the product is washed off and the hair is combed out.

Vinegar helps fight both lice and nits. But it can provoke a burn, so it must be diluted. Apple cider vinegar is diluted with water in a 1: 1 ratio, table vinegar 9% - in a 1: 2 ratio.

Attention! Acetic products are generally recommended to be applied only to the hair, avoiding the scalp.

Then you need to put on a special hat and warm your head with a scarf or towel. After half an hour, the head needs to be washed and combed out.

Cranberry

Cranberry juice helps fight nits, which many other remedies do not work on. It eats away at the shell of the egg and destroys the embryo of the parasite. You need to apply the product within 10-15 days. During this time, adults die by natural death, and new clutches of nits will be destroyed.

The recipe uses natural honey. A few handfuls of cranberries must be passed through a blender or juicer, strain and remove the cake. A couple of tablespoons of honey dissolves in the resulting juice. The composition can be used for a night mask under polyethylene.

One of the best folk remedies for head lice is tea tree oil. Inexpensive, affordable, and easy to use, it can help eliminate unpleasant disease. But it is important to use it correctly, taking into account all the precautions.

Watch an interesting video that tells about alternative folk remedies for the treatment of head lice.

Using tea tree oil against lice should be strictly according to the instructions, otherwise there will be no effect.

How to apply the product:

• Take a small amount of tea tree essential oil, or mix it with other products.
• It is applied to the scalp and gently rubbed in. You may feel a slight burning sensation and feel like the skin is burning. This is normal, because the skin reacts to the active components of the oil. Unpleasant sensations disappear on average after 5-10 minutes.
• Next, you need to cover your head with cling film or a shower cap and wrap it with a towel.
• You will have to stay in this form all night, and in the morning thoroughly wash your hair with any shampoo.
• Carefully comb out lice and nits with a special comb.
• The procedure is repeated 3 times with an interval of 2-3 days.

To enhance the effect of the oil, you can mix it with alcohol, vodka or vinegar, then the likelihood of the death of parasites increases.

You will also need to do the processing of bed linen and things. To do this, clothes are soaked in water and a few drops of tea tree oil are added.Leave for a few hours, and then wash in the washing machine at maximum temperature. Then iron it with an iron.

The secret in the composition

So, for example, the influence of nerolidol (main component mirocarpus oils) for a parasitic disease - schistosomiasis... A single dose of nerolidol (100, 200 or 400 mg / kg) orally to mice infected with schistosomes resulted in a decrease in the number of worms and their eggs. The 400 mg dose led to a 70% decrease in the number of parasites, which will allow it to be used in the future as a replacement for traditional remedies (Silva MP, de Oliveira RN, Mengarda AC, Universidade Guarulhos, Brazil, 2017).

Carvacrol and its isomer thymol are components of oregano and thyme essential oils. Researchers from Argentina assessed its impact on echinococcus (helminths causing organ disease) Echinococcus granulosus. In a laboratory study, samples were treated with carvacrol at concentrations of 1, 5, and 10 mg / ml. It was found that in the highest concentration, the substance is capable of completely destroying cysts formed by parasites. The same results were obtained in a clinical study in mice. Carvacrol concentration of 40 mg / kg helped to destroy the cyst in 20 days, which is comparable to standard drugs (Fabbri J, Maggiore MA, Pensel PE, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Argentina, 2016).

1What esters to choose

Tea tree essential oil is effective against parasites. Lice are also said to be afraid of cinnamon and citronella oils. The same remedies are effective against nits.

2Tea tree

Tea tree essential oil is obtained from a plant called Melaleuca. The smell of the drug is similar to camphor, which can cause some inconvenience during use. This is a universal product. Ether is valued for its antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral agents. It is effective against many parasites.

The essential oil contains substances called lipophilic terpineols. They penetrate the cell membrane of parasites, exerting a depressing effect on them from the inside.

The main country producing tea tree essential oil is Australia. Probably, the mention of this country - the manufacturer will be on the label. Otherwise, think about the quality of the drug and its originality.

