Any head lice advice...please!

[mile high]

My five year old's been complaining about her head itching since we got back from holiday. I noticed she had a rash on her neck, just below the hairline - behind the ears and to the nape.

So, I checked her scalp and yep, she brought back more than a suntan from the kid's club (though it's conceivable she had 'em even before and was distracted by the holiday). Do I need to pin down when and where they invaded from? Does everyone we've been in contact with really need to know? How 'catching' is it?

Anyway - A quick visit to the pharmacist to confirm what I thought I saw, and I'm given two treatments of head lice killer and told to do it that day, then repeat in a week.

Well, I think we're rid of the adult population. I know the second treatment is necessary to get any that have hatched in the interim; but I worry a little about the chemicals. I have heard about the things becoming immune to treatments - in your experience, is this true?

Also, it's nearly impossible to get out all of the nits (and hers in particular seem to be the colour of her hair rather than white so I miss most of them). Is it really a case of picking them out?

I'm doing a full "divide and conquer" comb-through every day. Alternate days this happens after soaking her hair and scalp in olive oil. If I don't do the olive-oil-soak-through-thing I'm finding nearly nothing. I found a fairly large one last night that clearly I'd missed the day before. Man, this is frustrating! I don't think the oil smothers them, as I'd been led to believe.

Interestingly, the pharmacist pooh-poohed the idea of doing olive oil, mayo, or whatever. Is this correct advice a friend - with lots of lice experience - has given me? I tried using hair conditoner beforehand, but it did not seem as effective. Are those electric combs worth getting? Presumably, they won't get the nits out?

I'm washing her sheets daily in hot water, and washing and drying the one stuffed toy she really cannot sleep without. Should I be washing other things like carpets and curtains? Advice on the internet says no, but in reality, is it necessary?

I may have to resort to cutting her hair. It's just got past shoulder-length and she's thrilled, so this timing sucks, but it *will* grow back. She starts a new school in a few weeks and it would be horrendous if the problem is still persisting. I'm feeling pretty inept in the bug defeating department - is getting rid of these things difficult for everyone?

So - advice, commiseration, etc. gratefully accepted. I'm really hoping that with the second treatment (tomorrow), and a full week after that of daily comb-throughs, will get rid of these beasts. I'm beginning to invent my own conspiracy theories about their super-strength existence! Threads don't get much more 'real life' than this one...

[Phlirt]

Well my daughter has had them before. Basically, you do one treatment, wash everything in her room, including pillows, sheets, etc. I vacuumed her bed, put all the stuffed animals in garbage bags and told her she couldn't touch them for two weeks. We washed the few she wanted to sleep with.

Then in a week, I did another application, to get those nits that hatched. I did spend HOURS combing through her hair (was down to the middle of her back at the time) and I hated it. However, they were gone after that. So not sure how much overboard I did. I didn't use olive oil, just the stuff they give you. There is also a spray that you can spray on mattresses, carpets, etc to kill the buggers.

I have a phobia about these things, I was friggin paranoid.

[p.J]

My son brought them back from Camp so I stuck him in bath, put loads of conditioner in his hair and with a nit comb removed all the little buggers! I refuse to use chemicals and it certainly worked a dream! (I think I did it over a few days to ensure the blighters and such had truly disappeared)

[My_Secrets_Kept]

If you have a car, don't forget about that and her car seat if she has one.

[Shiane]

Whether you use RID or NIX beware!!!! FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS!!

DO NOT LEAVE THE SHAMPOO ON LONGER THAN WHAT THE DIRECTIONS SAY. THE SHAMPOO CONTAINS INSECTICIDE AND LEAVING IT ON TOO LONG CAN ACTUALLY CAUSE BRAIN DAMAGE!

Myths: *They do not jump like fleas and they do not get on animals, so your cats and dogs are safe.

Well those nasty little critters seem to be a problem especially in young school children. I know it seems embarassing and you don't want to announce that your child has head lice, but it's nothing worse than catching the cold or flu bug. It does not mean you are unclean if you get head lice. Typically children spread this around at school, sharing combs, hair burshes, pony tails, scrunchies, hats, jackets, coats, and scarves. If your school is typical, the kids hang their coats and back packs on hooks that are in a line and the coats touch. The lice take this opportunity to go home with a new host.

