Neem Oil For Head Lice
Neem Shampoo A Natural Home Remedy?

Results Of The Latest Clinical Head Lice Shampoo Trials Are Promising. Neem Shampoo May Be A Very Effective Head Lice Remedy.

Neem oil for head lice?

Whether neem shampoo is a home remedy for head lice is a popular question.

Head lice are such persistent little pests, and the usual chemical head lice shampoos are rather nasty.

Do you really want to wash your hair with insecticide? Some over the counter and prescription remedies are so toxic that you can only use them once every ten days.

And as if that wasn't bad enough, head lice are also resistant to many of the commonly used chemicals! Most people find that out the hard way...

Wouldn't it be great if there was an effective, natural home remedy for head lice? If you could just wash your hair with a nice neem shampoo and that's it? All fixed?

It is common wisdom that neem oil shampoo prevents head lice. Head lice, like all insects, hate the smell of neem oil, and even the slightest hint of neem keeps head lice away.

But can neem shampoo get rid of an existing head lice infestation? That's a different question. Most people think it can't.

The recommendation is to use undiluted neem oil for head lice. Yep, a head lice infestation is the only condition where the use of undiluted neem oil is recommended. A very messy and smelly operation... (Although, no matter how smelly, a natural remedy for head lice is still much preferable to the nasty chemicals you would otherwise need.)

But now there is some good news. In January 2007 Egyptian researchers published the very promising results of a small clinical trial of a head lice remedy:

Sixty children, all heavily infested with head lice, were treated with neem shampoo. The study showed that if the hair is washed with 20 - 30 ml of neem shampoo, and the shampoo is left in the hair for at least 10 minutes, then neem shampoo is highly effective against all stages of head lice.

The head lice shampoo used in the trial contained neem seed extract. If a neem shampoo is to be effective against head lice it should contain neem seed oil or neem seed extract at a fairly high concentration.

Many neem shampoos contain neem leaf or bark extracts, and often they don't contain all that much. Do not misinterpret that head lice home remedy study. It does not mean that ANY neem shampoo will totally clean up a head lice infestation just like that. But it is a promising trial.

Even if the neem shampoo didn't kill the head lice eggs, it shouldn't matter. Such a natural, herbal head lice shampoo can be used daily. Any remaining eggs that the nit comb missed would be dealt with as soon as they hatch. Using the neem shampoo would also prevent reinfestation via contaminated clothing, bedding etc.

This trial followed a 2006 laboratory experiment on Australian head lice. The results were the same. The neem oil shampoo was highly effective against head lice, more effective than a conventional head lice treatment containing permethrin (a common pesticide).

Want to give it a go and treat head lice at home naturally? Here are some related pages:

Neem Home Remedies For Head Lice
About Neem Shampoo
Making Neem Shampoo

Your Experiences With Neem And Head Lice

Have you used neem oil, neem shampoo or other neem products to deal with head lice? Other readers would love to hear about your first hand experiences with neem.

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What Other Readers Have Said And Asked

Click below to read about other readers' experiences and questions about neem and head lice.

Neem oil for head lice on baby  I have five month old baby and she got head lice. Can I use neem oil for her? If yes, then please send me the procedure.
Thanks, SM

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Sources:

Parasitol Res. 2007 Jan;100(2):329-32. Epub 2006 Aug 10. Efficacy of neem seed extract shampoo on head lice of naturally infected humans in Egypt.

Parasitol Res. 2006 Sep;99(4):353-6. Epub 2006 Mar 28. A new shampoo based on neem (Azadirachta indica) is highly effective against head lice in vitro.