If you have ever had head lice or had children with head lice, you know how frustrating and difficult it can be getting rid of these insects. It can take weeks of shampooing and combing out dead lice, and even then the problem may not be gone. Melaleuca oil is an alternative treatment for curing head lice, and while there are many articles and testimonials on using melaleuca, there is not enough medical evidence to recommend it as a head lice solution.
Head Lice
Next to the common cold, head lice are the most common communicable disease affecting school-age children. Head lice can affect anyone of any age, but the problem is most common in children due to daycare and school environments.
Head lice are very contagious and can be difficult to treat. The lice are tiny insects that live on the scalp, feeding on blood. They cause itching and may even cause you to get red bumps on your neck and shoulders.
Adult lice are about three millimeters in size and are visible to the naked eye. The lice eggs, called nits, are very tiny and will be around the hair shafts. They may resemble dandruff, but you cannot brush them out of your hair easily.
Melaleuca Oil
Melaleuca oil, otherwise known as tea tree oil, is an oil used for its antiseptic properties. Alternative health practitioners use melaleuca oil for a variety of ailments such as fungal infections, acne, cold sore treatments and even as mouth rinses. MayoClinic.com indicates melaleuca oil has also been used on humans or animals for the following conditions: allergic skin reactions; athlete's foot; dandruff; eye infections; lice; thrush; and vaginal infections, among others. Clinical studies have not proven the safety or effectiveness of using melaleuca oil for any of these ailments.
Treatment
Standard treatment for getting rid of head lice involves using over-the-counter shampoos or lotions, prescription medications and self-care. You will need to shampoo your hair with a lice removal shampoo to kill the lice and nits. Then you will need to use a comb, preferably a nit comb, to comb out the dead lice. This process usually continues for two weeks or until lice are no longer present. Some of the shampoos contain insecticides and other harmful chemicals, which can be harmful and even fatal to fetuses or babies. If you are pregnant or breast-feeding, talk to your doctor before using a lice removal shampoo.
Karen MacKenzie, researcher and author on melaleuca, indicates that you can add melaleuca oil directly to your shampoo when treating head lice. You can also use a shampoo containing melaleuca oil and add three drops of extra oil every 15 days.
Side Effects
In 2007, a study was published in the New England Journal of Medicine stating that consistent use of either lavender oil or tea tree oil may cause enlarged breast tissue in pre-pubescent boys. Dr. Clifford Bloch, a pediatric endocrinologist at the University of Colorada, diagnosed three of his patients with prepubertal gynecomastia, a condition causing enlarged breast tissue. Dr. Bloch's three male patients had all been using products containing either lavender and/or tea tree oil. Once use of the products were discontinued the gynecomastia subsided.
Lavender oil and tea tree oil may be considered endocrine disruptors due to the fact they appeared to have disrupted hormonal levels. More testing and studies need to be conducted before conclusive recommendations can be given.
Warnings
Melaleuca oil still needs to undergo more testing before its uses can be recommended. Melaleuca oil may cause: mild skin allergies or severe blistering rashes; abdominal pain; diarrhea; drowsiness; confusion; balance problems; reduced hearing when put in ears; and decreased contractions for pregnant moms
References
- MayoClinic.com: Head lice
- MayoClinic.com: Tea Tree oil (Melaleuca alternifolia {Maiden & Betche} cheel)
- Head Lice Remedies: Tea Tree Oil Lice Remedy for Effective Head Lice Treatment (Part 2)
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences: "New England Journal of Medicine"; Lavender and Tea Tree Oils May Cause Breast Growth in Boys;
- Medline Plus: Tea tree oil (Melaleuca alternifolia {Maiden & Betche} cheel)