3Cinnamon

Essential little cinnamon differs by country of origin, the more valuable is the product obtained in Sri Lanka, less - in Madagascar, Seychelles. The ether is obtained from different parts of the plant: bark or leaves.

The liquid obtained from the leaves is 80% eugenol, an effective antiseptic and flavoring agent, while the bark product is based on cinnamaldehyde. The latter, together with perfumery properties, demonstrates the properties of a fungicide, in other words, a poison for parasites. It is slightly toxic, but quite effective.

If the goal is lice, or rather, getting rid of them and from nits, ether from the bark in combination with other oils is more suitable.

4Citronella

Citronella essential oil is obtained from the stems and leaves of the Citronella plant, two of its subspecies. At the place of receipt, two groups are distinguished: Ceylon and Javanese.

We suggest that you familiarize yourself with How to detect lice and nits

They differ in chemical composition, but both are believed to have non-toxic biopesticide properties. It is usually used in combination with other products against lice and nits.

Isn't it all that scary?

American scientists have found that part of human parasites, striving to create an acceptable habitat for themselves, have a positive effect on tissues: currently, in America, ulcerative colitis is not treated with an operation, but by inserting a whipworm into the intestines - a small helminth, which with its enzymes relieves inflammation of the intestinal wall.

Let this research continue successfully, but a person cannot be a passive repository of parasites that deprive him of health and life.

If helminths are detected, appropriate measures must be taken immediately, then the treatment will go like clockwork.

Features of use

As an anti-pediculosis agent, oily extract of maleuca (another name for tea tree) is used only in folk medicine.

Melaleuca extract does not have pronounced insecticidal properties. Its components inhibit the activity of lice. With advanced forms of head lice, the remedy does not work. Nits do not react to essential liquid.

The product removes a small amount of ectoparasites and is suitable for prophylaxis.

The tea tree is a related plant to eucalyptus. It has antiseptic properties. The extracts contain substances that suppress the vital activity of pathogens, including ectoparasites. The smell has a beneficial effect on the human nervous system.

Essential liquids are safe for humans and harmful to insects. But this is not all of her merits.

Pros of using tea tree oil for lice:

1. There is no aggressive effect on the body.
2. Ectoparasites do not develop addiction to the etheric substance.
3. Rarely causes side effects.
4. "Medicine" is cheap and affordable.

Contraindications

Melaleuca oil, like all medicines, has contraindications. There are a number of reasons that prevent the use of the product.

1. Intolerance to the components of the essential liquid.
2. A neglected form of head lice: the skin is covered with numerous scratching wounds, some of them have purulent crusts.
3. Dermatological (hyperkeratosis), fungal (trichophytosis, microsporia), autoimmune (scleroderma, psoriasis) diseases of the scalp.
4. Do not use the product for women who are expecting a baby or breastfeeding.
5. Breast age.

Before treatment, you should drop a little of the product on the elbow and see the reaction. If the skin is reddened, the treated area itches and burns, it is better to stop using oil.

Ectoparasites have no eyes. The sense of smell helps them to navigate in space, find food, an individual for reproduction. The insect has short, very sensitive antennae on its stigma.

Tea tree oil repels lice with its distinctive rich scent. The smell disorients the insect, it cannot find food. A hungry female produces fewer offspring. The individual produces little chitinous substance, the nits are not securely fixed to the skin. They are removed with normal hair brushing.

Tea tree extract is able to repel lice, nits do not react to smell.

Head lice more often occurs in children. The child spends most of his time among his peers, whose parents do not always properly monitor the health of their child. It is difficult to completely protect a child from being affected by parasites.

Using tea tree oil against head lice can help reduce the risk of head lice. The child's body is weaker, the product should be used carefully.

1. The essential liquid should only be used with the permission of the pediatrician.
2. Before the procedure, the reaction of the child's body to the "medicine" is checked.
3. When treating children under 10 years old, it is better to refuse to use an alcohol solution.
4. If a child complains of an intensifying burning sensation, do not force him to endure - the product is washed off.

