Oregano Oil Is An Effective Head Lice Treatment

Head lice are tiny, wingless parasitic insects that thrive on the head, feeding on small amounts of blood drawn from the scalp. They multiply fast by laying their eggs (nits) on the hair.

These lice and nits cause the scalp to be itchy but they do not carry or transmit disease. They are very contagious and constant scratching of the scalp may lead to skin irritation, inflammation and infection.  Being infected with head lice is very easy because these insects can easily transfer from head to head. They usually grow on the heads of small children from 3 to 12 years old, and their families.

Between three to eight eggs are laid by the female louse each day, within one centimeter of the scalp. These eggs sticks strongly and cannot be easily brushed off. After 8 days, the eggs will hatch and will begin to feed on your blood through your scalp. They can only survive for two days with it. Their life span is about 32 to 35 days. Contrary to popular belief, it is not really a sign of bad hair management, because head lice like to live in clean hair.

You can get head lice if you use combs, towels and hair brushes infected with head lice, by lying on an infested pillow, bed, couch or carpet, and by wearing infested hats, clothes, ribbons, coats and uniforms. You will know if you are infected with head lice if you feel a constant tickling sensation in your hair. Additionally, there will also be persistent itching which is hard to control. Consequently, you will be forced to scratch your scalp.

In order to prevent the spread of head lice in the family, it must be treated quickly. The usual medications recommended by skin doctors are chemical shampoos designed to kill the head lice and the use of special combs to weed them out. If the head lice are not killed within 20 minutes of the application of the shampoo, then it means the lice are resistant to it. It has been found these kinds of treatment are not 100% effective. Some have resorted to repeated applications of the shampoo. But these special formulations contain harsh chemicals that may be toxic, and can cause mood alterations.

Because of the chemicals they contain, these head lice treatments may not be suitable for pregnant women, nursing mothers, people who have open wounds on the scalps, those who have sensitive skin and babies less than 12 months old.

Oregano Oil – A Better Alternative
In view of the negative side effects of chemical shampoos, it is wiser to use treatments using natural compounds without chemicals or pesticides. There is in fact a very effective organic substance that can be used to control head lice. This is oregano oil, a natural substance derived from the wild oregano plant, Origanum vulgare.

This plant contains high concentrations of phytochemicals, phenols and flavonoids that can kill many types of parasites, including head lice. In fact, this essential oil not only kills parasites, but bacteria, fungi and viruses as well. Its two main active ingredients, carvacrol and thymol act synergistically with all the other phytochemicals to kill these pathogens. The antimicrobial capacity of this oil has already been confirmed by scientists and researchers around the world, through the many studies and experiments they have conducted.

Using Oregano Oil for Killing Head Lice
It is really very easy to control head lice with the use of oregano oil. The following method will completely eliminate them.

• Use special oregano oil shampoo treatment. Just mix one full dropper of oregano oil to your regular shampoo. This is about 30 drops to 15 ml or 1 tablespoon of shampoo. Soak your hair and scalp with warm water and then apply this special shampoo. Allow it in your hair for about 5 minutes before rinsing it thoroughly.
• In a bowl of hot water, add 60 to 90 drops of oregano oil. Use this mixture to wash your infested clothes, pillow covers and bed sheets.
• In 2 liters of hot water, add 5 drops of oil of oregano and soak your infested combs, hair brushes and hair accessories.

How to Avoid Getting Head Lice
Head lice have been around for as long as we can remember and anyone can get them so it is important for us to be do things to prevent it from infecting us. Here are some tips on how to do this:

• Check your hair every week for lice, especially if it is long.
• Tie long hair back.
• Use special oregano oil shampoo at the first sign of infestation.