Can anyone tell me of alternative treatments for head lice? I am a school nurse and we have a problem at our school. Are there any natural ways to prevent it? I heard of a weed or root that someone from Argentina told me about but can't remember the name maybe sour something or other.

These are all suggestions to treat it. You can try 1/2 tsp each of eucalyptus, pennyroyal and rosemary oils to 2 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil. If it burns skin, add more olive oil. First you wash their hair, comb the oil thru with a regular comb and then using fine toothed comb, comb out the lice and nits. Then cover the head and leave on overnight and wash in the morning. Tea tree oil is also supposed to be effective. 25 drops of oil to one pint of water. Rub into scalp and comb thru. Can be used several times a day. There are also ready to use kits at health food stores that may be easier to recommend. I can't think of any brand names in particular. As far as the weed or root, are you thinking of Balsam of Peru? That can be applied straight or diluted with oil and then the hair combed thru. If its any consolation we are fighting them at our school too. I don't think there is much we can do to prevent it other than teach them not to share combs, hats etc. and check them regularly.

[This message has been edited by dessie (edited 25 October 1999).]

Thanks. I have heard of most of those remedies. The root or bark I was thinking of was not what you said. This one is mixed with alcohol and sprayed on the hair line. I will talk to the missionary mother I heard this from and let you know. I'm not even sure we can get it in the states.

In UK all we are doing now is to wash hair, put conditioner on and then comb out. This will stop the live lice from clinging to the hair and they can be removed. Repeat every 2 days so that when the eggs hatch and the lice appear you are removing them. You can try rinsing the hair with diluted lavender oli as this is supposed to be a preventative.

You can also by Nit Nurse from Helios or Ainsworth which is a mixture of various aromatherapy oils.

I always recommend parents in my son's school put 20 or so drops tea tree oil in the shampoo they use daily starting in the fall when kids go back to school. It's great as a preventative.

Note: Pennyroyal and lavender oils should be avoided by pregnant women.

[This message has been edited by Etain (edited 30 October 1999).]

That's a great idea!

There is a remedy called Pediculus and is amde from the louse. Internal every 3 days one dose dry on the tongue of the 30c for 9 days total, plus an extra on the 10th day. No more lice during the season.

My missionary friend told me of "cuasia"
or the english translation "bitter stick".
Have you ever heard of it? Can we get it here? She says the mothers in Argentina get it at the pharmacy and it looks like mulch.
They fill an empty hairspray bottle half full with the cuasia and fill with alcohol, let set overnight before first use and spray on the hair line. Her kids never got head lice again! She says it stinks like crazy but it definately works. I hope to find a place to get this.

Here's a rather odd remedy, but I hear it works, a person I know could'nt get rid of them in her 2 school children the whole family slathered their hair in mayonaise and put on shower caps and slept in overnight. killed them dead...I guess it smothers them quite nontoxically!

Good luck

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