Head Lice SUCKS!!!!

[dzneprincess]

I am ill. This past Monday on the way out the door I noticed DS 5 was scratching his head. I took al ook and yep lice! YUCK ICK BLAH So DH stays out of work that day and treats him, and we all wash our hair with the special shampoo as well. I knew we had to do it again 7 days later, but I was not expecting to find actual LIVE lice in my DS 9 head!!!!!!!!!heebie jeebies! I have been checking everyone everyday, and have only been finding eggs(very few)in the 2 boys hair. No one elses. I just figured the few eggs I did find were left over from any that may have been laid b4 we killed the lice! So last night I was at Target and was going to get more shampoo, since I know it is time to retreat. I see that RID had a very very fine tooth lice comb and I picked up thinking I would have it just in case one of the other kids brought it home. I used it on DS 5, again only tiny eggs. Then I go to DS 9 ( who I have found *maybe* a total of 10 eggs all week?) and an actual lice comes out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!AAACCCCKKKKKKKKKKK Will it ever end???????????????????????????? I just feel so defeated right now, and I just wanna cry. I would appreciate any advice you all may have about getting rid of these things. I am washing the bedding as we speak. AGAIN. For about the 4th time this week. I am so sad and grossed out...help please

 

[piratesmate]

I really feel for you! Lice are awful! There was a thread about this recently. Lice thread Maybe you can get some ideas/help there.

I would check first with your pediatrician & get a prescription shampoo if the RID hasn't helped yet. Don't forget to treat EVERYthing in the house too - stuffed animals, pillows, sofa, upholstered chairs....and maybe the car seats too.

I hope you get rid of them soon!

 

[darlene9947]

Cheer up, it does get better. I used to always keep RID in the house. You never knew when one of the girls or my son would come home with it. Remember to get to spray also. Spray your car interior. If the boys are still in car seats, spray those. Any stuffed animals. Spray them and put them in a plastic garbage bag. Keep it tied for 2 weeks or longer. Spray the carpet, if any. I should have bought stock in RID, we used it so much!

 

[Towncrier]

This too shall pass. My DD came home from school with lice a couple of years ago, just as my wife was leaving with her mom and aunt for a 3-day Disney cruise. No fair, I said. I was left picking nits and washing my daughter's hair to no avail. What ended up working for us was to get the prescription shampoo from the doctor. The off the shelf stuff didn't seem to phase the little buggers. The other thing that we found helpful was a florescent spray (like that hair paint you see at halloween time) that actually stuck to the nits and made them show up better. That way we were pretty certain that we got rid of all the eggs.

We weren't as concerned about carpets, seat cushions, and car seats because the lice can't survive without a human host. We were just extra careful not to lay down on the couch and we threw white bed sheets over everything. With the prescription shampoo, we finally got rid of our lice problem.

Hang in there. You are doing all the right things.

 

[cati]

xx

 

[dzneprincess]

Oh thanks for the commiserations everyone! WE just got done washing everyone again! Unfortunately I did find about 3 lice on my DD, and 1 on my sweet innocent baby (1 year old) 0 on DH and 0 on DS 5 who got them originally. 0 on me as well. Strange enough I did not find any eggs on the baby or DS 5.
THanks piratesmate for the link to that thread. I read thru the whole thing. I have been braiding DDs hair and oiling it up with some Keewee oil hairproduct I have. I smells strange, I hope it works. I also add hair gel to that. I am soooo tired of this. This is the start of the 2nd week...............Someone in that other thread mentioned that killing the lice while they are newly hatched keeps them from being able to lay eggs? Does anyone know if that is true? And can one tell the difference between a newly hatched one and a regular one? Also, anyone know what time period is considered newly hatched? Are we talking hours or days? Any info would be greatly appreciated.

 

[nancy679]

We had trouble with them a few years ago, and I thought it would never end. I tried all those remedies, shampoos, prescription shampoos, mayonaisse, tea tree oil, etc. The really most effective way to get rid of them once and for all was to sit on the floor and go thru their hair, picking out the eggs --one by one. It took something like 2 hours everyday for a week but thats how we finally got rid of them.

