The recent experience of a hairdresser in Mexico has become a topic of discussion on the internet. It seemed like an ordinary day with dozens of clients eager for a new look when an eight-year-old girl entered the salon, accompanied by her mother.

As the hairdresser began to comb her hair, she simply froze! The girl had hundreds of white lice in her hair, an unprecedented case for the hairdresser.

Lice infestations are a common problem in schools, but unlike in the past when gas or “ointment” were used as remedies, there are now many solutions available for this problem.

What are lice and how do they multiply?

Summer is approaching, and the temperatures are rising. This is the time when the first infestations of lice and nits appear. Nits are nothing more than lice eggs deposited in the host’s hair. Children are the most susceptible to lice infestations.

Therefore, it is important to know how to get rid of nits quickly to prevent lice from multiplying.

The eggs laid by lice are called nits. Lice lay eggs on the scalp, usually in the nape area, the sides of the head, or behind the ears. This happens because these areas emit the necessary heat for the incubation of lice eggs.

Female lice produce a very strong glue that helps the nits stick to the scalp. This glue makes it difficult to wash or remove the eggs. Additionally, after lice lay the eggs, it only takes about a week for them to hatch, depending on the temperature and humidity.

If you have lice, we do not advise you to use chemical products from pharmacies, as there are other less toxic solutions available. Remember that our grandparents treated lice infestations using kerosene. They mixed equal amounts of water and kerosene, applied it 15 minutes before washing their hair, and the next day, they combed it with a special fine-toothed comb.

One of the most well-known treatments is with vinegar. Soak your hair and scalp in vinegar, then cover your head with a shower cap. Leave the vinegar on overnight, as this will suffocate the adult lice and dissolve the eggs.

Another method is to use essential oils, but be careful because you’ll need to mix 15-20 drops with 60 ml of olive oil. The essential oils that can kill lice include tea tree, lavender, neem, cloves, eucalyptus, anise, cinnamon, red thyme, mint, or nutmeg.