Any drug used incorrectly will not bring the desired result. The use of ethers has its own rules.

Essential oils have a viscous consistency and when applied to the skin create a sticky film. A louse caught in oil captivity simply suffocates. If the agent is mixed with acids, the drug will be detrimental to nits, since the acids corrode their shell. The aroma of essential oils also acts on parasites.

Many plants contain mild poisons that are safe for humans, but dangerous for nits and lice. Lice die from this. These properties are transferred to the esters obtained from these plants.

7How to use

It is important to understand that after the first application, the essential oil may not produce the desired effect. The procedure for treating the head will have to be repeated several times with an interval of two days.The most effective way to use essential oils against nits and lice is to simply rub the esters diluted in base oil into the scalp.

After the product is evenly distributed over the scalp, the hair is wrapped with cling film, insulated with a towel, and left overnight. In the morning, rinse your head well with shampoo and comb the hair several times with a frequent comb to cleanse it of dead lice and nits. Usually 3-4 procedures are required to solve the problem completely.

Lice killer recipes don't require a lot of ingredients or preparation time.

Folk remedies for worms: pumpkin seeds

The most popular recipe is probably pumpkin seeds. During the day, you need to eat a hundred seeds, dividing them into four, equal in quantity, portions. Moreover, the seeds should be eaten with the peel, since it is in it that the substance that is destructive to worms is contained - cucurbitin.

After an hour after taking the seeds, you need to take castor oil. The oil will have a laxative effect, thereby cleansing the intestines from worms will be more effective. The course of taking pumpkin seeds and castor oil should be at least 3-4 days.

You can also mix pumpkin seeds with lingonberry juice. Mix 300 grams of seeds with 60 ml of lingonberry juice, mix. This remedy must be consumed in small portions on an empty stomach.

How the drug works

Melaleuca leaves pomace contains more than a hundred terpenes. The substances have antibacterial properties. They penetrate into the cells of microorganisms and have a toxic effect on them.

Lice are covered with a chitinous shell. This component is very durable, insoluble in water, reliably protects the insect from external irritants. But the ectoparasite has a soft mouth sucking apparatus. Through it, the tea tree extract enters the individual's body. The concentration of terpenes is insufficient to completely damage the neurons of the parasite. Substances inhibit the activity of lice - females lay fewer eggs.

The life span of an ectoparasite is 38 days. With daily use of oil in females, reproductive function decreases, the offspring is sharply reduced. Young individuals become smaller, and then they completely disappear.

Lavender

Lice Lavender Oil is another prophylactic against head lice. It has antiseptic, analgesic and sedative properties. Many insects are afraid of the lavender scent, and lice are no exception. A rather pungent smell weakens activity, slows down the development and reproduction of lice.

However, it is unlikely that it will be possible to achieve complete destruction of lice with this mixture alone. But its combination with eucalyptus, rosemary or tea tree oil will help not only heal wounds and get rid of dandruff, but also destroy lice. In addition, this herbal combination will help protect against midge bites and even mosquitoes.

Rosemary and lavender

A pediculicide can also be made with alcohol. It is enough to mix it with lavender ether and distilled water in a ratio of 5: 3: 5. The resulting cocktail is rubbed with a cotton swab into dry hair. The head is wrapped in a plastic bag, and on top with a towel. After 20 minutes, the hair is washed with water and combed with a comb. To get rid of lice completely, this procedure should be repeated at least 4 times.

Tea tree oil recipes

In folk medicine, an essential liquid for the treatment of head lice is used in combination with other substances. The most common way is by adding oil to shampoo or mixing with alcohol tinctures.

