Peroxide is a biologically safe drug that, when interacting with liquid, decomposes into oxygen and water. Oxygen has an oxidizing effect, which makes it highly effective against parasites. Hydrogen peroxide can help get rid of lice and nits at home in one procedure without harm to health, but it is important to follow a number of rules. In this article we will talk about the most effective way to prepare a peroxide solution for safely removing lice from a person’s head.
What it is
Hydrogen peroxide is a clear liquid. Consistency – viscous. There is no specific taste or smell.
The solution is 1.5 times heavier than water. Its ability to mix with water in any ratio is known. The liquid is non-flammable, non-explosive and non-flammable.
This is a powerful oxidizing agent that vigorously reacts with all kinds of substances.
The following properties of perhydrol are distinguished:
- accelerating the process of tissue regeneration;
- participation in carbohydrate, fat and protein metabolic processes;
- normalization of the gastrointestinal tract;
- destruction of toxins;
- vasodilation;
- destruction of all parasites, fungi, bacteria and viruses;
- saturation of tissues with oxygen (in case of its deficiency);
- normalization of blood composition;
- regulation of hormonal processes in the adrenal glands, gonads and thyroid gland;
- normalization of acid-base balance.
What effect does it have on lice?
The drug is very effective against lice. Being a strong oxidizing agent, it corrodes the outer coverings of parasites and enters the body. The ingredients of perhydrol burn the insides of lice in a few seconds.
Almost all ectoparasites die. The survivors suffer serious damage. They are no longer able to lead their normal lives. Roughly speaking, they become disabled - they cannot eat, move normally and reproduce.
Only the most persistent individuals continue to parasitize.
Effect of peroxide on lice and nits
Hydrogen peroxide is a strong oxidizing agent that penetrates the parasites, corroding their outer covering. The active ingredients of the drug can destroy lice in just a few minutes. Most of them die, and the survivors receive significant damage. They will no longer be able to reproduce and lead a full life.
The high effectiveness of this traditional method of treating head lice lies in the implementation of all recommendations for hair treatment. Peroxide cannot destroy the shell of nits, but the main components of the product affect the structure of their mucus, due to which they are held on the hair, making it easier to comb them out with a nit comb.
Does hydrogen peroxide completely kill lice and nits?
Under the influence of weak perhydrol, insects die because they cannot cope with such a dose of “poison”. The medication adversely affects the composition of the secretion, which is responsible for attaching the egg to the scalp. Hydrogen peroxide allows you to remove parasites from strands.
What contraindications are there?
It is not recommended to treat head lice in this way in children under five years of age. Perhydrol is a powerful drug that can injure the delicate skin of a child.
One of the most important contraindications is intolerance to the components.
In all other cases, before using the drug, it is necessary to conduct a sensitivity test.
To do this, place a few drops on the inside of the wrist. Next you should wait 12 hours. If redness appears and the skin begins to itch, parasites cannot be removed in this way.
It is not recommended to get rid of ectoparasites against the background of:
- presence of wounds on the head;
- individual intolerance;
- gestation of the fetus.
Note! Ammonia hair dye has a similar effect - it contains perhydrol.
One of the main disadvantages of peroxide is that it actively lightens the hair, helping to weaken it. After the procedure, hair may require long-term rehabilitation.
After the procedure, hair may begin to fall out significantly.
Other side effects include:
- the appearance of allergies (expressed in severe itching, redness, peeling of the skin on the head);
- dry hair and skin;
- burns (appear on the neck and behind the ears, less often on the head);
- profuse hair loss.
Contraindications
This method of combating pediculosis shows good results, but it cannot be used in the following cases:
- Presence of skin defects , injuries. If the medication gets on an open wound, burns and scars form. Before starting therapy, the head must be examined in detail.
- Young age up to 5 years . The baby's body is not designed to withstand the influence of chemical oxidizing agents. Children are recommended to use products with a mild effect.
- Individual intolerance . In this situation, the development of an allergic reaction is observed.
- Pregnancy . It is not recommended to use the method of treating head lice while pregnant due to the possible negative impact on the baby.
- Increased hair fragility . Peroxide will worsen the condition of the curls, causing slow growth and hair loss.
Before using peroxide for the first time, you should do a sensitivity test. Apply a small amount of product to the area behind the ear. The product is contraindicated if a rash, itching, erythema, or burning appears on the treated area. The medication tends to highlight the hair, so after the event it may become a tone lighter and more weakened.
How is treatment carried out?
Is it possible to remove lice and nits with peroxide? Yes, you can. Before the procedure you need to prepare the following:
- a towel or any other light fabric;
- comb (metal, wood) with fine teeth;
- containers for diluting the drug (glass, enamel);
- water for rinsing (it should be slightly acidified);
- sponge for applying the solution;
- gloves (latex).
The most important step is combing.
It is recommended to use the following method of application:
- Comb your hair thoroughly.
- Wear gloves. This is necessary in order to protect the skin of your hands.
- Divide hair into strands. Process each of them in turn. The solution is applied along the entire length, to the very ends.
- Apply perhydrol to the skin. This should be done as quickly as possible, avoiding getting the solution into the eyes and respiratory system.
- Cover your head with something thick. This is necessary to eliminate the risk of evaporation of the product.
- Waiting 7-13 minutes is no longer possible. There will be a slight burning sensation, this is normal. But if severe pain occurs, you need to immediately wash off the peroxide.
- Turn on warm (not hot!) water and rinse well.
