BACK-TO-SCHOOL season means every classroom and household in the UK is on red alert for head lice.
Thankfully, a DIY hack can work to banish nits from your little one’s hair.
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We’ve all heard of the mayonnaise trick and endured the wet comb treatment, but there’s a lesser known method for tackling this problem.
So if your little one arrives home with that dreaded letter from school, keep this trick in mind.
Or if you notice any suspicious scratching, you can get ahead of the issue.
Home hack
According to the experts at Healthline, you can banish head lice using tea tree oil.
Research has shown that the scent not only repels nits but also prevents any existing lice from feeding on treated skin.
A study by the National Library of Medicine backed up this statement, with a 100% mortality rate reported within 30 minutes of application.
Lice are repelled by essential oils, such as tea tree, because the concentrated plant extracts contain compounds they find inhospitable.
These can even be toxic to lice, making them effective repellants.
Tea tree oil also has insecticidal properties that disrupt the lice’s nervous system, leading to paralysis and death.
Budget buy
B&M shoppers can pick up a 30ml bottle of Tea Tree Essential Oil for just £1.69.
Designed to be “kind to skin”, this item also provides anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, and anti-fungal protection.
Experts recommend leaving this oil on for at least 12 hours or overnight.
Be sure to always supervise your little ones when applying this treatment.
Tea tree oil should always be applied topically and never ingested.
So whether this hack is a saving grace in a time of need or you want to put it in your back pocket down the line, it may be worth a try.
How to prevent an outbreak of nits
THE Hairforce’s Dee Wright shares her top tips to nip a nit outbreak in the bud.
GO PUBLIC: Nits are not a dirty secret.
If you tell other parents you’ve found lice, they know to do an extra check on their own kids and catch them before they get out of control.
GET A NIT CHECK ROUTINE IN PLACE: Make a “nit check” part of your weekly routine.
After a Sunday night hair wash is good.
Use a good-quality nit comb, like Nitty Gritty nit comb, inset, £8.52 reduced from £13, at Amazon.
DO EXTRA CHECKS AFTER NIT “DANGER POINTS”: If your child has been at an event where they have been closer than usual to other children, do an extra head check.
Events such as school trips, parties and sleepovers are all ideal breeding grounds for head lice.
DON’T TAKE SHORTCUTS: When you buy a product to treat lice, make sure you follow the instructions carefully.
Don’t neglect doing a second treatment a week later, even if you can’t see any signs of eggs.
This is how lice cases get out of control.
IT’S NOT ONLY YOUNG KIDS: People often only check their primary school-aged children for head lice, but older children and adults can bring them into the home too.
It is important that the whole family checks their hair every week.
More on head lice
Parents warned to “see a pharmacist” over recent head lice outbreak alert.
Plus, three more cheap and easy ways to treat your little one’s head lice.
And a head lice clinic expert has broken down the best steps to take if you notice your child itching.
A pharmacist broke down the three cheap lice remedies that really work.
Plus, the eight myths about nits every parent needs to know.
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