If a pediculosis problem appears in the family, it must be eliminated immediately and together. Lice are very insidious and tenacious creatures, and if you do not notice them right away, you can infect not only your family, but also your guests, friends, employees and classmates, which will not be very pleasant for both you and them.
Unfortunately, not all drugs existing today can save you from this problem. Many drugs from the pharmacy are not effective, and they are also very expensive. As a result, you will have to disinfect several times and waste your precious time and money. What to do? What remedy can help in such a situation? Hellebore water will help you.
What is hellebore water? Composition and release form
Hellebore water is a solution containing alcohol tincture of hellebore and water (in a 1:1 ratio). This is an inexpensive but very effective remedy that has an antibacterial and antiparasitic effect.
You can find hellebore water at the pharmacy. Sold in dark bottles of 40ml and 100ml, use only for external use!
Principle of action on lice and nits
The juice of the root and stem of hellebore contains a large amount of alkaloids. They have a detrimental effect on the body of parasites, various types of fungi and bacteria.
What happens to lice and nits when treating the head with hellebore water? First of all, when this water gets on the body of a louse, it wets and envelops it. Next, the drug enters the respiratory tract of the parasite, then gradually reaches the internal organs of the insect. At first the insect is less mobile, then its legs become paralyzed and it stops moving, resulting in a fairly quick death.
About the same thing happens with the louse larva – the nit. However, unlike lice, which die almost immediately, nits are more resilient, and there is a small chance that some larva will survive. If this happens, the procedure will need to be repeated after some time.
Botanical description
The plant is common in our area and is widely used in pharmacology. Hellebore contains toxic components that, if ingested, cause severe poisoning in humans and death in insects.
Water for lice is an alcohol tincture containing hellebore extract. Sold in a dark glass bottle, it has a slight specific smell. It is recommended to use rubber gloves when working with the drug, and wash your hands with soap after the procedure.
Hellebore water is obtained from the perennial herbaceous plant Lobel's hellebore (in other words - white hellebore, puppeteer, sneezeweed), reaching up to 1.6 -2 m in height.
Hellebore is a very poisonous plant; its toxic substances are superior in their effects to the well-known omegas. Due to its toxicity, this product should only be used externally.
The main active ingredients of hellebore are alkaloids (most of them are found in the rhizomes of the plant). These alkaloids effectively fight fungus, insects, bacteria, and can also be dangerous to humans.
However, for all its toxicity, hellebore water has analgesic, antifungal and antiparasitic properties, which allows it to be used as an adjuvant for the treatment of the following diseases:
- arthritis;
- neuralgia;
- radiculitis;
- gout;
- pathologies of the musculoskeletal system in older people;
- pediculosis, etc.
Hellebore is made in different forms: ointment, decoction, alcohol tincture. It is the latter option that is used to combat lice and other parasites living on the human body.
As you know, such a plant grows very tall, it often reaches two meters, and has pale greenish flowers. All parts of this plant, including its fruits, are highly poisonous. Even just touching the root can cause severe itching and burning. Subsequently, all sensitivity is lost in this area.
If a person accidentally inhales the pollen of such a grass, he soon begins to sneeze very heavily, he develops watery eyes, as well as other unfavorable symptoms.
Using hellebore water for lice and nits
It's time to treat your hair, but how to do it correctly? First you will need to wash your hair. You don’t need any special shampoo for this; we take the most common one that you use all the time. Wash your hair thoroughly, rinsing the areas behind the ears, the back of the head, the entire root zone and the entire length of the hair.
After this, you need to apply a solution of hellebore water to your hair. This can be done using ordinary cotton wool, thoroughly soaking it in the product. However, if you have cotton swabs, it is better to use them, as it is much more convenient. It is very important to process absolutely all the hair along its entire length and not miss anything. To do this, it is best to divide your hair into several parts (from 2 to 4) and then apply the composition to each strand of hair along its entire length. This way you won't miss anything.
When the product is applied to the hair, it should be wrapped with something. You can use any things you have at hand: a scarf or a simple plastic bag. Wait for 30-35 minutes, then rinse off the product with running water and rinse your hair with shampoo, preferably several times.