Since it is summer and most schools haven't started yet, if she has recently spent the night somewhere, you might give them a call. If she has been to a church sleep over, or at a friends or another relative with small children, or a daycare. She could have gotten them from trying on school clothes at a dept store. You can hear me screech for miles if any of my kids try on a hat they find at the store.

My middle on seemed to get them the most, yes more than once. When she was in Kindergarten and first grade I did a head check every week lol. I can spot those critters from a mile away. Plus she has very dark hair, that makes spotting the eggs easier. The problem is that some parents never give that second treatment, they don't spray the bedding and wash it or bag it up. Those kids have chronic lice and they do become immune to the treatments. A lice has to have a living host, if you put it in a sealed bag the lice will die a week should do it.

As far as the olive oil and mayo treatments, well how they work is that it smothers the adult lice, but it doesn't kill the eggs and you gotta use a bunch of it.
One thing that I have found that does work in preventing lice is adding tea tree oil to their shampoo and using it year round. This old school nurse I ran into told me about it and by golly it does seem to keep them at bay. Apparently the adult lice don't like the tea tree smell. You can buy tea tree shampoo, Paul Mitchell makes some, but sometimes it is hard to find. Buying the oil and adding it to the shampoo works too.

Another thing that works is a straightening iron. The heat will kill the eggs and adults. That is why my middle on got lice and my youngest didn't. The youngest is a hair fanatic and by the age of 6 she was a straightening pro. The middle one, well I was lucky to get her to comb her hair lol.

I know those combs are a bitch to use and dang kids just hate em, they sit there and cry because the comb pulls their hair pretty bad. But it is a necessary evil to remove as many of the eggs as you can. If you use too much conditioner, you'll miss a lot of eggs. Try straightening after the treatment, then use the comb. I know it says wet hair, but you can get some with dry hair.

Another thing is educating your children. Teach them to not share bushes, combs, ponies, scarves, hats, or trade coats or jackets.

Just a funny little note, one day while I was combing out my middle ones hair, the youngest calls my mom and tells her that her sister has head lights lol. :D

[mile high]

At last, people who understand!

(I had a nightmare about headlice last night; no kidding. Fortunately, I found an abandoned nuclear warhead and the world was saved...)

Shiane: thanks for taking the time. You won't believe how much I needed some straight-talking advice. I didn't know they were so easily caught. It's a wonder she's never had them before, especially as she dislikes having her hair combed. Nevermind her discomfort, I need this to be over as I've got nothing left to bribe her with!

Will take on board what you've all said. Might get some straighteners if needs must.

[Penny]

Make sure you vacume everything including the mattress, Good luck been there and done that with my girls when they were younger and in school :(

[mile high]

Make sure you vacume everything including the mattress, Good luck been there and done that with my girls when they were younger and in school :(
She's sleeping on an unvacuumed mattress as we speak. I never thought of doing that!

Could that be how they keep coming back?

[Shiane]

She's sleeping on an unvacuumed mattress as we speak. I never thought of doing that!

Could that be how they keep coming back?

You can buy bedding spray for things you can't wash. Like Penny said, vacuming will help too.

A newborn lice must have a blood meal with 24 hrs or it will die. An adult lice will live up to 55 hours without a blood meal. All stages of lice, including eggs will die within 30 days if they are away from a host.
I always heard that all lice will die within 24 hrs, and that just isn't true. Pubic lice can live up to 24 hrs without a blood meal but head lice are more hardy.

Lice is a huge problem in school age kids and it has been for years. I have a few school nurse friends who say getting lice is easier than catching a cold. So don't feel unkempt, Lice don't care who you are,or how much or how little money you have, they are just looking for an opportunity to come home with your kids. Good Luck Mile.

[fly]

One of my piano students mom's was a teacher out in the "bush" (native village) and said that olive oil works wonders! Just douse her head in olive oil making sure to get all the way down to the scalp and cover with a shower cap. My sister did this and they slept on it overnight then the nits came right out the next day. They tried this after using the store bought treatments about 4 times without good results. It took care of the problem! Good luck!

[mile high]

You can buy bedding spray for things you can't wash. Like Penny said, vacuming will help too.

A newborn lice must have a blood meal with 24 hrs or it will die. An adult lice will live up to 55 hours without a blood meal. All stages of lice, including eggs will die within 30 days if they are away from a host.
I always heard that all lice will die within 24 hrs, and that just isn't true. Pubic lice can live up to 24 hrs without a blood meal but head lice are more hardy.

