Head lice

[heathersmom]

Has anyone ever dealt with head lice. We have been dealing with it for a week now and I'm on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Any suggestions? We have already tried nix, olive oil and lindaine!! We leave for Disney in 6 days and i'm so stressed about the lice I haven't even thought about disney. HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Smydovro]

I grew up in NYC and everyone had lice at least once. Best stuff to use is Nix but you have to do more. You have to use it a couple of times and make sure you wash all the bedding twice! Then you have to comb your hair with a fine-tooth comb (better yet have someone else do it) to make sure all the eggs are out. THEN when you are sure they are all gone, wash your hair and bedding again. I know it sounds like overkill but those eggs can be tricky to get rid of. I'm sorry you have to deal with this before your vacation but at least you will have nice clean sheets to come home to. Good Luck!

 

[tinker-kyle]

my niece ... whose mom is a crazy neat freak ... came home with lice last month ... it was HORRIBLE

they did the medicated shampoo thing like three times in 24 hrs. even through package said not too .... pediatrican FREAKED on them.

its not good stuff ... and it doesnt work well

smoother with oil or mayo .... and let her sleep with in (use shower cap)
you have to pick through with the comb
every nite for at least a week ... its the only way to get all the eggs

they were at it for 2 hrs a nite with a huge spotlight on the poor kids head.... you're going to need another adult to help. use big clips to separate hair into small sections.

they let her play gameboy while they combed through ... kid was in tears half the time

after the first week, they checked her every other day for another week.

wash the sheets/towels/clothing every nite

use a really fragrant shampoo and condition every day (like sauve coconut) apparently lice dont love smelly stuff like that

good luck !

 

[Bev J]

As a daycare provider I have delt with Head Lice over the years many times. You must treat carpets, furniture and the mattress with the spray. Vacume it all the next day and throw away the bag in the vacume. Plus hot wash/hot dry your bedding including bedspread. The pillows, all stuffed animals, dolls and soft toys need to be put in large trash bags for at least a week to kill any nits (eggs) Don't forget your childs clothing
Use the medicated shampoo recommended by your dr, there are stronger versions available, and carefully go through the hair. You will need to repeat this every 2-3 days to get the nits you miss that hatch. Treat every person in your family it only takes one missed nit to hatch and reinfect.

If your child is in daycare make sure the provider knows and other children are being carefully checked for nits/lice.

Here is a website with good information.

http://www.headlice.org/

Bev

 

[TerriBelle]

We went through it with my daughter. It was awful!!!!

We cut her hair up to her shoulders so there would be less to deal with but still long enough to get in a pony tail. Our family has really thick hair! We did the Nix one time and then we followed that up with the olive oil treatment every night! We would comb it out every night with a very fine comb, picking out any nits.

 

[daisy2]

Check your child everyday. Also be consistant when going through your childs head. The lice like to lay their eggs in warm places. So check behind the ears, the crown of the head and down by the neck. And sometimes on the eyelashes I have only seen one case of that but that was a severe one. Sometimes it's easier to see the lice in the sunlight they stick out like a sore thumb.
That is how I did the children I had to check. I hope this all helps.

Take all pillows i.e. couch pillow or anthing your children lay there heads on and either put them in the dryer on high heat or put them in plastic bags. Stuff animals either dryer or in a plastic bag for at least one week.

So sorry you have to deal with right before your fun trip.

 

[Gymbomom]

You need to go to the Doctor. All the home remedies might not work, it is better to get a prescription and not chance it.
A friend of ours did EVERYTHING!!!!!!!!! Nothing worked till they got a prescription.

But if all you want is home remedies, try Tide Liquid or Orange Oil, the kind from the furniture store.

 

[u2bapeacock]

Has anyone ever dealt with head lice. We have been dealing with it for a week now and I'm on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Any suggestions? We have already tried nix, olive oil and lindaine!! We leave for Disney in 6 days and i'm so stressed about the lice I haven't even thought about disney. HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!

last year both my kids and I had it We live in canada so not sure if you have the same shampoos we have we used one called R&C it was great a little expensive but great another thing you can try is Tea Tree oil its a natural shampoo it smells awful but its great and once lice is cleared up you can add a few drops of it to your regular shampoo I was told that they don't like smell of this works as a preventive method as well . Oh yeah if your child has stuffed animals they have to be cleaned as well. with the toys you can put them in a black garbage bag tie it and leave in bag for a couple of weeks that sufficates them and they die The key is to wash everything even pillows. Good luck. Last year we shampooed all of our hair then I got mying and my son's hair cut that helped my daughters hair was thin enough that I was able to get them all out of her hair.

 

[Tiffster7]

Before getting a prescription for Lindane (I think that's what it's called) try buying a ROBI COMB. Walgreen's should carry it. Use it consistently for two weeks. It's an electric comb that kills lice and it does a really good job of getting nits out also. I would only use the prescription stuff as a last resort because some children have SEVERE reactions to it.

 

[ChristyJ]

Don't forget about your car and carseats! That's something a lot of people neglect, but those little buggers live there as well...
Good luck-I know it's a pain...

