This week we are talking all about Vata! It is Vata season , which means it is mostly cold, dry and mobile (wind) in the weather patterns. It is important to keep this dosha in balance and in its proper seat to avoid production and accumulation of toxins. Vata dosha is a combination of the air and ether elements. This represents action, movement and transportation. The qualities of Vata are dry, light, cold, rough, subtle and mobile. Vata is in our movements, actions, breathing, speech, detox, heart pumping and sense of touch. It is the kindler of digestive fire, opener of cell walls and channels, and develops and delivers babies. The seat of Vata is in the abdominal cavity bellow the belly button in the large intestine and colon. It is also in the pelvis, thighs, skin, ears, bones, heart, brain, nervous system and lungs. Each dosha (Vata, Pitta & Kapha) all have 5 subdoshas that exist. Each of these subdoshas represents the five elements (ether, air, fire, water, earth) that tie...
Tiny parasites living on the scalp are known are lice. They feed on the human blood and cause intense itching. Lice may bite your child’s scalp which further causes irritation. They might be frustrating, however, lice on the scalp are not at all dangerous and they will not even spread any serious diseases as well. It becomes difficult to get rid of the lice and this irritating condition will even cause red bumps on the scalp. Over the counter medications will not show any great effect in eliminating lice. However, we have several natural remedies that help get rid of this condition easily without any side effects.
Neem:
Neem is an excellent remedy for getting rid of the frustrating head lice. It acts as a natural insecticide that helps completely eliminate head lice. You can prepare a concoction using neem leaves or use neem essential oil for getting rid of the lice.
How to use?
Take a handful of neem leaves and add them in a bowl containing one-liter water. Boil for 2 minutes. Leave it overnight. The next day, strain the solution and use this solution to wash off your hair. This remedy helps kill the lice thriving on the scalp. You can even make a fine paste of the leftover leaves and apply it as a hair mask. Let it sit for 20 minutes. Wash off your scalp using a mild shampoo and comb off your wet hair to get rid of the head lice.
Caution:
Applying neem leaves paste on the scalp can actually turn your hair dry. So, apply a good conditioner to restore your hair’s natural moisture.
This kitchen ingredient is considered as an effective smothering agent. Lice thriving on the scalp die due to suffocation when the ooze blocks their breathing holes, but you need to apply it overnight especially under a shower cap as lice could survive without breathing for several hours. You need to comb off your hair to get rid of the nits and lice that are lying under the hair shafts.
How to use?
Take a small bowl and add around 50-100ml olive oil or the quantity depending upon the length of your hair. Slightly warm it and apply on the scalp. Gently massage your scalp and cover it with a shower cap. Leave it overnight. The next day, start combing your hair to get rid of all the head lice. Try following this remedy for every two days for best results.
Caution:
You should not brush off your hair too hard as it might cause red bumps on the scalp.
Mayonnaise could be used for the lice treatment. For many effective results, use full-fat mayonnaise.
How to use?
Take a bowl full of full-fat mayonnaise. Use a hair brush to apply it on the scalp and cover it with a shower cap. Let it do its work overnight. Wash off your hair using a mild shampoo and comb off your wet hair to get rid of the nits using a nit comb. Repeat the same a week later to kill all the lice that hatch from any nits that survive this treatment.
Caution:
Use a conditioner as mayonnaise can leave an unpleasant aroma on the hair.
Vinegar is helpful in dissolving the sticky substance that a female louse uses to attach its eggs to the hair shafts. All thanks to acetic acid in vinegar that is helpful in making your hair ready for the nit combing procedure after trying this head lice killing treatment.
How to use?
Take a bowl and add 25ml of vinegar in 100ml water. Use this solution to wash off your hair. Leave it for an hour and then comb off your hair. This bug-killing treatment helps in getting rid of the existing head lice and the nits as well.
Caution:
Dilute white vinegar with water. Don’t use excess amounts of vinegar as it can make your hair turn dry. So, better use a mild shampoo and conditioner for your hair during this treatment.
Garlic has a strong aroma and can help suffocate the head lice and finally kill them. Garlic has potent antibacterial, antiseptic, and several other medicinal properties that aid in killing the head lice living on the scalp.
How to use?
Take 10-15 garlic cloves and grind them into a fine paste. Add two or four lemon juice drops to this paste and apply it on the scalp. Let it sit for few minutes before rinsing off with warm water. Alternatively, you can try preparing a paste using 10-15 garlic cloves, few drops of any cooking oil, a few drops of lemon juice, and shampoo. Mix it well and apply it on the scalp and cover it with a shower cap. Repeat the same every week till it is no longer needed.
Caution:
Garlic is strong in nature. Hence, you need to dilute it before applying it on the scalp.
Coconut oil acts as an excellent moisturizing agent and can help in killing the head lice that is feeding on your blood. Coconut oil upon application can suffocate lice and it can be easy to remove them off while brushing your hair with a comb.
How to use?
Take 50ml of coconut oil in a bowl. Slightly warm it and massage your scalp using it. Cover it with a shower cap and leave it for more than 12 hours. Now, apply oil to the comb you use for brushing off your hair. Gently brush your hair as coconut oil can easily remove head lice from the scalp. Wash off your hair using a milder shampoo. Again use another hair comb to brush off your wet hair to get rid of any other nits or lice that survive this treatment.