After this, you need to carefully examine your hair and make sure that there is nothing left there. The lice should disappear, but you will need to get rid of the nits manually, as they stick to every hair. The product kills them, but does not remove them from the hair. In order to remove the remaining nits, you will need a regular white sheet of paper and a special comb with bristles closely spaced together. You can buy a comb at a pharmacy; such combs are usually called a “comb for lice and nits.” With this very comb you just need to comb your hair, while bending your head down over a sheet of paper. Once you have combed your hair, carefully take the leaf, roll it up and throw it in the trash.
Dosage
There is no set dosage as such. Everything is calculated individually for each person, since the thickness and length of hair is different for everyone. You will see how much product you will need directly during the processing process. It is important to simply wet your hair and scalp well so that there are no dry strands left. But at the same time, you should not pour a lot of product so that it does not flow down and get into your eyes.
A course of treatment
The course of treatment is as follows:
- You found lice and treated the head for the first time, after which you checked the result. If the result is positive and there are no more lice or live nits, great. But if there are still live parasites left, the procedure should be repeated.
- We carry out the second treatment against parasites only a day after the first!
- For prevention, it is advisable to treat the head again, but after a week.
Is hellebore water safe?
If hellebore water can kill parasites, the question arises: is it capable of harming humans? The answer is yes, it can, but only if you don’t follow the instructions. As mentioned above, there are a lot of alkaloids in the roots and stem of this plant, which is why hellebore water is toxic to both the parasite and humans. It is important to take precautions when working with it. Namely:
- Make sure that during processing, the product does not get on the person’s mucous membranes (in the eyes, nose and mouth) and if this suddenly happens, immediately rinse them with plenty of running water;
- If during treatment a person feels a burning sensation or itching of the head, there is no need to wait 30 minutes, the substance should be washed off immediately;
- And of course, if after using the drug a person feels ill, feels sick or has poisoning (this can happen if you accidentally swallow hellebore water), be sure to consult a doctor.
These rules are not new to anyone, because they are indicated on many drugs. Therefore, you just need to follow them and do everything correctly, then everything will be fine and nothing will harm your health.
Can it be used by children?
The instructions indicate that this substance should not be used by a child under 3 years of age.
In any case, even if your child is older than this age, you should use hellebore water very carefully and keep it out of the child’s reach.
Benefits for hair
In addition to being an antiparasitic agent, hellebore water is also used as a hair growth stimulant. Hellebore has a good effect on the scalp, improves blood circulation, reduces hair loss and treats dandruff.
On various forums, many women write reviews that when using hellebore water for lice, they not only got rid of this problem, but also improved the condition of their hair. And now they periodically use this method, but for cosmetic purposes.
Is hellebore water safe?
This is a poisonous plant that is toxic and can certainly harm humans, but only if you work with it incorrectly and do not follow the instructions for use. If all processes are carried out in compliance with safety measures, then it will only harm the parasites with which we are fighting.
When working with it, the following rules should be observed:
- Do not allow the tincture to come into contact with the mucous membranes of the eyes, mouth and nose. If the substance does get on the mucous membranes, you should immediately rinse the area with plenty of running water.
- If, when applying the solution, a person experiences discomfort, for example, severe itching, burning, the solution cannot be left for half an hour, it must be washed off immediately, perhaps this is an allergic reaction or individual intolerance to the components.
- When a person experiences nausea, dizziness, general malaise, and other symptoms of poisoning, they should consult a doctor as soon as possible. Most likely the substance got inside and the negative impact should be eliminated.
There is nothing special about these rules, since most insecticides have them in the instructions for use. There is no way to ignore them, as this can harm your health.
Contraindications
Hellebore water is a very effective remedy for head lice, however, like any other drugs, it has a number of contraindications. Namely:
- Sensitivity to the components of the drug;
- Children under 3 years old;
- Presence of wounds on the scalp;
- During pregnancy and during breastfeeding;
- Skin diseases.
Under no circumstances should you take the drug orally, this will lead to serious negative consequences!
Avoid contact of the drug with mucous membranes; if contact occurs, rinse thoroughly with running water.