Recipes for ectoparasitic disease:

1. To make an alcohol solution, take 25 g of warm water, 25 g of medical alcohol 95%, 20 drops of oil and mix. Ethyl alcohol can be replaced with formic alcohol, only the amount needs to be increased to 40 g. The resulting solution is applied to damp hair along the entire length and skin at the roots. Hold for 10 minutes and wash off. The nits are combed out with a wooden comb. The procedure is done daily, until the ectoparasites are completely eliminated.
2. Applying apple cider vinegar is also effective against head lice. It leaves hair soft and smooth for better nits removal. To prepare the recipe, take 50 g of vinegar, the same amount of vegetable oil and 7 drops of tea tree oil and mix. The mixture is used to treat curls and scalp. They put on a shower cap or plastic bag, and wrap a towel around their head. An hour later, the hair is washed with shampoo. Dead individuals and larvae are removed with a comb.

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The effect of helminthic invasion on human health

Live helminths have adapted in all tissues and organs, causing bone fractures, epilepsy, intestinal obstruction, cirrhosis of the liver, vitamin deficiency and anemia. People who carry the parasites can suffer from malnutrition, not receiving nutrients from the intestines, or, conversely, increase body weight due to metabolic disorders.

An example can be a recorded fact from the life of the best opera singer of the 20th century. Maria Callas, who suffered from obesity since childhood, and in the prime of stage fame weighed 104 kg, which gave rise to ridicule in the newspapers - a lyrical heroine with a gentle voice and a centner weight.

After a course of expelling the helminth, she managed to gain harmony in 18 months, having lost 50 kg. Her skin has cleared and her character has become softer, and this is not a coincidence.

Signs of helminth infection:

• fatigue syndrome
• irritability,
• immunodeficiency,
• inflammatory and ulcerative processes of the digestive tube from the oral cavity to the anus,
• flatulence,
• bulimia (indomitable feeling of hunger),
• asthma,
• food allergies,
• arthritis.

The life span of worms is from several weeks in pinworms, one and a half years in ascaris to as much as 40 years in clonorchus (hepatic fluke). So do not count on a quick parting with them without treatment.

Prevention of head lice in adults

For adults, use a blend of bergamot, lavender, geranium, and eucalyptus esters. If any of the essential oils are missing, cook without them. True, together the funds are more effective.

Do not use pure ethers. Add them to the fatty base oil (up to 5%). This mixture does not have to be kept on the head all night, several hours are enough. Several procedures are carried out every two days.

To make an essential oil shampoo, you need a liquid soap base. Tea tree ether is added to it (about 30 drops). Lice die from such a remedy, and it also has a deadly effect on nits. The composition must be used at least 3 times a week.

In addition, lice in adults are eliminated with a tea tree oil solution. It is rubbed in daily. Prepare a remedy from 30 drops of melaleuca and 50 ml of ethyl alcohol, as well as 50 ml of distilled water. Rub the solution into your scalp before bed, a mixture of eucalyptus, tea tree and lavender essential oils works great. You need to use it according to the standard scheme.

As a preventive measure, use a regular shampoo with a few drops of tea tree and lavender essential oils.

Nowadays, it is not difficult to prevent head lice. It is important to comply with sanitary and hygienic standards, as well as use pediculicides from the pharmacy in accordance with the instructions. Alternative methods are also suitable for prevention.

1. Nyx cream. Designed for the prevention and treatment of head lice, produced in Germany. It contains a powerful insecticide Permethrin 1%, which affects the nervous system of parasites.It is produced in the form of a bottle with a volume of 59 ml, with a yellowish viscous cream. Treatment of the scalp and hair with this preparation provides two weeks of protection against lice and nits. Among the contraindications are pregnancy and lactation, children under 6 months of age, skin diseases of the head, individual intolerance to the components.

   

2. Shampoo Veda. Suitable for the prevention and treatment of head lice in adults and children over 5 years old. The shampoo also contains the insecticide Permethrin 0.5%, which has a destructive effect on parasitic insects. The product is a blue emulsion placed in a 100 ml bottle. Contraindications: tendency to allergies, children under 5 years of age, pregnancy and lactation, the presence of damaged areas on the scalp.

   

3. Spray Pax. It is used to treat pubic lice, can be used as a prophylaxis. The spray contains 25% pyrethrum extract and piperonyl butoxide, which are neurotoxic insect poison. In the instructions of the product, special instructions are given: to carry out the treatment simultaneously with both sexual partners, avoid contact with the mucous membranes, apply with caution to pregnant and lactating women.

