How to get rid of lice and nits using hellebore water? Description of the product and rules for its use

What is it: composition and release form

Hellebore water (lat. Aqua veratri) is a medicine used to treat head lice. This medicine is for external use only in the form of a yellow-brown, slightly cloudy liquid.
During settling, sediment may form. Hellebore water consists of a tincture of hellebore rhizomes (active substance) in alcohol and purified water (excipient).
Reference. Hellebore root, hellebore, hellebore, hellebore, cherry, hellebore, zhimeritsa, sneeze, puppeteer, spinning top, death eater, lousy grass - all these are the names of hellebore, a perennial plant.
It grows in:

• Central and Eastern Europe;
• Asia Minor and Central Asia;
• Mediterranean.

In Russia, it can be found in the Far East and Siberia. This herb has not spared China and Japan.

The herb is poisonous (natural alkaloid). This must be taken into account when using the medicine - strictly follow the instructions, do not exceed the indicated dosages, and work with gloves. Ingestion of the juice of this plant can lead to death, and inhalation of vapors can cause irritation of the mucous membrane of the eyes and watery eyes.

The drug is available in bottles (volume - 40 ml and 100 ml) made of dark glass, packed in cardboard boxes.

Course of treatment and contraindications

It may happen that after treating the head with medicine, some lice will remain alive and continue to annoy the child. Even then, the next treatment should not be carried out within the next few days.

Repeat the procedure in a week. This way you will kill the remaining insects and destroy those that managed to hatch from the eggs during this time. But you should not use hellebore for more than three to four weeks in a row.

If it does not help you, then it is better to switch to a more effective remedy or consult a doctor.

Read the instructions for the full list of contraindications. Here, in addition to allergies and age under 12 years, we note the ban on using the tincture if there are wounds on the skin, even small ones, since the medicine can enter the bloodstream, which can be fatal.

It is not recommended to use if you have heart disease. Store the tincture in a dark place, out of reach of children, and screw the lid securely.

As we have seen, hellebore water is a medicine with controversial effectiveness , especially when used on children. Its cheapness and availability in any pharmacy is offset by toxicity and allergenicity, as well as the impossibility of using it on children.

But if your child is already old enough and healthy, and the severity of the lice infestation is not great, then this medicine will justify its use with due care and precision.

Find out more about these and other folk remedies for head lice for children and the features of their use:

1. Is it possible to remove lice from a child with kerosene?
2. How to properly and safely get rid of head lice in children using vinegar?

We also have interesting information about shampoos for head lice in children

The principle of action of the drug on lice and nits

The principle of action of the drug is based on the effect on the nervous system and intestines of lice, which leads to their destruction.
First, the poison envelops and wets the parasite, then it enters the body through the respiratory tract, followed by gradual paralysis and death. Hellebore water kills both mature individuals and nits. But the latter are more resilient and may not be destroyed the first time.

Thanks to the ethyl alcohol contained in the drug, hellebore penetrates insect tissue faster and better.

A surge in head lice occurs in the winter, most often it affects children who do not follow the rules of personal hygiene - they use combs and try on each other’s hats and scarves.

The main symptom of lice infestation is itching of the scalp, especially behind the ears, neck and back of the head.

Insects are very jumpy, for this reason you can pick up the infection on public transport, such as:

• metro;
• by bus;
• tram.

To prevent lice infection, the following rules should be observed:

1. Lice can live for two to three days on various objects in the house, so it is important to treat all things that the infected person has come into contact with: comb, hairpins and elastic bands; Underwear and bed clothes must be washed and ironed. This is especially true for hats and scarves.
2. If an item cannot be washed, you can place it in the freezer overnight. Pay special attention to the processing of upholstered furniture, bedspreads, and carpets.
3. All members of the family or team where pediculosis is detected are treated, regardless of whether they have lice.
4. The louse lays eggs once every 10 days in the form of nits. If they are not removed, the infection process will repeat again. Interestingly, only two live nits are needed to restore the population. This once again proves the need for careful combing out of nits, since, unfortunately, not a single drug kills them all.
5. Use an individual comb, hats and teach your children this.
6. Maintain personal hygiene.
7. You should not wear your hair down in public places.
8. There is no need to touch your heads, this is especially true for teenagers who often take selfies.

You should be aware of the dangers of lice. In addition to unbearable itching and wounds from bites and scratching on the head (this is dangerous due to the possibility of infection), a person’s immunity is weakened. He becomes susceptible to all kinds of diseases, and anemia develops. In addition, these insects have an excellent sense of smell and love the smell of perfume. For lice, a comfortable temperature ranges from 15 to 37 degrees Celsius.

Description and principle of operation

Hellebore water got its name from the hellebore plant.
This well-known drug, used for head lice, is a tincture based on ethyl alcohol, hellebore rhizome and distilled water.

