Does Henna Kill Lice?

Yes, henna kills lice. Henna combined with Fenugreek will kill head lice in resistant infestations. Henna combined with Artemisia will completely eradicate head lice, even in severe infestations.




How Does It Work?

Effective head lice treatments need to work on two fronts, addressing both the adult lice and the nits (eggs) that cling to the hair strands. Henna works quite simply in both these regards.

The gritty texture of henna when properly mixed acts as a fine-toothed comb for nits. The acidic solutions that are commonly mixed with henna (lemon juice, etc.) also break down the glue-like substance that nits use to attached to hair strands. Additionally, the muddy, sticky qualities of henna make it perfect for smothering the live bugs that are roaming the scalp.




Procedure / Method:

To use henna as a head lice treatment, prepare and apply henna as normal. Use cling wrap or a shower cap and keep the henna on your head for at least three hours. After rinsing, comb your hair using the fine-toothed comb and let dry. For particularly bad infestations, Artemisia absinthium has been shown to improve effectiveness of henna for lice removal. Mix 25g of Artemisia absinthium with each 100g of henna.

Note: Though you can generally assume that it is safe to henna a healthy female over the age of 12, do not henna a child or infant’s hair without first consulting your physician to determine whether the child has G6PD deficiency.