   

4. Benzyl benzoate. The product is available in two forms: ointment and emulsion. The composition contains medical benzyl benzoate 20% or 10%. Compared with other remedies for head lice, this drug is inferior to them in terms of exposure time during treatment (3-6 hours). For prevention, benzyl benzoate is an excellent remedy. The emulsion is in the form of a liquid cream in bottles with a volume of 50, 100 and 200 ml. The ointment is sold in tubes of 25 and 30 g. Using the drug, it is important to carefully read the instructions. Contraindications: pregnancy, lactation, children under 3 years of age, people with skin diseases, damage to the dermis.

   

5. Sulfuric ointment. There are no toxic substances in the composition of the product, only an emulsion of consistent water, precipitated sulfur and petroleum jelly. The ointment is easy to use and effective in preventing disease, which cannot be said for treating lice. The drug should not be used for allergy sufferers, as well as for pregnant and lactating women.

   

Traditional methods

1. Tar soap. Contains 10% birch tar, which provides anti-inflammatory and disinfecting effects. In addition to excellent prophylaxis against head lice, it gives hair softness and silkiness. Birch tar in synthesis with sodium salts of acids, palm oil, coconut sodium chloride and water effectively defeats bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites. The prophylaxis course lasts only a week. Not recommended for people with sensitive and dry skin, as well as for expectant mothers.

   

2. Chemerichnaya water. It is a solution of water and alcohol tincture of hellebore (1: 1). The tool is inexpensive, but has a good antiparasitic effect. Sold in pharmacies, in bottles of 40 and 100 ml. The stem and root of hellebore contains alkaloids that infect all kinds of fungi and parasites. For prevention, you can treat the head with a solution for two days in a row, and then repeat it after a week. When using hellebore water, it is important to be careful: avoid contact with eyes and mucous membranes, consult a doctor if the product is accidentally swallowed. Not recommended for children under 3 years of age, pregnant and lactating mothers, patients with dermal diseases and wounds on the skin, as well as those who are sensitive to the components of the drug.

   

3. Essential oils. For the prevention of lice infestation, oils of bergamot, lavender, mint, tea tree, anise, eucalyptus, geranium are well suited. In order to accurately prevent head lice, you can add ethyl alcohol to the oils. Prevention with essential oils goes like this: a little oil is rubbed into the scalp (it can be combined with alcohol and water, in combination 1: 2: 2), then the hair is covered with a film or cellophane, then wrapped in a towel.In this form, you can spend several hours, or better - a whole night. In the morning, the oils are washed off with any shampoo. The procedure should be repeated 3 times a week. In addition to disinfecting properties, plant esters will improve the quality of hair.

   

4. Herbal infusions.

   

You can prepare an infusion of burdock. This requires:

• take 3 tablespoons of dried or fresh raw materials, pour it with a liter of water;
• cook the composition for 10 minutes, strain;
• Wash your hair with cooled infusion for a week (after rinsing, wrap it in cellophane for 15 minutes, then rinse with water).

  

Infusion of larkspur:

• a tablespoon of herbs or seeds, pour 200 ml of boiling water. Add 5 g of citric acid;
• leave the broth to infuse for 6 hours, after a while - strain through cheesecloth;
• rub the infusion into the head and distribute through the hair. Keep it on for 15 minutes, then wash off with shampoo.

  

Wormwood infusion:

• pour a tablespoon of wormwood with boiling water and bring in a water bath until tender within 15 minutes;
• Apply the cooled broth to the scalp and hair, leave for 30 minutes.
• wash off the infusion from the head with any shampoo.