This plant is characterized by toxic properties, therefore the permissible dosage in the preparation is strictly observed - for 1 part of hellebore roots there are 10 parts of ethyl alcohol and distilled water.

Due to its healing properties, hellebore water has long been used for medical and cosmetic purposes.

With its help, wounds with signs of inflammation and suppuration, are successfully treated .

Having proven itself excellent in the prevention and treatment of head lice, this product effectively copes with the elimination of adult lice, and hellebore water also kills nits.

The alcoholic tincture of hellebore has a paralyzing effect on the smooth muscles of the gastrointestinal tract of the parasite, as a result of which it dies along with its nits.

IMPORTANT! Hellebore water works reliably and effectively, but it can burn and irritate the thinnest areas of the skin, as well as mucous membranes. Therefore, extreme caution must be exercised to avoid getting the drug into the eyes, ear cavity, and mucous membranes of the mouth and nose.

Instructions for use: how to use?

Dosage

Attention! Before drinking, hellebore water must be shaken.

To get rid of lice, hellebore water is used only externally. The dosage has not been established, but care must be taken when applying so that the drug does not drip and does not get into the eyes or mouth.

The drug is applied only to damp hair, previously washed with shampoo.

Application of the drug:

1. Distribute the product evenly over the scalp and hair.
   We especially carefully treat the back of the head, temples and behind the ears. This is convenient to do with a comb or cotton pad. This procedure must be approached with all responsibility, because it depends on whether you will have to poison your head with chemicals again. In order not to miss a single hair, it is recommended to divide them into parts.
2. We put a plastic bag or a swimming cap on our head (we must throw it away after use) to enhance the effect of the medicine.
3. We wrap our heads in a scarf and wait 20–30 minutes. The exposure time should not be increased in order to increase the effectiveness of the drug. This is life-threatening due to the toxicity of hellebore water.
4. We rinse our hair very thoroughly - first with plain water, then twice with shampoo.
5. Using a wide-tooth comb (available at a pharmacy), comb the dead bugs out of your hair. It is recommended to comb your hair over a white sheet of paper - everything will be collected neatly, and the white color will help distinguish living parasites from dead ones. We carry out all manipulations in good lighting.
6. Be sure to rinse the comb thoroughly after each use.

Reference. The drug should not be applied to the skin if its integrity is damaged. And with pediculosis, scratching is inevitable on the scalp.

Tar soap will help relieve itching:

1. It is grated, dissolved in water and applied to the head in the form of foam.
2. Leave for 10 minutes and wash off with shampoo.

This will relieve the itching and dry the wounds on the head. It should be remembered that tar soap does not kill lice.

Nowadays the use of hellebore water is not popular. Doctors also prefer not to prescribe this poisonous, although cheap and effective herb, especially to children. And among our grandparents, along with kerosene, this medicine was very popular.

Video about using hellebore water against lice and nits:

Method of treatment

The following course of treatment should be followed:

1. Primary treatment of the scalp.
   We check the result - if there are no living individuals and live nits, then secondary processing will not be required. You can distinguish a dead nit from a living one by pressing it with your fingernail - live nits make a clicking sound when pressed. There are also differences in color - dead ones are dull and do not shine.
2. If the parasites or their larvae have not died, it is necessary to re-treat, but not earlier than one day after the first.

For preventive purposes, treatment is carried out no earlier than one week after the last treatment. This is very important for final disposal and eliminating the possibility of re-infection.

Important! The effect of the drug weakens when used together with products that contain tannins.

Drivers can safely use this medicine, since hellebore water does not affect reaction speed and attention.

Is the product safe?

Hellebore water is a toxic product that can lead to poisoning or even death if used in violation of the instructions. This is due to the presence of alkaloids that kill lice. When using products containing hellebore, be sure to follow the safety rules:

1. Be sure to wear rubber gloves and discard them after use.
2. The drug should not come into contact with a person's eyes, mouth or nose. In case of contact with mucous membranes, rinse them thoroughly with water.
3. If during use the scalp becomes very itchy and burning, you should immediately wash off the drug.
4. If after treatment symptoms of poisoning begin - nausea, dizziness - you need to seek medical help.

Almost all lice removal products have such rules for the safe use of medicines.

Attention! The most important thing is not to deviate from the instructions, then the desired effect will be achieved and your health will not suffer.

Is it suitable for children?

The instructions for the drug indicate that the use of this medicine is contraindicated for children under 12 years of age (since there is no data on the use of the medicine in pediatrics). Even if the child is older than the specified age, hellebore water should be used with caution and if there is the slightest ailment, consult a doctor.

You also need to store hellebore tincture in a place where the child cannot take it independently.

What effect does it have on hair?

Hellebore water, in addition to its antiparasitic effect, can have a positive effect on the scalp and hair:

• eliminates dandruff and excessive oily scalp;
• promotes hair growth;
• improves blood circulation in the scalp;
• stops hair loss.

They often write on forums that after using the drug they not only get rid of lice, but also cope with many hair and scalp problems. Many women even use hellebore water as a cosmetic product.

To treat hair loss, it is recommended to use hellebore water paired with castor and burdock oil, and other medications to improve hair growth. They are rubbed into the scalp after applying the hellebore solution.

Reference. When using the medicine, you must strictly follow the instructions, do not exceed the specified exposure time and use gloves.

Efficiency

Although hellebore tincture is very effective in the fight against lice, it does not cope so well with their eggs - nits. This is the main disadvantage of the medicine in question. Read about products suitable for killing nits on children’s hair here.

It can also be noted that they cannot treat the head completely, like with a shampoo or a mask, but this cannot be done because of the need for painstaking manual application of the product, so some of the areas affected by parasites may not be treated and the insects will survive there.

It takes a relatively long time to apply hellebore water against lice to a child, which requires patience and perseverance from him .

Coupled with increased toxicity and danger of use, this makes hellebore tincture far from the best choice on the anti-lice medicine market.

There are many shampoos and sprays that are based on insecticides that are absolutely safe for humans, but also effectively kill insects. But there is one catch - the price.

Good professional anti-lice products are expensive, but hellebore can be bought for mere pennies. Because of its price, it can be considered a competitive product. But if you are willing to pay more for a reliable and safe solution, then, of course, there is no point in stopping your eyes on hellebore water.

If your child's head is not only a home for lice, but also an incubator for their eggs, then one herbal tincture will not be enough . It will be necessary to supplement the course of treatment with something that can eliminate nits.

One of the options has already been shown above - these are special combs. They comb out both lice and nits equally well. You can also use medicated shampoos, but be careful: too much chemical exposure can negatively affect your child's health.

Therefore, choose light, preventative preparations, such as those made from essential oils.

It can also be supplemented with soap effectively both on its own and as a prevention of possible skin irritations due to the use of hellebore.

You can make various decoctions, for example, from mint or nettle.

Note: you should not combine other alcohol tinctures with hellebore water. Excessive exposure to alcohol on the skin can be harmful to it.

Read our other articles on the topic of head lice in children:

• reasons for lice in children: where they come from and why they appear on a child’s head;
• signs and symptoms of head lice in children;
• how and how to remove lice and nits from a child with long hair;
• necessary prevention of head lice in children and recommended remedies for lice.

Side effects

The main side effects from using hellebore water are allergic reactions and poisoning. After applying the product to the scalp, severe burning and itching is sometimes felt, which intensifies over time. In this case, you need to wash off the drug without waiting the prescribed period.

Possible signs of poisoning that occur if the product is accidentally ingested:

• nausea;
• loose stools;
• Strong headache;
• convulsions;
• decreased visual acuity;
• loss of consciousness;
• heart failure.

If such signs are detected, you should immediately consult a doctor.

Important! Before use, perform a sensitivity test to find out if you are allergic to the drug. To do this, drop the tincture onto the inside of the elbow and wait 30 minutes. If during this time no itching, burning or redness appears, then you can safely use the product.

Risks

As we have already said, hellebore water should not be allowed to get into wounds, mucous membranes, and especially into the esophagus. However, be aware that too intense application and rubbing can also lead to the absorption of toxin components of hellebore. It should be used carefully.

Signs of poisoning are:

• Nausea;
• The appearance of a feeling of weakness;
• Decreased blood pressure, slowed heart rate;
• Severe itching.

You can only cope with the last symptom on your own by washing the affected area. In other cases, it is better to call an ambulance. By the way, be prepared to be reprimanded for trying to get rid of lice using folk methods on your own.

Reviews about the drug

Before deciding to use a particular remedy, it is advisable to study the experiences of other people. Reviews about the use of hellebore against lice are most often positive. But people note a strong burning sensation when using the product; the advantages include low cost and effectiveness:

• Inna: “The whole family was treated for lice; we caught it on vacation. The product is cheap and very effective. All lice disappeared after the first use. The only negative is that after treating your head, you need to wash your hair not only with water, but also with shampoo.”
• Oksana: “Very effective and inexpensive remedy. Effective instantly. Everyone was treated: children, parents and grandparents were not forgotten. It happened in a village, and they suggested it at the local pharmacy. Now we need to do it again - the children brought this infection from school. We tried expensive special shampoos - complete nonsense.”

