Dealing with Headlice

I am so sorry to hear about it. I know only one thing for PREVENTION. There is a shampoo called Arbonne Intelligence with Tea Tree Oil in it. It is a vegan product and works wonders. You can get it at www.BeautyBy.myarobonne. com

Hi Sheree,

You have to use the treatment kit and you have to go through the hair with the little comb and get all the eggs out. You also have to treat the whole house, beds, couches, anywhere the children have been. If there are stuffed animals get rid of them. Good luck. J.

Try saturating hair with Listerine, putting a tight shower cap on fro a few hours and then rinsing out. I tried everyhting last year and that finally worked1

S. B.
Guilford, CT

i found the easiest way to get rid of the lice and not have them come back is to get a inexpensive smelly perm and comb it through the hair, don't have to curl or anything of that sort. just comb it through and let it set the amount of time it takes for the perm to process. the chemicals will burn the critters right where they are. first wash hair with Denorex shampoo. it is a tar based shampoo that will sufficate the adult louse. then use the perm. it is less abrasive to the child and then the hair is chemically treated so they dont come back, then rinse with apple cider vinegar after shampoo, it is acidic so the lice can not adhear thier eggs to the hair. we had the public health nurse in our home by request to get through the epidemic, my daughters had them repeatedly from school, there was a child at school that was coming in and sharing them. once they got her home under control, the problem was over. then, get a small bottle of shampoo and add a whole egg to it and shake it up. that is good protein for the hair to help repair the brittleness that the perm or nix caused, and follow with vinegar for rinse everytime. also when the kids are heading off to school, use hair spray on thier hair. just a cheap old can from the local dollar store will do the trick. they dont like that on the hair either.

after that we knew when the season was. september and again in the spring. so when school started, out came the perm and the vinegar and hair spray. we never got it again. made it our routine every year.

My Dr. suggested vasoline after I tried an over the counter product I think was called Nix or something like that. The Nix worked but my daughter had a reaction to that product.
Good luck and keep combing their hair

I just started reading a book called "Gorgeously Green" & it recommends a product called Lice B Gone (www.myhealthpro.com). Im not sure where u could just go & purchase it, maybe a health food store? It doesnt contain any toxic chemicals & is supposedly safe & effective. Other lice meds have pediculicides which are very toxic.

Once you actually get rid of the lice, wash everything you own in your house use coconut shampoo on a daily basis, the lice does not like the smell. also keep their hair tied back during the day.

Good luck.

You have to coat the whole head and hair in oil every night for ten days. The lice lay eggs which can wake up anytime during ten days. If they wake up and there's oil on the hair, they'll drown. If not, they'll grow and then, you've got lice again. The kids have to go to bed with their hair drenched in oil every night for ten days. I don't envy you, but that's teh only surefire way. P.

Denise R. is right on. My boys and I had it last year and it was tough and exhausting. We went to a professional nit picker and Patene and the comb were her solutions. Yes you need to wash sheets, car seat head rests stuffed animals etc (bagging is also fine) but really treat the head. They can't live long without a host so treat the heads. Daily combing for days on end. My nit picker also added some baking soda to the head before combing so that the comb wouldn't slip through too easily. Lots of paper towels to clean the comb after each swipe and then the towels go into a plastic bag for trash immediately. As I said, it was exhausting and it will be so much more intense for you (girls and more kids) but keep at it. As long as you find nits (so tiny greyish brown and tear drop shaped) and of course bugs. Also, if you can do it outside in bright sunlight.

Get help if you can. Nit pickers are expensive in my area but sometimes older women are familiar with this problem and willing to help.
Good luck and stick with it.

J. M.

Dear S.,
I am so sorry to hear of your head lice problem. I am a nurse and I work with lots of families who deal with it. It is a tedious process and I will start from the beginning. It is a must to do lots of combing everyday. You can treat with oil or mayonaise. That smothers the bugs. Keep it on for at least 2 hours and then comb and rise with vinegar. you need to be sure to wash all sheets and linens in hot water and dry with hot heat. Bag up all stuffed toys in the kids rooms for 2 weeks. Use a warm iron to go over your furniture as the heat kills the eggs. And you may need to repeat the process 2 or 3 times over a 7 day period. The main thing is to remove any nits you find and you need to check every day. Use a hot blow dryer after you do the vinegar rinse also.
Best wishes.
M.

