Get Rid of Head Lice Quickly

Lice are insects that parasitize humans. Many mammals have lice but they are not found on humans and vice versa. There are 3 types of human lice: head lice, which live in the hair and are common among school children. Another species, popularly known as « crabs, » lives on pubic hair and is sexually transmitted. A third type lives on the bodies of hairy people and is called « body lice ».

Lice hatch from eggs called nits. These are whitish, almost transparent, and hang from the hairline. They hatch after a week and become nymphs that grow for another 3 weeks. The louse is then an adult and lays between 8 and 10 eggs a day for 3 weeks before dying. Lice feed on blood and bite twice a day.

Fast head lice removal and treatment

It’s important to get rid of lice quickly, including your children. Given their rate of multiplication, the infected person will quickly become infested and spread the disease to his or her family and school environment. In primitive societies, delousing was a social ritual. Then came the days of violent insecticides such as DDT, malathion and lindane, which are now banned even in agriculture. Today, the trend is toward insecticides based on natural products extracted from pyrethrum, which are not entirely harmless.

1- Soursop Uses in Traditional Medicine

This excellent study from the University of Mexico lists the traditional uses of soursop around the world. Soursop is used as an antiparasitic in India, the leaves are used against lice in Malaysia, and as an insecticide in Thailand.

Professors Neela Badrie and Alexander G. Schauss have studied the composition, nutritional value, medicinal uses, and toxicology of soursop. They report from ethnobotanist Taylor that in Jamaica, Haiti, and the French West Indies, the fruit and fruit juice are used to treat fever, parasites, and diarrhea, and to stimulate lactation. The bark and leaves are used as an antispasmodic, sedative, for coughs, influenza, difficult childbirth, asthma, asthenia, hypertension, and parasites.

2- Soursop Recipe

« Take whole soursop leaves and grind them. Apply the ground leaves on your head and hair. Leave on for a few minutes. Rinse with clean water. Repeat this process once or twice a day until the lice are gone ».

Translator’s note: Whatever the treatment, it should be continued for at least a week until all the eggs have hatched.

3- Scientific Research in Thailand

The cinnamon apple, Annona Squamosa, is closely related to the soursop, Annona Muricata. To confirm traditional knowledge, the Faculty of Pharmacy in Bangkok, Thailand, published two studies on the use of its seeds against lice:

4- The first study is a test on infected schoolgirls:

Various parts of the cinnamon apple have long been used in Thai folk medicine. Extracts of cinnamon apple leaves or seeds have been reported to be effective against lice. The present study focused on the efficacy and stability of a seed extract presented as an ointment. A petroleum ether extract of the seeds was prepared and incorporated into a cream at 20% and then tested as an anti-lice agent on school girls. After 3 hours exposure to 20 g of freshly prepared cream, about 95% of the lice were killed. This mortality rate is higher than that of the usual anti-lice cream. Another test was done with samples of the same cream stored in a refrigerator for 12 months and other samples. The results were similar to the freshly prepared cream. This cream is not irritating to the skin of the neck and scalp, unlike the usual benzyl benzoate-based cream.

These results show that the petroleum ether extract of cinnamon apple seeds supplied in cream form is stable for at least 12 months. As such, it can be used as an alternative therapy against head lice.

5- The second study focuses on the molecules in cinnamon apple that are lethal to lice:

The present study focuses on the search for lice-killing active compounds obtained by hexane extraction from the seeds of the cinnamon apple, Annona Squamosa. Chromatographic and spectroscopic techniques revealed the presence of oleic acid and a tri-glyceride containing an oleate ester. Each of these substances was tested in vitro on lice, as was the complete extract. The lice were killed after 49, 11 and 30 minutes. This indicates that the tri-glyceride containing an oleate ester is the most effective. The results of this study are useful for improving the quality of anti-lice preparations derived from this plant.

To Conclure

In this article, you’ve seen how important it is to get rid of lice, the insects that parasitize humans. Your health is very important to us, so please follow all instructions.