Tea Tree Oil and Head Lice - Research and User's Forum

"Use Tea Tree Oil for a Clean Healthy Scalp!"

Looking for an alternative to treating head lice?

Research on tea tree oil and head lice shows you could use this non-toxic treatment and avoid the use of pesticides.

Does this natural treatment really work or is it a waste of time and money?

Tea tree oil contains a number of potent ingredients that have anti-microbial properties.

And it's these powerful germ-fighting ingredients that may hold the key to this natural oil's effectiveness in treating head lice infestations.

Here you'll learn more about the use of tea tree oil and lice treatment and an easy-to-follow treatment plan that may work for you.

What is Head Lice?

Head Lice

Head lice are human parasites that infest your hair and scalp. There's a common myth that head lice infections are due to unsanitary living conditions, but this is false. Head lice can affect all ages and socio-economic classes.

Lice can't jump or fly from one person's head to yours so you can't get infected being near someone with head lice. You can get infected when your head contacts an infected person's head, or you share their hat, combs, towels or other head wear.

Most treatments use fine tooth combs to comb out the eggs (nits) or applying medication on the scalp and hair to kill off the adult lice. Most of these medications are like pesticides and affect the nervous system of the lice, which eventually kills them. However, if you don't want to expose yourself to pesticides, there are healthier alternatives.

One popular method is the use of tea tree oil on lice. Recent studies show this natural tree oil is effective at stopping head lice.

Using Tea Tree Oil to Kill Lice - Research Study

Dublin, Ireland - Researchers discover 2 specific ingredients in tea tree oil kill head lice. 1,8-cineole and terpinen-4-ol were found to inhibit a specific enzyme in lice, resulting in nerve death.

This study on tea tree oil and head lice is encouraging. Other important factors to consider for best success are:

• The strength of tea tree oil used.

• How much oil used for effective results.

• How long the oil is kept on the scalp to kill the lice.

• How many treatments needed for lasting results.

Instructions for Tea Tree Oil and Head Lice Treatments

Tea tree oil shampoos may kill head lice

One method is by pouring a small amount of your regular shampoo in your palm and adding 100% tea tree oil to it.

• Shampoo your hair and massage this mixture into your scalp. It's recommended you do this every time you normally wash your hair.

• After shampooing your hair, use a nit comb to help remove lice from your scalp.

• Repeat this procedure 3 - 4 times per week until head lice are gone.

You can also get tea tree oil shampoos that are conveniently pre-mixed with the oil and ready to use.

User's Reviews of Tea Tree Oil for Head Lice

Many people have emailed us to describe their experience using this natural plant oil to treat head lice. Here's a few samples:

"I treated my daughter with Rid two times, then used Nix and still found lice. I took her to the doctor and used a creme he prescribed. I still found lice days after that treatment as well. I tried a mixture of olive oil and tea tree oil to treat the lice; I saturated her hair with the mixture and put a shower cap on her. I left it for 30 minutes. I then put it on our shampoo and conditioner. The next 2 days she was clear and I have not found any head lice since then - it has been 5 days now! No nits no nothing! I will go on TV to advertise this stuff! I do not know why nothing could get rid of these things! I will update if anything changes but right now tea tree oil is my miracle!" - Suzanne

"I have been fighting head lice on my daughter for about 6 months (I think her classroom is infested at school). I get it cleared up and then a few nits show up after being back in school after vacations. All I do is pull out the few nits I see, then put pure tea tree oil on her scalp at night and in the morning I wash it out with a tea tree oil shampoo. I do this for about 5-7 days to make sure I kill anything that hatches (even when you comb out the nits you will most likely miss some). Then I have her shampoo with a tea tree oil shampoo on a regular basis. As I said, I know it works because the nits are gone for over a month, but if the classroom is infested, then there is a chance they will pick something up again. If you shampoo daily with a tea tree shampoo, they will most likely NOT get them again. But, if you shampoo every 2-3 days, (which happens often when we're busy) they could get a bug again." - Jennifer B, Placerville, CA

Product Recommendations for Tea Tree Oil and Head Lice Shampoos

Adding a few drops of 100% tea tree oil to your regular shampoo can help you fight head lice and improve your scalp health.

Thursday Plantation Tea Tree Oil is an excellent tea tree oil to add to your regular shampoo. This oil has a high terpinen-4-ol content for maximum germicidal activity.

Try adding a few drops of this healthy oil to your shampoo when you wash your hair and work it into your scalp. Try to leave it your scalp for a few minutes before rinsing.

You can also use Tea Tree Oil Shampoos. These specialty shampoos have the tea tree oil mixed right and are ready to go.

Using Jason Natural Cosmetics Tea Tree Oil Hair & Scalp Therapy Shampoo is an effective way to combine the anti-microbial powers of tea tree oil with a gentle cleansing natural shampoo. Some people may not find this formulation strong enough so you may have to add additional tea tree oil to the shampoo when you use it.

Another product is Thursday Plantation Tea Tree Deep Scalp Cleansing Shampoo. This shampoo contains tea tree oil for natural treatment of head lice. The tea tree oil has a high terpinen-4-ol content, the primary germicidal shown to have an effect on head lice.

You may also be interested in Lice Eliminating Natural Shampoo. This is an all natural, non-toxic, head lice kit that uses enzymes to eliminate head lice. The customer reviews at Amazon.com appear quite favorable for this product.

Many people have reported great success combining tea tree oil and head lice treatments. If you're concerned about side effects from anti-lice medications, tea tree oil may be the natural cure for head lice you're looking for.

Research References: