Head Lice - Tujunga,CA

I think you are doing everything right.

I have also heard about using a hair hot iron to fry the eggs/bugs.

I often feel like I'm a pro at head lice. Working in child care then having kids that seem to draw lice like flies to rotting food....that's us for sure.

Here's what you need to do. Go to headlice.org and read everything they have on lice. They are a good site that has common sense information for parents.

Then go to Hobby Lobby or Walmart or some hobby shop and get some head gear magnifying glasses. I use them so I can have both hands free.

I put kiddo in the shower and I wash her hair very very well with normal regular shampoo. I often use Pantene or Dove. Then I condition it and comb out the tangles. Rinse well then leave dripping wet.

Take kiddo into the living room or somewhere you can have excellent lighting, like a spot light light. Not just a table lamp, you need up close and personal light. Don't let it be hot on her though, just where you have excellent light.

Have a bowl or cup of water so you can put any eggs or live bugs into it. They will drown. They breathe air. I also have some tweezers, kids don't like having hair pulled out but they might help you search in the lower parts of the sections. Then a small pair of sharp scissors just in case. I've never had to use them because I get the egg off every time.

Then section her hair into 2-3 inch sections and wrap them up and fasten them so they'll stay wet. You need to do this quickly because lice are like us, they breathe air and don't like cold. SO they get very very slow and sluggish when the hair is wet, drippy wet.you with water in it so you can keep her hair very wet.

Then take one section down and use a rat tail comb or some other narrow comb. Take a few strands of hair and examine it from scalp to end. Take your time if you need to so you can spot a lice or eggs.

White eggs are nothing, okay? They don't even have to be removed unless they show up a lot. They are empty sacks. The eggs with a black/dark center have a bug gestating inside. They need to be pinched and slid up the hair shaft. Use your nails and they'll come right off. If they won't after you've tried then consider snipping that single hair off.

If her hair starts to dry out spray her hair wet again. She will need to lay her head on the table or on your lap with her body on the couch for instance. If she can watch TV to occupy her mind she may be able to sit/lay longer.

When I started doing this it took me nearly an hour to do one head of long girly hair. Now I can sit down with her hair wet and do her whole head in less than 20 minutes because I got used to seeing the bugs, seeing the important eggs, seeing beyond the hair shafts and water. It takes a bit of practice but if you go through her hair every evening for a week and still see eggs with bugs inside then you do have a source you haven't found that is infested. It could be the car seat, her hoodie, her pillow or sheets, the couch, a bathrobe, etc...something she's on every day.

Most people don't remember to vacuum the car seats good or the couch where her head touches. If you're missing these parts then you need to have someone check your head too.

YOU DO NOT need to do all the old wives tales, I promise sprays don't work, Lysol doesn't work, nothing kills the bugs but you and your search for them.

They must have blood to live. If they are on the bed they will starve to death in a day or so because there is no source of fresh blood.

Make sure you have the metal comb-NOT the crappy plastic one- for combing throug the hair.

They really like the area behind the ears and nape of the neck the best, so pay extra attention there.

Put tea tree oil in with your shampoo/conditioner- they don't like it, and it has a repelling effect.

Throw pillows and other bedding/stuffed animals in the dryer on high heat for a cycle.

Coat the hair (especially the scalp) in mayonnaise. Then cover it with a plastic bag and let it sit for 30 minutes, then shampoo as usual. Supposedly, this will suffocate them... I'm not sure how much truth here is to that, BUT it does make the hair slick, so it is easier to pull the eggs down the shaft of the hair, as well as making it easier to wash the hugs out. (Some get all stuck in the mayo.) plus, it's great for the hair and will counter some of the effects from washing it so often. ;)

We always went outside for a nit-pick session after the mayonnaise. We would section he hair into 6 pieces- 3 on each side of the head. Start at the nape of the neck, and work your way up. My step-mom, dad, and grandma would each sit with a kid and would go over each section with the metal comb, then pick out anything left behind with her fingers. Each section would take from 5-20 minutes, depending on the hair and infestation level. This was done every night until the family was lice-free. (With 6 kids at the time, plus the two adults it was quite the task to get rid of them. Lol.)

Make sure you are checking the furniture (couches, chairs, bed...) as well. We used to put a towel over the back of the chairs when my family got infected, then wash them in hot water each night. Vacuum and check for eggs. We never really found much there, as they prefer to stay on the head... But we always figured it was better to be safe than sorry.

Also... Have you been treating yourself as well? There is a very distinct possibility you and/or your husband picked it up from her, so the whole family needs to be checked and treated too.

When I worked at a shelter I taught moms how to remove lice. RID is expensive and these women were homeless so they learned how to section hair and pick every last nit and bug out. It required good lighting (outside is best), patience (often took 2-3 hours) and something to distract their little ones. I've treated MANY kiddos with lice and I can tell you that the most effective way to treat them is to pick them all out. If all else fails, you can get a prescription treatment from pediatrician.

I've done the prescription stuff and once it worked, once it didn't. What worked the best was plain old combing. Get a Terminator metal lice comb, they sell them on Amazon. When your daughter's hair is wet section it into very small sections. Comb one way, then the other, then the 3rd, then the 4th direction - so 4 directions for each section (top, bottom, left, right). Make sure you rinse the comb between sections - you'll see the eggs/lice in the water. Repeat till the whole head is done. We did this nightly for 2 weeks, then every other day and back to daily if we found anything. After 3 weeks they were totally gone and we haven't had a recurrence since.

There are stronger medications you can get by prescription from her doctor, talk to them.

My GD had lice for the longest time! Every time I thought we had it licked, there it was again.

I finally switched from Rid to Lice MD and with one treatment, it got rid of them. It's been three years!!!!! So if you haven't tried that, I would.

Also, you say that you wash her whole bed, but do you use the spray and spray and mattress and the pillow? You should also spray your couch if you have cloth couch and any other cloth furniture as well as your car seats.

Finally, you have to do a follow-up treatment in 10 days after the first treatment. Do not do it sooner or later - 10 days is the perfect time because any eggs that you missed will be hatched, but not old enough to lay new eggs so that 10th day is the key.

Good luck! I know how frustrating this can be!

Are these "live" eggs, or empty cases? You may be seeing the empty cases, and are just finding the ones you've already missed.

When we had problems with head lice, we pretty much gave up on the combs..... I would go through their head, a few strands of hair at a time...... and pick off each egg case individually.

Yes, it is a LONG and painful process, and no fun, I agree.

The lice shampoos are pesticides and not ideal. It's dangerous stuff.
Also, they do not really work for the problem.

You get have to keep doing the comb out, each day. It can take a long time because you can miss some easily, especially with long, thick hair.

T.,
My daughters kinder class had SEVERAL cases. I found that moroccan oil worked wonders. I use Organix brand because it smells good and I like the non-oily feel. I use the whole line; shampoo, conditioner, and oil. My daughter never got it even after she put on a hoody of the child that had it. Best of luck!

If you're never finding live bugs, you may not be finding nits either. One of my friends was going bonkers because she kept finding a few tiny oval "eggs" in her own hair while after she had treated her kids for lice. Her kids' heads were clear but she kept finding them on herself. Long story short, it wasn't actually nits on her own head, but sebaceous plugs from the pores on her scalp.

Once you get this taken care of, I suggest moving to Fairy Tales shampoo and conditioner for your kiddo. They also make a Detangler.

http://www.fairytaleshaircare.com/all-products/rosemary-r...

Target and Ulta both sell it and I know you can also purchase it online. I just bought the liter size on sale at Ulta over the weekend.