- Dilute water with 1 tsp. citric acid, and rinse your curls with this mixture. This is necessary to quickly flush out dead parasites.
- Dry.
- “Arm yourself” with a comb and comb it well. This helps remove all nits. The duration of the procedure is 30 minutes. Over the next two days, the combing procedure will need to be repeated.
It needs to be dried with a hairdryer.
The treatment is repeated only when necessary - after 13-15 days. This is the period required for complete hair restoration.
Recipe for normal skin
In order to maintain hair health, it is necessary to take into account its characteristics . Peroxide dries the hair very much and, based on this, you should choose the concentration of the solution.
People with normal hair and scalp can use the standard solution recipe described above. After the procedure, in order to neutralize the drying effect of peroxide, you can apply a moisturizing mask or balm to your hair.
For oily skin
Those with hair and scalp prone to oiliness can afford a stronger concentration of peroxide to treat their scalp, and even repeating the procedure will not cause too serious harm.
For dry skin
As for those with dry and damaged hair and dry skin, in this case, it would be wiser to refuse such a product as hydrogen peroxide. The consequences will be disastrous both from an aesthetic point of view and for the health of the victim. Hair with this feature is at risk of increased fragility, split ends, and complete or partial loss.
With lemon juice
You can enhance the effectiveness of the procedure for removing lice by adding lemon juice to the hydrogen peroxide solution. Lemon juice contains acid, which has a suffocating effect on living individuals and, like peroxide, dissolves the substance that attaches nits to the hair. The preparation recipe is very simple: for one procedure you will also need a peroxide solution diluted 1:2 and the juice of one lemon. After application, keep your head and hair in a plastic bag, then rinse thoroughly.
How effective is this method?
The effectiveness of the method is determined by the following factors:
- infection by parasites (the method will help if it is minor);
- hair length (the method is effective if the hair is short or its length does not reach the shoulders);
- combing (it must be very thorough).
Important! It is necessary to carefully examine the head for the presence of nits. This is done using a magnifying glass. You need to examine the head in bright natural light.
If the infection is very severe, a repeat procedure may be required.
A preliminary consultation with a hairdresser is strictly required
Therefore, if there are a lot of parasites, you need to carefully weigh the pros and cons. There are many other, equally effective, but less radical methods. You can also always use good professional lice repellents.
You will need to repeat the session even with very long hair. An urgent repetition of the procedure is required when, after a few days, undead lice are found in the hair. The procedure is also repeated if ectoparasites are nowhere to be seen, but fresh bites begin to appear on the skin.
How to prevent unwanted effects
You can avoid burns and other “side effects” as follows:
- A sensitivity test is mandatory. This is true even when a person has already treated his head with perhydrol in the past;
- Even minor damage to the skin cannot be ignored. Otherwise the pain will be unbearable;
- Do not use the product if you have large raised moles - the reaction may be unpredictable;
- if you have pimples, then you should also avoid using perhydrol;
- the exposure time should be exactly the same as in the instructions. Otherwise, you can provoke severe hair loss. It will be very difficult to cure them;
- If severe discomfort occurs immediately, the product should be washed off immediately.
Precautionary measures
Since peroxide is a strong oxidizing agent, do not forget about safety precautions when using the drug externally:
- Before starting treatment, a sensitivity test is required - a few drops of the drug should be applied to the elbow and the area behind the ear. If there is no strong burning sensation or other painful sensations, then the procedure can begin;
- if you feel an unbearable burning sensation, the solution should be washed off immediately;
- If necessary, the treatment can be repeated only after 2 weeks - this is exactly the time it takes for an accidentally missed nit to grow into a full-fledged individual. Also, this period is needed for the hair and scalp to recover from exposure to an oxidizing agent;
- It is prohibited to increase the procedure time. The maximum operating time of the hydrogen peroxide solution is 15 minutes. Even if there is no discomfort, after the specified time has elapsed, you need to rinse your hair.
Attention! If you follow all safety measures, you can get rid of lice in one procedure without pain.
Reviews
Real reviews from people who have used perhydrol.
Svetlana
I have very long and thick hair - almost to my lower back. When a friend advised treating them with perhydrol, she was very surprised. But then I thought about it and decided that since I use different dyes and my hair doesn’t get worse, then why not.
I did everything strictly according to the instructions. I combed it for an hour and a half, then, as written, for another two days - the procedure also took about forty minutes.
Since my hair is very long, I decided not to risk it and re-process it. I waited the allotted time, applied peroxide again, and repeated everything.
I want to say that it is easier to remove lice than nits. These bastards are so tenacious that they will probably even survive a nuclear war.
Now there are no problems with lice, they are gone. Hopefully forever.
Valentina
In my opinion, regular peroxide will not help here. You need to take a professional hairdresser. On the advice of my master, I used 12% perhydrol. The lice quickly all died. Not all of the nits came off. But most of them.
A few days later I carried out a repeat “special operation”, the result was a little better. When I was scratching my hair, I came across several half-dead lice that were not combed out the first time. Then I washed my hair with tar shampoo. I'm waiting for the result, so far everything seems to be fine. I heard that for prevention you need to use tar soap a couple of times a month.
Olesya
I'll tell you about my feelings. My hair is quite weak, and I don’t want to damage it again. I heard a lot about peroxide, so I decided to conduct a small experiment. I caught the lice and dropped a drop of perhydrol (6%) on it. Nothing happened to the parasite! She calmly swam out of the drop and lived for another half hour.
I treated my hair with alcohol and waited twenty minutes. The parasites disappeared, but the condition of the hair worsened sharply.
