An Inexpensive Head Lice Treatment

Having a head lice infestation can be quite embarrassing. Head lice travel from host to host through contact with the hair and head. The sharing of hats and other clothing that touches the hair can also spread the insects. Head lice do not jump or fly but they do crawl. The insects cannot live off of the human head and die if they do not have a host to survive.

Children are infected more than adults, with girls and women having more cases than boys or men. This is due to the fact that most females have longer hair than males. Head lice treatment can be time consuming. A female louse can lay several eggs every day. Just getting rid of the active insects will not get rid of the eggs. It is important to not only kill the active insects but also remove the eggs from the scalp. Any eggs laid will hatch in about two week’s time causing a re-infestation if they are not properly removed.

A relatively inexpensive head lice treatment is using Listerine mouth wash. The original Listerine should be used. It is the one that is yellow in color. The mouth wash should be applied to a face cloth and blotted into the hair and scalp. It should not be directly poured onto the scalp. The lice bite into the scalp to feed on blood and these wounds can be painful if it is poured directly on. A slight tingly sensation might be felt on the scalp but that is normal.

To evenly distribute the mouth wash throughout the hair and scalp, comb the hair with a disposable comb. Using a paper towel, wipe of the comb each time a pass is made through the hair to remove nits from the comb. Put on a disposable shower cap and pull all lose hair up under the cap. Leave the mouth wash in the hair for about two hours. Then thoroughly wash the hair with shampoo and rinse. Head lice treatment should be repeated daily for maximum results up to three weeks for heavy infestations.