Lice is a huge problem in school age kids and it has been for years. I have a few school nurse friends who say getting lice is easier than catching a cold. So don't feel unkempt, Lice don't care who you are,or how much or how little money you have, they are just looking for an opportunity to come home with your kids. Good Luck Mile.

I'm gasping with admiration. I can't go 4 hours without food. These little guys should be higher up the evolution scale. 30 days without a host?? Nevermind the hoover, I need Sigourney Weaver.

[mile high]

One of my piano students mom's was a teacher out in the "bush" (native village) and said that olive oil works wonders! Just douse her head in olive oil making sure to get all the way down to the scalp and cover with a shower cap. My sister did this and they slept on it overnight then the nits came right out the next day. They tried this after using the store bought treatments about 4 times without good results. It took care of the problem! Good luck!

Aha! So I might need to leave the olive oil on overnight. Will try this tomorrow. Thanks Flybabe :55

[P.R.]

Sorry I never had that problem, good luck

[Code Red]

One thing that I have found that does work in preventing lice is adding tea tree oil to their shampoo and using it year round....it is a necessary evil to remove as many of the eggs as you can.

I second and third the above two statements! Tea tree oil works wonders in preventing head lice. My daughter had it THREE times in kindergarten...I felt so bad for her having to sit still while I picked, and picked, and picked. Most schools have a "no-nit" policy for kids with lice, so you do have to pick until they're completely gone.

It's nothing for her (or you) to be embarrassed about at all...lice LOVE clean heads! Figures, huh?

Good luck! I know the frustration you're going through!

*hugs*

[Micwar]

Guess I'm just a cruel old bast... when my kids got themI just shaved all their hair off, wife got pissed, when I did cur our daughters hair off, but it makes it easy to nip the problem quickly, and the hair grows back.

[ethans_so_bad]

Make your kid sit in front of a TV and watch High School Musical. If I were a lice it would make me want to leap from the scalp hoping to kill myself when I hit the floor.

[p.J]

Make your kid sit in front of a TV and watch High School Musical. If I were a lice it would make me want to leap from the scalp hoping to kill myself when I hit the floor.

and did you? Leap I mean! :D

[ethans_so_bad]

LOL! Yeah but unfortunately all I broke was my ego.and did you? Leap I mean! :D

[p.J]

LOL! Yeah but unfortunately all I broke was my ego.

:) Never!

[ethans_so_bad]

Yeah you're right.........never. Should I say something self absorbed now to prove that?:) Never!

[p.J]

Yeah you're right.........never. Should I say something self absorbed now to prove that?


Nope because that would be predictable!

[ethans_so_bad]

Wow! You cut me to the quick............wait a minute, no you don't.Nope because that would be predictable!

[snowflake]

My grandmother told me a long time ago to spray my daughter's head with hairspray before school everyday and it would keep the lice off....

I do that and so far we have never had lice, don't know if that is the reason or not, but why rock the boat????? :sc

[ethans_so_bad]

or rock the TUBE, such as the case may be, right?My grandmother told me a long time ago to spray my daughter's head with hairspray before school everyday and it would keep the lice off....

I do that and so far we have never had lice, don't know if that is the reason or not, but why rock the boat????? :sc

[p.J]

Wow! You cut me to the quick............wait a minute, no you don't.

Didn't ethan! grammatical error! :kk

[snowflake]

Rocked the tube last weekend, not this weekend though to much rain.... Look forward to the tube rocking next weekend!!!!



or rock the TUBE, such as the case may be, right?

[ethans_so_bad]

Hey I left there entirely. I couldn't take it anymore. There should be a law against so many stuck up tightwads living in one place.



Rocked the tube last weekend, not this weekend though to much rain.... Look forward to the tube rocking next weekend!!!!

[snowflake]

Ahhh, the tube will never be the same........ :cry:



Hey I left there entirely. I couldn't take it anymore. There should be a law against so many stuck up tightwads living in one place.

[ethans_so_bad]

I'm sorry. If it will help - next time you float by one of their McMansions with a private pier and a herd of Axis, raise your beer bottle to the sky and think about me.



Ahhh, the tube will never be the same........ :cry:

[Pink4You]

Never had it, never won't it. Good luck though.