Head Lice Treatment That's Safe

Natural Ways to Kill the Louse and Nit

Sep 9, 2009 Karen Stephenson

School's back in and before long head lice will make its return. Chemical lice treatment options can seriously harm a child's health, but there is a natural way.

The mere thought of head lice makes parents scratch their head. When a child comes home with a note from the school announcing that nits and lice were discovered, the fear of applying toxic chemicals to a child's head becomes real. There are two types of pesticides used in most of today's head lice products, lindane and pyrethrins. According to a study that appears at BMC Infectious Diseases, there are reports of increasing resistance to commonly used treatments.

Possible Dangers of Using Toxic Remedies

Lindane is absorbed through the skin and makes its way into the blood stream. Once in the blood stream, it can be carried throughout the body to tissues and organs. According to the Pesticide Action Network North America (PANNA), this neurotoxin can cause seizures, damage the nervous system and weaken the immune system. Exposure to this can cause cancer and disrupt the hormone systems.

The Environmental Protection Agency banned this pesticide in 2007 yet the Food and Drug Administration continues to allow this in children's products.

Natural Treatments

Head lice, like most insects hate the smell of neem oil. Even the slightest hint of neem keeps head lice away. If a child has an infestation of head lice, this is the only time undiluted neem oil is recommended. It may be messy and the smell may be unbearable for some, but it isn't a chemical pesticide that can harm a child.

Discover Neem, an Australian web site, states that Egyptian researchers published results in 2007 about neem oil that were very positive. Children who were heavily infested with head lice were treated with neem shampoo that contained neem oil or neem seed extract at high concentrations. When the children washed their hair with 20 to 30 ml of neem shampoo, and left it on for ten minutes, the neem shampoo was effective in eliminating against all stages of head lice.

Removing nits (eggs) by hand with a special comb must still be done, and in the case of not getting them all and they hatch, re-apply the neem shampoo with neem oil or extract. It's important to remember that some neem shampoos contain neem leaf or bark extracts. It's not these products that are effective in eliminating lice.

According to Discover Neem, this Egyptian study followed a 2006 Australian laboratory experiment on head lice. The results were identical. Neem shampoo is highly effective than conventional head lice treatments that contain toxic pesticides.

What is Neem?

Neem is a tree that is native to India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Pakistan and has unique properties. In India, this tree is also known as the “Divine Tree”, “Heal All”, “Nature's Drugstore” and “Panacea for all diseases”. Products made from neem have medicinal properties that are antibacterial, antifungal, antidiabetic, antiviral, and more. It's considered a major component in Ayurvedic medicine.

Neem products are available at many health stores across Canada and the United States.

Pesticides in head lice shampoo are not pleasant and the fear of a child getting ill is real when using one of these products, especially if subsequent applications are required. Parents no longer have to worry about applying toxic chemicals to their child's head. Using neem is a safe way to combat these annoying pests and does not risk the health of a child. It is truly the natural way!

Disclaimer: Please note that this article is for informational purposes only and before trying the remedy described in this article, or any other natural remedy, contact a physician or naturalpathic doctor.

Resources:

Natural News.com Article # 021745

"BMC Infectious Diseases 2008: A highly efficacious pediculicide based on dimeticone: Randomized observer blinded comparative trial." Heukelbach, Jorg et al. Sept. 10, 2008.

The copyright of the article Head Lice Treatment That's Safe in Parenting Resources is owned by Karen Stephenson. Permission to republish Head Lice Treatment That's Safe in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Picture of Lice