Caution:
Don’t brush off hard as it can lead to hair fall and itching. It can even cause red bumps of the scalp.
Tea tree oil is an excellent natural insecticide that is helpful in getting rid of the frustrating head lice living on the scalp. Tea tree oil is strong in nature and hence you need to dilute it before applying it on the scalp.
How to use?
Dilute 5ml of tea tree oil in 15ml of olive oil and 15ml of coconut oil. Massage your scalp with this oil and gently brush your hair to get rid of the nits and the existing head lice that is responsible for the itchy scalp. Shampoo your hair and brush off your wet hair to get rid of any nits that are left after following the above procedure.
Caution:
Dilute tea tree oil with one or more carrier oils. Never apply it directly on the scalp.
ACV is really effective in treating head lice by loosening the sticky glue responsible for sticking the nits to the hair shafts. Also, carrier oils used in this treatment can moisturize the hair besides suffocating the lice.
How to use?
Firstly, rinse your hair with a 50ml diluted apple cider vinegar concoction to loosen the sticky substance responsible for holding the nits in place. Let it sit until the hair dries and then coat the scalp with any carrier oil such as olive oil, coconut oil etc. to suffocate the head lice. Cover your hair under a shower cap and leave it overnight as these tiny parasites can hold their breath for several hours.
Caution:
Suffocating the head lice will kill most of the lice but it shows no effect on the nits. Hence, you need to repeat the same once in a while for every week. So, when you follow the same procedure for the next week you can kill the head lice that survived the initial treatment.
Sulfur present in onions helps in killing the head lice. It aids in smothering the head lice which can thereby prevent intense itching.
How to use?
Take three or four onions and chop them. Blend it to a fine paste. Apply it to each layer of the hair shafts. Cover it with a shower cap and let it sit for 8-12 hours. Rinse off your hair with a milder shampoo and use a nit comb to get rid of the head lice and nits. Follow this treatment once for two or three days for a period of three months.
Caution:
You need dilute onions paste with lemon juice or water before applying it on the scalp.
Essential oils help kill head lice feeding on your blood and even help soothe scalp itching. All you need to do is to find out the essential oils you are not allergic to.
How to use?
Add 30ml vegetable oil, 15 drops of thyme oil, 10 drops of lemon oil, 10 drops of rosemary oil, 15 drops of lavender oil, and 20 drops of tea-tree oil. Mix them well and use this concoction to massage your scalp. Cover your scalp with a shower cap and then wrap it up with a towel. After one hour, wash off your hair and comb your wet hair using a nit comb to get rid of the nits and the lice.
Caution:
Make sure you are not having any allergic reactions to the essential oils you are using for this treatment. Better go for a patch test before trying this treatment.
Petroleum jelly acts as an amazing remedy in treating head lice effectively. It can have a stifling effect on the lice thriving on the scalp.
How to use?
Apply petroleum jelly directly on the scalp. Cover the head with a shower cap and leave it overnight. The next day, use baby oil or any mineral oil to remove the lice and the petroleum jelly. Repeat the same daily for a week or two until you get rid of the head lice completely.
Caution:
Following this remedy also need a lot of shampooings to remove the sticky petroleum jelly out from the hair.
Egg:
The yellow yolk of the eggs can serve as an excellent remedy in treating the head lice. It helps in killing the lice by suffocating them.
How to use?
Blend two egg yolks along with few drops of lemon juice and 25 ml white vinegar. Whisk this solution until it turns frothy. Apply it on the scalp directly or by dividing the hair shafts. Rinse off with warm water. This solution makes your hair free from head lice.
Caution:
This remedy can make your hair turn dry. So, better use a good conditioner along with a mild shampoo.
Salt:
Salt plays an effective role in treating an itchy scalp by reducing the intensity of itching and suffocating the head lice.
How to use?
Add one-quarter cup filled with salt in a quarter cup of vinegar. Spray this concoction on your scalp and leave it until your hair becomes damp. Cover it with a shower cap and leave it for an hour. Shampoo your hair and apply a good conditioner. Follow this remedy for every two days until it is no longer needed.
Caution:
Don’t leave this concoction on your hair for more than two hours. Also, use a good conditioner after shampooing your hair.
Witch hazel is used as an astringent and helps restore the pH balance. It acts as an excellent home remedy for killing the head lice as this herb contains antibacterial agents that help in killing the microorganisms thriving on the scalp thereby making it clean and free from head lice.
How to use?
Witch hazel is available in several herbal stores. Add 30gm of witch hazel powder in 100ml water until it forms a thick paste. Apply it on the scalp and leave it till it dries off completely. Wash off your hair using a mild shampoo and comb off your wet hair using a nit comb to get rid of the head lice and nits. Follow this treatment once for every two days for a period of two weeks. Alternatively, you can even rinse off your hair with organic witch hazel water for getting rid of the head lice.
Caution:
It is possibly safe to use. However, it might cause minor skin irritation for people with sensitive skin.
https://www.ayurtimes.com/home-remedies-for-head-lice/
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