I had called the pediatrician, almost crying to the nurse, because I was cleaning and washing and treating , and nothing was helping. She said stop cleaning --they only live a few hours without a host--and concentrate on picking the eggs out instead.

Good luck

 

[Lewski709]

If you have pets, CHECK THEM TOO!

I had them when I was like 15 and RID worked for me. I think my hat from where I worked had one and I got a few. Only used RID once and they were gone.

I know how gross they are. YUK!

 

[dzneprincess]

No pets here, and our couch and sofa are leather, as are the seats in my vehicle. I did spray the car seat for the baby though. Thanks for that suggestion. ( It may have been in the other thread) We are washing everything that we can, and everything else is going on the dryer for 20mins. I wish I could just stay home from work tomorrow and get everything washed and/or dryed, but DH has already missed a day at work due to this and it was no help. I feel like it will be the same with me

 

[WishingOnAStar]

Originally posted by Lewski709
If you have pets, CHECK THEM TOO!

I don't have any experience with head lice - but I DO know that lice are species specific - meaning pets can't get "people lice" and people can't get guinea pig lice. I know THIS because a guinea pig we adopted from the animal shelter had it and gave it to the other guinea pig we had. The vet said, though, not to worry about our dog or ourselves because lice are species specific.

 

[jajuan]

I wish I wouldn't have read this post because it is bringing back horrible memories. Several years ago, my whole neighborhood got it. We got rid of ours quick...never actually saw a live bug. I actually over medicated with shampoo and my son got violently ill....so be careful with that. Anyway...no one else could get rid of it until they used mayonnaise. Slept with a shower cap overnight with head covered in mayo and it worked...after a long month.

 

[dg39]

I'm not sure if this works or not, as I never tried it, but I read in the paper a few weeks ago that if you put olive oil all over the hair, the oil will sufficate the lice. The article said to pour olive oil on the head, leave it on for a few minutes and then comb it through slowly. But then its another job to wash the oil out with out leaving the hair oily. You probably have to wash several times afterwards. Good luck. My dd has below the waist length hair and so far we've been lucky. She didn't get them YET....

 

[shellybaxter]

Head Lice are a pain!!! But they can be control easily enough with a little effort. I am a preschool director and deal with this about once a year, usually when the other kids start baseball season, they all share batting helmets and spread lice to one and other. First, just because your child gets lice, doesn't mean they are "dirty" or the kid they got it from is "dirty". Second, DON'T treat kids who don't have eggs, the shampoo is not that great for you and shouldn't be used unless it's really needed.

Treat the hair. Wash everything in a child's room that can be washed. Anything that can't (stuffed animals, large material objects, etc) place in closed plastic bags for at least two weeks.

Get ALL of the nits out. I've found the best way to do this with little one is clip the individual hairs with the nits on them out of the hair. TIP - look at your child's hair under a black light, the nits will pop out under the light.

Change and wash the child's bedding everyday in hot water if possible.

It will only take about a week to make sure the lice are gone.

This topic always makes my head itch, but we've got treatment and prevention down to a science at preschool.

Shelly

 

[miche61]

I feel for you!!!

When we came home with DD and DS from Russia, we brought back a few extra travelers with us. I kind of thought something was up because DD itched all the time, then I saw she had a rash on the back of her neck. I didn't see anything though. Then one day I was sitting with DS on my lap and I saw a live bug run through his hair. We were at the store with in ten minutes.

We washed everything, put what we could in plastic bags, vacuumed, etc. We finally did get rid of them. For the next few months we did a weekly check on the buggers to see if they had found their way back to the kid's heads. It's been almost four years, and we haven't had any recurrence.

Be patient, it will end.

 

[minniecarousel]

My head itches just reading this! My brother's kids went through this a few years ago. His triplets were around 3 years old and they got them at preschool. They had posed with cowboy hats - and yup, nearly everyone got the lice! My brother and his wife were exhausted just trying to keep on top of it - and they couldn't send them back to preschool until they were completely gone (never mind that's where they got them!)

No other suggestions here - hang in there!

 

[kit-Kat123]

There is another alternative to pesticide shampoos...

Use 1/2 parts vinegar
1/2 parts mineral oil

Leave on hair for 20 - 40 mins ,make sure you cover with a cap or bag!!!!


Hope it helps