  

Ointments

1. Sulfuric ointment for demodicosis of the eyelids is used for advanced cases and with extreme caution. A thin layer of ointment should be applied to the cleansed eyelids using a cotton swab, avoiding contact with the mucous membrane. Otherwise, eye burns are likely.
2. Demalan - effectively expels tick colonies and fights not only with adults but also with Demodex eggs. An allergic reaction is possible in the form of reddening of the epithelium.
3. Demazol is an antimicrobial anti-inflammatory agent that prevents the growth of pathogenic bacteria and reduces the uncomfortable sensations of itching and burning on the eyelids.
4. Benzyl benzoate is an ointment successfully used in the treatment of ciliated mites against the background of a secondary bacterial disease.
5. Ichthyol ointment with demodicosis of the eyelids quickly reduces pain symptoms, while simultaneously destroying ticks and creating an unfavorable background for their reproduction.

Precautions

Essential oil is safe if used with care. The components that make up melaleuca extract are toxic. When using the product, take the following precautions:

1. The essential substance has a shelf life, after which its use can cause health problems.
2. It is forbidden to take the drug inside - there is a high probability of food poisoning, and in large doses - blood intoxication.
3. Treat the affected skin and hair carefully, trying not to get on the mucous membranes and eyes. If the product does get in, you should quickly wash it off with warm running water and soap.
4. When using tea tree oil for lice for prophylaxis, make sure that there is no allergy. In case of hyperemia or itching, you need to stop using the product.

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With these simple rules, the use of the extract is safe.

Tea tree oil has practically no contraindications. It is not recommended for the treatment of pregnant women and nursing babies. Individual intolerance to the product is possible. In this case, it can provoke an allergic reaction.

Important! In the absence of contraindications, ether does not provoke side effects. Only a slight burning sensation is possible at first after application.

To get only benefit from using the product, you need to consider the following precautions:

• The oil has a shelf life. After its expiration, it should never be used.
• It is forbidden to use the product inside. It can provoke poisoning, and in some cases, blood intoxication.
• The scalp and hair must be handled carefully, avoiding contact with the eyes and mucous membranes. If it does get there, it is necessary to wash it off as quickly as possible with soap and warm water.
• When using oil for treatment and prevention, monitor the reaction of the body.If skin redness or itching occurs, you must complete the course.
• Subject to simple recommendations, the use of oil will be completely safe.

Efficiency

When using oils, the following therapeutic effects are found:

• Drying of the skin and reducing the formation of fat, as a result of which mites lose their nutrient medium on the skin.
• Changing the pH of the epidermis, creating such conditions for parasites in which they cannot survive.
• Providing a strong antiseptic effect, preventing the development of secondary infectious processes.
• The toxic effect on the tick itself, penetration through its cell membranes and poisoning of the parasite's body, as a result of which it dies.

12Reviews

Tatiana 1982: “I bought oil and added a few drops to all shampoos (just in case): adults and children. Loosely. The smell is not for everybody, but we all washed our hair with these shampoos. In general, lice die from the smell of this oil and will not sit on hair that smells of it. We didn't actually get infected then.

Topolina: “When the children brought lice home, I simply rubbed this oil into everyone's scalp. The hair smelled nice, was a little greasy, but it is a more harmless product than various chemical sprays. Now this oil takes pride of place in the medicine cabinet and I regret that I did not start my acquaintance with it a little earlier. "

Contraindications

Oils have a serious effect on the body, so they must be used carefully. There are a number of people for whom the use of oils is categorically contraindicated:

- Suffering from diabetes mellitus - Possessing an ulcer or gastritis. - In the presence of an allergic reaction to the product - In the presence of a cancerous tumor - During illness (acute respiratory infections, flu, colds)

It should be borne in mind that each oil has individual contraindications. For example, castor oil should not be taken for thyroid problems. Therefore, before using the product, be sure to check whether it will be safe for you to use this particular oil.

Can a child use

Tea tree oil is an effective remedy for the prevention of head lice. This is due to its specific odor, which repels insects and prevents them from getting on the head and hair.

The product can be used for children, but it should be done carefully.... You must first consult with your doctor and make sure that there is no negative reaction from the child's body.

If the child is under ten years old, it is not recommended to use an alcohol solution. If the baby complains of a strong burning sensation, you need to wash off the product.