How to treat pediculosis in children at home: the best remedies, reviews

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

For many of us, lice are associated with poverty, social disadvantage, war and other cataclysms. Most often this is the case. But even in peacetime, you can meet with a disease called pediculosis. Most often it is brought by children from school or kindergarten. At the same time, the school can be elite, and the class can be prestigious. How to identify pediculosis in children and treat it effectively, let's talk today.

Clean skin is no barrier to lice

Indeed, this is nothing more than a delusion. Lice with great pleasure will settle on the head of a person who washes it regularly. It's simple - sucking from clean skin is much easier. Therefore, you should not get depressed if you find pediculosis in children. This is a solvable problem.

Another misconception is the need for girls' haircuts. Parasites do not make much difference whether they live in short or long hair. If you want to destroy them by manual catching, then longbraids will certainly get in the way, but today there are enough tools and methods to do without going to the hairdresser.

Where do lice come from

Children are drawn to communication, while they do not yet have such restrictive frameworks as adults. They put each other's things on their heads, they play head to head in the sandbox. Sometimes the guys near the washbasin hang one towel for everyone. Accordingly, if at least one child in the team has insects, very soon they may appear in everyone.

While the parents figure it out, already a good half of the children in the school and kindergarten they attend will also be covered by this disease. Therefore, it is very difficult to look for reasons why pediculosis suddenly appeared in children. It is enough to notify the nurse and start treatment. She will control the condition of the rest of the children in the school or kindergarten, after which the problem will be eliminated.

Symptoms

How to detect pediculosis in children? The first symptom is itching. Lice feed on blood, and after bites, severe irritation appears. It is caused by a specific substance that is contained in the saliva of insects. Therefore, the child begins to scratch his head intensely. The most vulnerable places are the ears and the back of the head. This is where the lice lay their eggs and attach them to the hair.

While an adult is alone, it is difficult to find it. Laid eggs are transparent, they are almost invisible. But after ten days, a new generation will hatch and each female will lay eggs again. Lice breed at lightning speed. Therefore, if the baby persistently complains of itching, you need tomost thorough examination of the head.

Consequences

The disease itself is not dangerous. But this does not mean that you can carelessly treat pediculosis in children. Treatment must begin promptly. A running form threatens with a lot of unpleasant consequences.

• The child becomes an outcast in society. Both children and adults look askance at him.
• Troublesome itching prevents sleep at night.
• Infectious diseases, the appearance of pustules and ulcers on the skin.
• Deterioration of the epidemiological situation in public institutions.
• Infection with typhus.

Yes, and the very appearance of a child who constantly itches is not associated with the image of a he althy and happy person. Therefore, at the first symptoms, start looking for the cause. If you are not sure that you can distinguish nits from dandruff, then contact your local pediatrician. He will be able not only to diagnose, but also prescribe treatment. Pediculosis in children is not so rare, so any local doctor is familiar with the methods of struggle.

What do lice and nits look like

If you have seen these insects in adults, then nothing more needs to be explained. Children are no different. For those who have never encountered such a phenomenon, there is a photo. Pediculosis in children is difficult to detect in the early stages. When there are more lice, their presence can already be noticed quite easily. All you need is bright lighting and a dense comb. Walk over their head and inspect for insects.

How to get rid of lice

Now let's move on to the most important issue and consider the remedies for pediculosis for children. The main task is to destroy the nits attached to the hair. But the disease is quite easy to treat in the early stages. In some cases, it is possible to achieve complete destruction of the population after the first procedure.

In pharmacies today there are drugs of any price category. These are shampoos and lotions, emulsions and sprays, aerosols. They have different intensity and strength of impact, but in general they are very similar. Be aware of the possibility of an allergic reaction, so before using the most innocuous-looking shampoo, you should consult your doctor.

Radical way

This is both prevention and treatment of head lice in children. It's about shaving. Together with the hair, you will forget about lice and nits. And the curls will grow back. Of course, this method is more suitable for boys. But if the situation is very neglected, then such a measure can be applied to the girl. You can walk around in a panama hat or scarf for a while, and then show off a stylish short haircut.