I have recently read that the highest heat setting from a hair dryer kills lice and that in the near future the school nurse will be taking care of the problem with a customized hair dryer. I have never tried it but it seems like a good place to start since it is nontoxic and easy to do. I would probably try it outside though.

I had a real problem with head lice on my two (and I got them too - yuk!!) All the insecticide based lotions etc did not work - I was told that some lice have become resistant to them. Then I tried the silicone based type which basically "drowns" them rather then killing them. The UK brand name is Hedrin (don't know what it's called in the US) and the active ingredient is Dimeticone. Also loads of combing with the lice comb. It worked where nothing else had!!

Hi Sheree:

I have a friend who has a 4 year old daughter, she had
gotten lice from nursery school. The best way she treated
it is that you get the special shampoo and comb from the
pharmacy. Treat everyones hair at home. Then you must wash everything in your home. She had to strip and wash all the bed linens, comforters, pillow cases, and pillows. Boiling hot water. You have to wash every brush and comb you own. Hopefully that will rid the problem. When your kids go to school, make sure the girls pull their hair back and put a little hair spray on them. Lice seem to dislike hairspray. I hope this was helpful. Good Luck.

Chandra P

Hi, i think you can get medication at any pharmacy. But that alone will not suffice.It will become necessary for you to visit your child's school so that the other child/children can also receive treatment since it is vital that the source be remedied as well. You will also need to treat all of your kids at the same time. Best of luck.

mayo.... put some mayo on kids head... rub it in... leave on for at least 20 minutes... use a lot.... or you can use olive oil... put pillows outside out night when it's cold... or tie in a plastic bag for a few days... also stuffed animals.. put in plastic bags tied tight.... so the bugs will die... they also sell some kind of fairy something shampoo... it's expensive but worth it... it prevents lice.... also rosemary prevents lice... rub rosemary on dry hair... the scent keeps them away... good luck...

I had that problem when my oldest was 7, her best friend kept giving it to her. There is a hair oil called pink in a pink bottle ...I bought it at Wal-mart. I had to soak my kids hair down in it and leave it on all night with a shower cap then washed her hair the next day. It suffocates the head lice. Your kids hair may be greasy for a while but at least the head lice will be gone.

We start with lice shampoo -- I think that Nix worked the best for us. (Unfortunately, we have had lice more than once in our house) After you wash the hair, you have to comb it, getting all bugs out and as many eggs as you can find. Be very systematic to make sure you get every hair. Vacuum the couches and beds, change the bedlinens. Put the stuffed animals in a garbage bag for 2 weeks. I recommend changing the pillow cases every night until you are lice-free.

You have to repeat combing every night for 10-14 days. Some of the lice shampoos recommend a repeat treatment in 7-10 days, but any more often than that won't help. It is a time consuming process -- I wish you the best of luck.

Get a metal, expensive ($20-$30) FINE toothed comb (German-made is the best). THIS IS THE SECRET AND THE SOLUTION TO YOUR LICE PROBLEM, and you will own it for years to come as lice will probably reappear in your life as long as you have school-aged children. Get a big bottle of Pantene hair conditioner. Sit your children down, detangle their hair with a brush/regular comb you'll later wash thoroughly with hot water (no need to boil). Plaster their hair with the conditioner, and divide in sections, each of which you will patiently comb through with your expensive fine-toothed comb. Have paper towel ready to clean out the comb as you go (you will see any nits and lice that come out on the paper). Comb through, being gentle with your children's scalp, until you see no more nits or lice. Be prepared to do this again a couple more times, depending on how severe the case is. Wash all bedding, coats, clothes and brushes in hot soapy water and have them wear again when they are lice-free (soon)!! AND REMEMBER, lice are tiny insects that you can easily, by following this method, get rid of-- IT IS NOT A DISEASE!!

The reason it keeps coming back is either you haven't gotten rid of it in your house or your child is bringing it back from a playmate. Be sure you, your family and your house are clean. Do everyone's hair, even if they don't have it. Wash everything in the hottest water possible. Sampoo carpeting, wash mattresses, change the plastic covering on mattresses, Wash all clothes that are out, meaning on the floor, chairs, hooks, anywhere exposed to the air. Remove all window curtains, draps, etc. Once you're sure your house is clean, instruct your children not to get too close to their friends, no play wrestling, no hugging, touching or the like. Good Luck

Dear Sheree,
If you have been treating lice with shampoos and treatments and nothing seems to work, I would like to tell you the story that happened to us. Perhaps it might help. It might not be lice at all.
I was told by the school nurse that my daughter had lice. I did the shampoo treatment and lectured my daughter on how lice was spread. A few weeks later, I got the same report and took her to the pediatrician. He confirmed the diagnosis. Again, I put her through the rigorous treatment. After several months, I was again informed that she had lice. I then realized that something was wrong. Come to find out, the conditioner I was using on her hair was leaving a residue on her hair that resembled lice. The child had never had lice to begin with, and yet I had put her through these treatments.
You might consider changing hair products and see if that helps.
Good Luck.