Reviews of Chemerichnaya water against lice and nits
Alina, Moscow
Once again I am convinced that the instructions must be read. My daughter had a lice epidemic at school, and mine caught it too. The pharmacy offered many modern, expensive sprays, but on the advice of my mother-in-law, I bought hellebore water, it costs 35 rubles per bottle, and I took two. I took a good look at how to apply it correctly, otherwise I wanted to pour it on my head right above the bathtub. But it turns out you need to carefully apply it with a cotton swab and don’t let it get into your eyes. The lice disappeared completely only after a week, they were treated three times and combed out. The third time, no one was combed - clean. The product works. Of course, expensive drugs probably kill parasites in one pass, but for those who want to save money, this product is suitable.
Karen, Kyiv
I have no idea where the lice came from. The feeling is not the most pleasant. I bought hellebore water with a red star on the package at the pharmacy, applied it according to the instructions, but a drop got into my eye. I washed it right away, but it stung quite badly. Be careful. And the product is inexpensive and effective, sold everywhere. I also bought a comb separately for combing. I only used it twice and didn't have to anymore.
6Reviews
Elena: Don't waste money on expensive anti-lice shampoos. Hellebore water is cheap, but it helps better than all the newfangled things. Tested by time. We have been treating it for a long time. It always helped both children and grandchildren the first time, just check your head more often.
Julia: I have two daughters. Both have long hair. One day, the eldest got lice at school and got lice. She didn’t tell me about it right away, but when I saw them, my whole head was already filled with sleep.
Mom advised me to smear my head with kerosene or hellebore water. I chose water, and there were no burns on my skin. The lice have been removed, but I have a bottle in stock, just in case.
We suggest you read: Why does a woman dream about lice: dream book to crush, kill lice. Another person has lice
Ekaterina: They removed lice like this: I dyed my hair, specially chose dye with hydrogen peroxide, my son was cut, and my daughter was smeared with hellebore water. They washed and ironed the bed linen, as well as hats and outerwear. There was no other way to get rid of it.
Alternative drugs
Hellebore water is a very effective remedy for the treatment of head lice. But there are situations when this substance is contraindicated for humans for some reason (for example, children under 3 years of age or if the person is sensitive to this drug). What to do then? What means should I use? And how to use them?
There are two options:
- turn to traditional medicine (a more budget-friendly option);
- use modern drugs.
ethnoscience
In folk medicine, there are a huge number of ways to combat parasites such as lice. Here are a few of them.
Getting rid of lice with vinegar, salt and vodka
Ingredients:
- a glass of vinegar diluted with water;
- 40 grams of boiled salt;
- 5 ml alcohol (96%).
For this recipe, you will need to dilute a glass of vinegar with water (to get a 3% solution), add 40 grams of boiled salt to it. Then mix it all well and add 5 ml of 96% alcohol and mix again. Apply the resulting mixture to pre-washed hair, leave for several hours, then rinse. Comb your hair with a special comb to remove lice and nits, and apply the compress again. It is advisable to repeat the procedure 3-4 times. After each use, comb your hair with a comb.
Removing lice using kerosene
This method requires special attention and caution from the person, since kerosene can burn the skin or dry it out. To prevent this from happening, you need to be very careful and listen to your feelings during this procedure.
It is important to remember that kerosene cannot be used in its pure form! Be sure to dilute it with some vegetable oil. It is also important not to forget that kerosene is a flammable substance; under no circumstances carry out this procedure in the kitchen, where there may be something on the stove, and do not smoke during the entire procedure.
After mixing kerosene with oil, apply the mixture to dry hair, wrap your head in a plastic bag and leave for 50-60 minutes. Then comb your hair with a comb, and then wash your hair thoroughly with shampoo several times.
Modern analogues
We looked at methods from traditional medicine. It's time to talk about modern drugs, now there are also a lot of them, and in different forms:
- aerosols;
- shampoos;
- sprays;
- ointments, etc.
Spray Lavinal against lice and nits
This spray is based on various essential oils, such as ylang-ylang, lavender, mint. This product is completely non-toxic and can be used even for the smallest children. Lice from this spray begin to suffocate, the oil that gets into their respiratory tract blocks access to air.
Apply Lavinal evenly to dry hair and leave for 30 minutes under a cap. After which it is washed off with water and washed with shampoo.
Shampoo Pedilin
The substances included in the drug destroy all blood-sucking insects. Can be used for children over 5 years old. Also apply to hair, leave for 10 minutes and rinse with warm water. After the procedure, it is advisable to rinse your hair with vinegar. Repeat everything again after 7 days.