 

[daisy_77]

When I was 7 my whole class got lice ... my mom used Nix...she said it worked great! That should do the trick!
January

 

[swincha]

Has anyone ever dealt with head lice. We have been dealing with it for a week now and I'm on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Any suggestions? We have already tried nix, olive oil and lindaine!! We leave for Disney in 6 days and i'm so stressed about the lice I haven't even thought about disney. HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!

you really have to follow the instructions and do not use the shampoo again until it is recommended as it can cause neurotoxity. now make sure you vacuum your house, couches, even the car. put all stuffed animals in a plastic bag for 2 weeks. wash everything and put in hot dryer. you can put mayo on the head overnight with a shower cap on. also make sure you backcomb the hair with vinegar and get all the knits out.

 

[dkrause716]

I am soo sorry! Been ther, done that about 5 years ago with DD10. I agree with previous posters about the Nix. It works but watch out , not always the first time. Be extra careful with bedding, couches, rugs and stuffed animals. I can sooo feel your pain. DD and I were both crying as I tried to comb the nits out of her beautiful, thick, long blonde hair. I'd call the pediatrician just in case --your magical trip is just around the corner!!

 

[gharrer]

The important thiong is to know the life cycle, I forgot how many days til the nits hatch, but you must retreat the child at that point. The thing that worked for us was vasoline. I am just throwing this out, it worked great because it smothers the little buggers without medication. The problem is that it is very hard to get out. Nancy

 

[MAKMOM41]

I had to cancell Christmas Eve 5 years ago....we tried everything....I'mean hours a night with the comb, oil, shanpoos washed everything. CAll the doctor & tell him your going crazy. he can give you a medicine you give orally to your child it kills the lice & keeps them from laying eggs it worked very fast. Good luck & God Bless!!!

 

[JMSMommy]

I got it for the first time as an adult (shoulder lenght thick curly hair...meaning combing was a NIGHTMARE). Since I was nursing, I could not use the medicated head treatments (it gets absorbed into the skin and could be excreted while nursing).

So, I scoured the internet for alternatives (to shaving my head...found out they don't like hair shorter than 1 inch so cut DH and DS hair if possible). Olive oil and mayo, smothering it on, putting on a shower cap for HOURS. Then comb as best as I could. Shower and wash my hair. Then I would dribble Tea Tree Oil (get it at walmart) into my hair. Repeated the mayo/olive oil with shower cap before bed.

Washed ALL bedding, bagged all stuff animals, washed all clothes (bagged the ones I'd been wearing).

Then, since I was fairly certain after 24 hours I had gotten the living lice, I repeated the mayo/olive oil every evening before bed for a week. The next morning, comb the hair in the shower, wash, and follow up with tea tree oil.

I keep it away now by adding tea tree oil drops to all my shampoos, the lice do NOT like the smell and run away from it.

Nits hatch and do not start laying eggs until 24-48 hours (I think). If you kill them in that period, then you get rid of lice, you HAVE to get rid of eggs and new lice.

Good luck! and PLEASE read and follow ALL directions, the lice meds have BLACK warning labels.

 

[briarberry]

I teach grade 1 and head lice is just a fact of life. I have been teaching over 20 years and have never had it but it runs through my class every year. I use tea tree oil shampoo and I buy tea tree oil to put in a spritzer bottle which I squirt on my daughter's hair every morning. It doesn't smell the greatest but neither of us has had head lice (I like the smell, actually). You can get tea tree oil at a health food store. It is wonderful stuff, I put it in the vapourizer when my daughter has a cold.
Don't forget to seal all your stuffed animals, pillows etc in a plastice garbage bag for at least two weeks. I have heard of people putting the bags in their freezers.
Good luck, it doesn't mean you are a bad mother, it just means some other parent didn't treat their child's lice and you ended up with it at your house.

 

[SueM in MN]

Here's a good website with factual information about head lice:
www.headlice.org
The shampoos and cream rinses are insecticides and should be used with caution. The oral medication (Ivermectin) is the same stuff that they use to prevent heartworm in dogs and to treat ear mites. It is also used to treat intestinal parasites in humans and animals. Interestingly, if you google it, you will find that it's not effective in treating lice in dogs, but it has been used for treating lice in humans.

All of the head lice products are fairly effective against adult lice, but none of them do a good job of killing the nits (eggs). That's why it's so important to comb out the nits. It takes 7-10 days from the time the egg is laid until it hatches. Once it hatches, it takes another 7-10 days for the female louse to mature and start laying eggs. That's why some of the treatments suggest repeating the treatment in 7 days.
Besides pulling out nits and cleaning the environment, it's important to read the directions on the product you are using. When I was a School Nurse a lot of times people who were having problems were assuming that the shampoo and creme rinse were used like normal shampoo and creme rinse (on wet hair). The shampoo is actually used on dry hair and the creme rinse is used on towel dried hair. If the hair is wet, the product (which even under the best conditions doesn't kill 100%) is diluted.

Good luck to you.

 

[marcyinPA]

I just wanted to send you some hugs....we had a severe outbreak at our Elementary School this past year (twice, actually) but fortunately, my boys were clear all times. They were checked daily by the nurse every Tuesday and Thursday for WEEKS. UGH!!!

I am very squeamish about even putting my head back on a movie theatre seat. I always bring a jacket to cover the seat back first. I do the same for the kids.

Hope everything clears up before your trip!

 

[Cass]

How old is the child? Nice n' Easy, Miss Clairol, Ll'oreal etc... hair colouring works great... just pick the same colour of your childs hair so it stays the same... put that stuff on, leave it for the 35/45 minutes... wash it out... lice/eggs cannot survive the dye formula.

I know this sounds extreme to dye your childs hair.. but if you get the right shade it looks no different and it gets rid of the little buggers.