I only know of one product that prevents head lice from spreading to begin with: The Bug Bag. Your child places his or her coat in it in schools/nurseries, etc.
It is approved by the Dutch department of Health. You can find it on www.bugbagusa.com

You not only need to treat the hair but also need to make sure you wash the combs and brushes, bed sheets, pillow cases, clothes, and any mats or carpeting you might have in the house all in the same day....and every day until the problem clears up as lice lay eggs...if you use a vaccume, change the bag and get it out of the house.
Check with their teachers at school and parents of their friends who come to the house about the other children because chances are they are all infecting each other.

Dear S. C,

We've had Head lice three times in the past four years, the out break usually happens after the summer break (sleep away camp) and in the spring when spring sports start(shared helmets). It starts with one kid and spreads fast thru school, piling coats on top of each others, dress up, sharing hats, hair brushes, laying on carpeted floors hugging their friends etc...
You must be very diligent, they are hard to get rid of if you are not!

First step is to check everyones head in the house even Dads, if the males have it they can shave their heads. Look behind the ears at the nap of the neck, you may not see any with the naked eye so use a strong light and a magnified glass. Once you have determined you have the little buggers go out and buy
Crisco solid shortening, the white stuff your grandmother use to bake with. Put it in every head effected for 6 hours it's very messy but works by smothering them. Get a nit picking comb and at the end of 6hours comb through the hair and wipe of on white paper towel, you will be able to to see them. keep a pot of warm water to dip the comb in in will loosen soften the Crisco and make it easier to comb. You will be surprise at how many bugs and nits (eggs) come out.
Now while you are waiting for the 6 hour to end you must clean your house from top to bottom. If you can close off parts of your house for one to two weeks that would help cleaning them everyday, I am serious about this!! Wash everything in hot water bag the stuffed animals and loose pillows, extra blankets etc... for two weeks. put other things in the drier for 20 minutes, just as Laura M suggested.

Put hair brushes in the freezer for 24 hours, hair ties, clip or throw it out and start new and label everyones hairbrush. each time you use it put in a bag into the freezer, until you know you are lice free about 2 weeks.

Why do I sound so crazy? Because it only takes one egg to start the nightmare again, believe me I know!

Ok so the house is clean the crisco is washed out (dishwashing liquid cuts the grease, then shampoo) now you must hand pick the nits (eggs) out. They are very tiny and need to be pulled out by hand. use a magnified glass and a bright light or sun light. If you don't know what they look like google it. You must do this every two days crisco and nit pick for 10 to 14 days. Why because the nits/eggs take that long to hatch.

I know it's embarrassing but you must inform the school and friends you and your children have been close too. For their benefit and because you do not want the lice back! Drill your kids not to share hats hug friend roll on carpet etc... until the lice have gone away. Believe me they got it somewhere and most people will not be as diligent!

Lice is a fact of of our lives now and we need everyone to be diligent!

Are you exhausted yet?

It is very exhausting, now it you work and can spare $75 to $100 an hour you can contact a nit picker. Remember it takes hours! (google it) My friends have done that but I prefer to do it myself.

A few more things.

Rid is a pesticide you really don't want to use it!
Lice love clean hair, lice out breaks are everywhere Just google it!
Good luck.
G.

When my daughter, now 19 was in first grade she came home with head lice. It was a horror. She had and still has naturally curly hair down to her rear end. After 2 chemical treatments, I too was at my wits end. I refused to put chemicals on her again.
What worked for us was OLIVE OIL. I saturated her scalp and her hair from root to end and let her sleep with a shower cap on. If it does not work the first time, apply again. Also, you have to take any of their stuffed animals and place them in a black garbage bag, twist tie and store them for a month. Wash all their bedding in HOT water, even their pillows. Boil all brushes, combs, hair clips, etc. Vacuum all mattresses, box springs and upholstered furniture. I sprayed all with Lysol. Good Luck and hope this helps with your lice crisis.