The summer season season requires modern hacks to beat the warmth. Whereas I used to be consuming chilled juices and staying in an air-conditioned room, rain gods stunned everybody with heavy showers. Because it was a vacation, I stepped out and loved the heavy rainfall. It supplied respite from the sweltering warmth, however I additionally ended up with head lice. I made the error of not washing my hair after getting moist within the rain. My mother informed me to make use of clove oil for lice elimination, and it labored for me!

What’s head lice?

Little parasitic bugs known as head lice make the scalp their dwelling and feed on human blood. Although they’ll have an effect on anybody, it’s principally youngsters who’re vulnerable to them, says cosmetologist and pores and skin professional Dr Jatin Mittal. The nits that head lice lay, cling tightly to the hair shafts close to the scalp. Because of an allergic response to the lice bites, itching is the most common signal of a head lice infestation. Often, the itching is extra noticeable close to the nape of the neck and behind the ears.

Head lice could be transmitted by intimate bodily contact or by exchanging hats, combs, or brushes with somebody who’s contaminated. Unhealthy hygiene is just not all the time the reason for head lice infestations. Identical to with soiled hair, lice can infest clear hair as nicely. However, frequent hair washing might facilitate lice’s skill to stick to hair shafts, says the professional.

How does clove important oil assist in eliminating head lice?

Medicated shampoos or lotions created particularly to kill lice and their eggs are sometimes utilized in head lice therapy, says the professional. Clove oil also can assist. Compared to eucalyptus oil, clove oil was discovered to be simpler in eliminating head lice, in keeping with a research printed within the Worldwide Journal Of Pharmaceutical Sciences And Analysis in 2015. It may be diluted with different oils too. Clove oil, diluted in sunflower oil, killed greater than 90 % of head lice inside two hours after a 30-minute contact, as per a 2017 research printed in Parasitology Analysis.

Clove important oil might possess insecticidal qualities, which implies it could possibly repel or kill bugs, together with head lice, says Dr Mittal. The chemical substances present in clove important oil, equivalent to eugenol, might have insecticidal results. When lice come into contact with clove oil, these substances could also be dangerous to them and trigger their loss of life.

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Find out how to use clove oil to take away head lice?

Use clove important oil as a head lice remover by following the following tips:

1. Dilute the clove oil

Undiluted important oils could cause pores and skin irritation resulting from their excessive focus. Mix a small quantity of clove important oil with a service oil, like almond, coconut, or olive oil. Two to 5 drops of clove oil per tablespoon of service oil is a typical dilution ratio, says the professional.

2. Apply to the scalp

Utilizing your fingers or a cotton ball, apply the diluted combination of clove oil on to the scalp, paying specific consideration to the nape of the neck and the areas behind the ears the place lice are probably to be discovered. For full protection, gently therapeutic massage the oil into the scalp.

3. Cowl with a bathe cap

To retain warmth and enhance the therapy’s efficacy, cowl the top with a towel or bathe cap after making use of the oil. To permit the oil to enter the eggs (nits) and suffocate the lice, depart it on for a couple of hours or ideally in a single day.

4. Comb out the lice

After a while, take off the bathe cap and comb by means of the hair, starting on the scalp and transferring right down to the ends utilizing a fine-toothed comb. This helps in eliminating any lifeless lice and leftover nits from the hair.

5. Shampoo and rinse

Use a gentle shampoo to provide your hair a radical wash and eliminate any oil and leftover lice or nits. Completely rinse the hair with water.

To fully eliminate the lice and nits, you would possibly have to carry out the clove oil therapy a number of occasions over the course of some days or even weeks, relying on how unhealthy the infestation is, says Dr Mittal.

What are the uncomfortable side effects of utilizing clove oil for head lice?

The next are some doable antagonistic reactions to clove important oil –

• As a result of its excessive focus, clove oil could be irritating, reddening, or burning to the pores and skin when used topically or in giant quantities. Earlier than utilizing clove oil topically, all the time dilute it with an applicable service oil and take a look at a small space of the pores and skin for sensitivity utilizing a patch take a look at.
• Some individuals could also be allergic to the substances in clove oil. From minor pores and skin irritation to extra severe signs like rash, hives, or bother respiratory, allergic reactions can pop up in a wide range of methods.

Who ought to keep away from utilizing clove important oil for head lice?

Clove important oil works nicely for treating head lice, however it may’t be utilized by all.

1. Youngsters

As a result of their extra delicate pores and skin, youngsters, particularly younger ones and newborns, might discover clove important oil to be too robust for them. Youngsters may additionally be extra susceptible to inadvertently swallow important oils or get them of their eyes, which might irritate their eyes.

2. Pregnant or breastfeeding ladies

As a result of the opportunity of antagonistic results on the growing fetus or child, important oils must be used with warning by pregnant or breastfeeding ladies, says the professional. Since there isn’t a lot details about clove oil’s security when pregnant or nursing, it’s higher to be cautious and communicate with a physician earlier than utilizing it.

3. Anybody with delicate pores and skin or allergic reactions

Clove important oil can irritate pores and skin or induce allergic contact dermatitis, so anybody with delicate pores and skin or a historical past of allergic responses ought to use it with warning. Earlier than making use of clove oil extra extensively, all the time do a patch take a look at on a small space of pores and skin. If any detrimental responses come up, cease utilizing the oil instantly.

Use clove important oil for head lice elimination fastidiously and cling to security directions and prompt dilution ratios. Additionally, wash all of your garments, private belongings, and bedding in sizzling water and dry them on excessive warmth to keep away from reinfestation.