Head lice and their eggs (nits) don’t just go away, they need to be treated to ensure the lifecycle has been stopped.
With so many treatment choices on shelf it can be quite confusing to know which one to buy. A thorough treatment would consist of 3-steps; applying the treatment to kill the lice, combing out the eggs and defending against future infestation.
It is also recommended by most brands that a follow up treatment is applied a week later to ensure that any eggs left behind after the initial treatment, that by now may have hatched, are killed.
So when it comes to treatment what works better natural or chemical?
Chemical Treatments
Chemical treatments have been around since the days of kerosene! Traditional pesticides such as permitherin and maldison were one of the best ways to treat head lice. These ingredients both generally work to block the nervous system resulting in death for the lice. However, tests have shown that head lice have built quite a resistance to these treatments.
Furthermore, these treatments may not be suitable for babies under the age of two years. Pregnant women, breastfeeding women and people with irritated or inflamed scalps shouldn’t use these treatments. It’s always best to consult a medical practitioner before using.
While there are still some chemical based treatments that work well, some parents don’t feel comfortable using chemicals on their children when there are natural alternatives available.
Natural Treatments
Head lice are less likely to develop a resistance to natural solutions for the simple fact that their active ingredients come from natural sources creating a formula that is unstable to the parasite and difficult to predict. Natural treatments usually include ingredients such as Eucalyptus oil, Melaleuca oil and Neem oil, which are all natural repellents for head lice. These ingredients work to paralyse the lice and again, result in death.
There have been numerous tests to support natural head lice treatments which do give the traditional chemical based treatments a run for their money, proving very effective results.
Obviously I’m a natural girl and always reach for the natural alternatives where I can. Do you stop to think what type of treatment (chemical or natural) to use on your child for head lice? Or is it a matter of getting the strongest formula out there to get the job done?