Homemade ways

There are completely safe and affordable remedies for head lice for children. These are traditional medicine recipes that older generations used when nothing more effective was available. And the easiest way to reduce the population is combing. It will take a long time to fight, but even so it is possible to defeat pediculosis in children.

Home treatment is often combined with this method, soit is worth buying a frequent comb with a dense row of teeth. This procedure is required every day, until the complete destruction of the parasites. After washing your hair, you need to dry your hair thoroughly, and then comb it out. In doing so, you will capture and destroy adult lice, but this procedure is most effective against nits.

During the procedure, the scallop can be dipped in a 3% solution of vinegar. This will facilitate the process of destruction of parasites. Do not be surprised that for several days you do not observe insects, comb out a clean head, when suddenly they reappear in large numbers. It's just hatched larvae. They stick to the hair so tightly that removing them can be problematic. Now it is important to destroy the insects before they have time to lay new eggs.

Folk ways of fighting

Sometimes at the most inopportune moment you can find pediculosis in children. How to treat at home? The simplest tools that are in every home will help, they do not represent a shortage and are very inexpensive.

• Ethyl alcohol. Today, this method is not considered effective. Alcohol can adversely affect the delicate scalp. In addition, alcohol vapors are not at all useful for inhalation.
• Vinegar. It is considered the number one product for treating this problem. We hasten to disappoint you, it is impossible to destroy adult insects with it. But wetting the hair with vinegar ensures that the nits are peeled off, making it easier to comb out. Do not forget that the concentration should not be more than 5%, otherwise youmay cause head burns.
• Dust soap. It has a high alkalinity and is detrimental to insects. But do not forget that this substance can accumulate in the body, so you should not resort to it unless absolutely necessary.

Healing herbs

They can hardly be called reliable assistants in the fight against insects. But for the prevention of pediculosis in children, they may well be suitable. By rinsing the heads with decoctions of herbs, you can avoid infection by fleeting contact. The best herbs for pediculosis are rosemary, mint, spur. But wild rosemary is a poisonous herb, so you need to handle it very carefully.

Onion and garlic are two other plants that are good for insect control. They make gruel and apply on the scalp for an hour. Here, too, it is important to act carefully - caustic juice can cause burns.

Essential oils against lice

This is also an effective way to deal with insects, judging by the reviews. From pediculosis for children, aromatic oils are used, which, in addition, have a pleasant smell. They, like herbs, are excellent not only for treatment, but also for the prevention of infection.

Peppermint and tea tree, bergamot and tea tree, lemon balm and thyme, wormwood and rosemary oils are very effective. They are used as an additive to any base vegetable oils. Only a few drops are required for 2-3 tablespoons of the base. Do not forget that essential oils can cause an allergic reaction, so theirpractically not used to treat children under 5 years old.

Natural juices

Most often we mean cranberry or pomegranate. Thanks to the acid contained in the composition, they destroy the adhesive substance, due to which the lice stay on the head. As a result, combing efficiency is increased.

• Cranberry juice is made by grinding a few handfuls of berries. After that, the raw material must be rubbed into the scalp and left for 15 minutes, then rinse. If there are already combed wounds on the head, then it is not recommended to use sour juice.
• Pomegranate juice together with mint can kill even adult parasites. In a glass of pomegranate juice, you need to add a few drops of mint essential oil and rub the composition into the hair roots. After a few minutes, you need to wash your hair.

Mayonnaise

This is another simple and affordable remedy that can come in handy if you don't know how to treat head lice in children. But it only works against adult insects. The fatty composition envelops insects and the scalp, depriving them of oxygen and nutrition. Apply it in a thick layer on your head and cover with a plastic bag. Leave overnight, and in the morning you will need to wash your hair and comb out all the dead insects. Ideally, the procedure is repeated every day for 10 days. This will get rid of all parasites as they hatch. Judging by the reviews, the method is quite effective and safe even for children. Instead of mayonnaise, you can take Vaseline, the effect will be exactly the same.