But there are also negative reviews. They mainly refer to personal intolerance to the drug and the need for repeated use, and also describe cases of poisoning (in children):

• Topolina: “Having treated our long-haired daughters with expensive drugs, we decided to choose a cheaper product for prevention. As a woman, it was enough for me to dye my hair (the dye immediately kills insects), but my husband and grandfather flatly refused to dye their thick hair, and they bought cheap hellebore water for them.
  I applied this water to their hair, wrapped it in a scarf for half an hour, and then they washed their hair with shampoo. Although I performed the procedure in an open bathroom, the smell of hellebore water was impossible, my breathing was on the verge of stopping. It's too much on the nose. And I'm glad that our torment has stopped. The procedure must be repeated after a week. But no one here itches, and I don’t want to repeat this torture again.

  My grandmother kept praising this water, saying it was good for thick hair, dandruff, lice and nits. But I didn’t like hellebore water because of the suffocating smell.

• Katerina, Odessa: “And when we were removing lice with hellebore water, we were poisoned. Or rather, my youngest daughter was poisoned. She began to feel sick. The doctors were called, they said that this could have happened due to vapor poisoning, since we did not put a plastic bag on our heads.”

Hellebore water is an excellent effective remedy for getting rid of lice and nits. In addition to getting rid of head lice, this wonderful drug will help heal the scalp and prevent hair loss. When using this drug, you must follow the instructions for use so as not to experience the toxic properties of hellebore.

How to remove lice with hellebore water from a child?

Hellebore water for lice: instructions for use for children! Before using the tincture, you should wash your hair with shampoo , but do not overdo it - the hair should not be too wet. The bottle of medicine should be shaken well so that the water and tincture are in equal proportions everywhere.

Then soak a cotton swab with hellebore water and apply it to your head and skin. Try to saturate the tampon evenly so that there are no leaking or dry areas on it. The instructions recommend paying special attention to the treatment of the skin behind the ears, temples, and the back of the head.

Then put a plastic bag on the child's head and hold it for half an hour. After this, you need to remove the bag and comb out the dead lice with a special iron comb, which has such narrow gaps between the teeth that it allows hair to pass through, but catches the parasites.

If you don't have such a comb, then go through your hair with a simple plastic comb, but it won't be as effective. Finally, wash your hair with shampoo again and dry your hair.

You can apply hellebore water not only with a cotton swab, but also in other ways. When using it on a child, it is important not to exceed the concentration of the liquid.

Therefore, applying medication using disposable syringes is one of the best options .

It allows you to evenly treat each strand of hair with hellebore. It will take more time, but safety and the absence of unforeseen incidents will be guaranteed.

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.

Side effects

Rarely, after applying hellebore water to the hair, symptoms of allergy and hypersensitivity to the drug may occur. This manifests itself in the form of erythema, burning, itching of the skin. If such a reaction occurs during the use of the product, the procedure is stopped immediately, the solution is washed off the head with warm water and shampoo.

Poisoning with hellebore water can occur due to violation of the rules of use, or an overdose of the drug. Signs of mild poisoning:

• dizziness;
• thirst;
• headache;
• nausea;
• vomit;
• cardiopalmus;
• tachycardia.

Symptoms of severe poisoning:

• labored breathing;
• blurred vision;
• a sharp decrease in blood pressure;
• slow heartbeat;
• convulsions;
• fainting.

If the listed signs of intoxication appear, it is necessary to urgently take measures to remove toxins from the body. In cases of severe hellebore water poisoning, professional medical assistance and special treatment cannot be avoided.

Attention! Exceeding doses of the drug, failure to observe intervals between procedures, and drinking hellebore water internally is deadly!

Composition of hellebore water and its properties

Medicine is prepared from the roots of the hellebore plant. They are infused with 70% alcohol, and then the resulting infusion is diluted with water in a 50/50 ratio. The prepared solution is sold in bottles of 100 or 50 milliliters. The cost of 100 ml of the drug is 30-40 rubles.

Most often it is used to treat head lice, but hellebore water has other properties:

• antifungal;
• bactericidal;
• pain reliever;
• tonic.

In addition to all of the above, the tincture stimulates blood flow in the scalp. This helps normalize metabolic processes and improve hair growth. At the same time, bacteria and fungi are destroyed, which often provoke the appearance of dandruff and seborrhea.

The properties of hellebore were known to many peoples, including the North American Indians. They used the juice of this plant to lubricate arrowheads, and shamans prepared medicines from it.

The antiparasitic property of hellebore is widely used in medicine. It has a poisonous effect on many insects, including lice. The infusion penetrates the parasite’s body through the nutritional organs and causes their damage. The reproductive system is also destroyed. Do not forget that the medicine is prepared with alcohol, which also negatively affects the health of parasitic insects.

The disadvantages of hellebore water include the fact that it has virtually no effect on nits. Most of them survive treatment with this drug, so treatment must be repeated several times.