Approximately 10 million Americans become inflicted with hair lice, with a quarter of that number being grade-school children, according to Ayurvedic-Medicines.com. Hair lice can spread very easily, even under the most sanitary conditions. Ayurveda, a traditional medical system based on an ancient Indian philosophy, offers one approach for getting rid of hair lice, says Ayurvedic-Medicines.com.
Head Lice
Hair lice, known as head lice or pediculus humanus capits, is a parasite that can live in you hair and scalp. It develops in three stages: nits, nymphs and adults. Nits are lice eggs that take about two weeks to hatch. They adhere to your hair shaft and are white to yellow in color. Nits then hatch into nymphs, which are immature adult head lice. Nymphs mature into adults about seven days after hatching and they feed on blood. An adult is about the size of a sesame seed, with six legs and tan to grayish white in color. Adults may live up to 30 days in your hair, according to the Directors of Health Promotion and Education, as association of public health professionals.
How Hair Lice Are Spread
Head lice are spread by coming into close contact with an infected person; for example, you can contract lice by sharing an infected person's comb or brush or wearing an infected person's clothing. You can also get hair lice by lying on the bed of an infected person. Children usually contract head lice from riding on a school bus or during group play times, reports the Directors of Health Promotion and Education.
Ayurveda
Ayurveda is the oldest surviving healing practice, according to Ayurveda-Medicines.com. It's a system of living harmoniously and maintaining the body so mental and spiritual awareness can be possible, according to Ayurvedic-Medicines.com. Medical historians believe that this practice was instrumental in the development of Chinese Medicine.
Diagnosis and Symptoms
Hair lice can be diagnosed by looking closely at your hair and scalp. The nits are the easiest to see. They are glued to the hair shaft and do not slide along a strand of hair as dandruff and hairspray does. Nymphs and adults are the hardest to see because they move quickly from fingers that are searching for them. If you are not sure if you have head lice, a diagnosis should be made by your local health department or your primary care giver. Itching and irritability are symptoms of head lice, say the Directors of Health Promotion and Education.
Treatment
Using mayonnaise and a coconut oil-based shampoo and conditioner is an Ayurvedic approach for getting rid of hair lice and their eggs. Lice are repelled by coconut oil and the mayonnaise suffocates them, according to Ayurvedic-Medicines.com
Procedure
Apply the mayonnaise to your hair, thoroughly saturating your hair and scalp. Leave it on for about 10 to 15 minutes, then comb out the eggs and lice with a fine tooth comb. After all of the lice and eggs have been removed, rinse out the mayonnaise with the hottest water you can take. After rinsing the mayonnaise out of your hair, shampoo with a coconut oil based shampoo followed by a coconut oil based conditioner, reports Ayurvedic-Medicines.com.