Medic altreatment

Some parents find they don't have the time or energy to deal with head lice for weeks at a time. You need a tool that will help solve the problem quickly and efficiently. The number one choice is head lice shampoo for children. There are many proven products on the market today that provide easy insect control:

• "Pedilin" - it is recommended for use for children from two years old.
• "Medifox" is a more gentle remedy that can be used from a year.
• "Paranitis" - assigned to children from three years old.
• "Chigia" for schoolchildren, ages five and older.

According to most parents, these are the best remedies for head lice for children. No need to wrap your hair and wait. I just wash my hair in the usual way, following the instructions. After a few days, repeat the procedure - and the problem is solved.

Spray Series

There are other safe drugs. Pediculosis treatment in children can be done with sprays. To do this, after washing your hair, simply distribute the composition along the entire length of the hair and comb it. After that, there is no need to even comb out the insects, they will die and fall off their heads. When choosing a spray, you need to take into account the age of the patient, the degree of infection and the characteristics of the patient.

• LiceGuard is suitable for children of all ages. Judging by the reviews, it is usually taken if lice are found in young children under two years old. True, the length of the hair at this time is stillvery small, and in most cases the problem can be solved simply by shaving the head.
• "Couple plus" is suitable for children from 2, 5 years old, that is, just for those who go to kindergarten.
• "Nyuda" - for children over 3 years old.
• "Paranit" - from 5 years old.

Choice of pharmacy products

All of them can be divided into two large groups. One of them contains powerful insecticides that are not too dangerous for the child's body. The second group is made on the basis of essential oils. The safest can be considered:

• Already mentioned above spray "Paranit". The active ingredient is a blend of ylang-ylang, coconut and anise oils.
• Emulsion "Pedilis". Made with clove oil.

Do not forget that all essential oils can cause an allergic reaction. Therefore, it is important to first apply a small amount of the solution to the elbow and observe. If there is no allergic reaction, then the entire head can be treated.

Prevention measures

While the child is small, he is mostly at home. Despite the fact that there is a chance to catch lice in the yard, in the sandbox, it is very small. That is, he falls into the risk category when he goes to kindergarten, and then to school. Often lice are brought by children from camps. That is, all places with large concentrations of children are a certain risk.

Regular head examinations, timelyhygiene procedures. It is very good to take a steam bath every time you visit the bathhouse, this not only increases immunity, but also does not like the parasites. When taking a hot bath, add a few drops of essential oils to it. Of course, these measures cannot completely prevent the appearance of lice, but they will become a serious protection. And most importantly: if a child complains that his head itches, then study it with utmost care. Better yet, go see a doctor.

Scalp treatment rules

Be sure to do it during the day, in bright light. It is necessary to ensure the ventilation of the room, because all lice products have a specific smell. Before applying special products, it is important to cover the shoulders with a towel to protect the skin from burns and irritation.

Check your scalp again for wounds. If they are, then it is advisable to postpone the procedure or replace it with more gentle methods (combing). If there is no damage to the skin, then you can apply the remedy to wet hair. The drug must be kept for at least 30 minutes. In this case, it is very important to ensure that the composition does not get into the eyes or mouth of the child. This is an important point as it can lead to poisoning.

When can I go back to school

If you notice insects on your child's head, you need to call the educational institution and report the problem. Thanks to this, a full check of the rest of the students will be carried out. Accordingly, the likelihood of returning to school and again facing infection will be excluded. After that, you can contact your local doctor fortreatment prescription.

Judging by the feedback from parents, ParaPlus and Pedilin, spray and shampoo proved to be the best in the fight against parasites. A pharmacy comb also helps. Its special teeth injure adults and larvae, which allows to reduce the population. If you managed to notice in time and the nits were not postponed, then only one procedure is required. Otherwise, you need to repeat it. All products have instructions for use. It is required to strictly observe it. It is unacceptable to get the compounds into the eyes and other mucous membranes.