How easy is it to pick up lice?

[LisaR]

My teens have managed to avoid lice in their lifetime so I don't have any experience with it (thankfully). DD's friend just told her that her little brother has lice. We are suppose to give the friend a ride on Monday. Is that advisable? DD is already scratching her head just thinking about it.

 

[ohiomom28]

My teens have managed to avoid lice in their lifetime so I don't have any experience with it (thankfully). DD's friend just told her that her little brother has lice. We are suppose to give the friend a ride on Monday. Is that advisable? DD is already scratching her head just thinking about it.

It's very easy to pick up. I wouldn't do it, but that's just me.

 

[laurie31]

Does the friend herself have lice? Or just her brother? I would hope the brother (and any other affected siblings) would be treated before Monday!

They are transmitted by direct contact, so as long as the friend doesn't share hats, hair accessories, headphones, etc. or touch heads with your DD, then you are safe. You are even safer if she doesn't have them at all - lol, although I still hope to goodness that their Mom will have treated them by then and it will be a non-issue.

 

[hambirg]

As far as how easy are they to get. . I don't have any good advice. When I was teaching I had some students that had chronic lice. I don't know how it is that I never got it, but our librarian did.

What I will say is that my youngest came home with it from kindergarten. All three of my kids ended up with it. I still never did. BUT it was the most harrowing month of my life. It sucks! I don't wish it on anybody!!!! My girls both have long hair. It was hours of treatments and picking nits. It was lots of wasted money on treatments that didn't work and hours in laundromats, because it is easier to wash and dry EVERYTHING at once instead of a load at a time at home. After lots of $$$$ and several hours of my life I was finally told about a natural treatment that works and that was the end of our lice ordeal.

The way I see it now. . .the risk may not be huge, but after everything I had to go through to get rid of them. . .NO WAY am I taking the slightest risk. . .especially if it's known. I wouldn't be driving anyone I actually knew who had lice or was recently exposed and likely to get it, like a sibling.

It's hell! Really. That's just how I feel.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

My teens have managed to avoid lice in their lifetime so I don't have any experience with it (thankfully). DD's friend just told her that her little brother has lice. We are suppose to give the friend a ride on Monday. Is that advisable? DD is already scratching her head just thinking about it.

You will be fine as long as sister does not get it.

My youngest for whatever reason is a lice magnet, poor thing. She has had it twice and we never got it from her. As long as the family cleans up the house and treats the kid, shouldn't be a big deal. Esp. for a boy, should be easy to get rid of.

 

[aprilgail2]

What I will say is that my youngest came home with it from kindergarten. All three of my kids ended up with it. I still never did. BUT it was the most harrowing month of my life. It sucks! I don't wish it on anybody!!!! My girls both have long hair. It was hours of treatments and picking nits. It was lots of wasted money on treatments that didn't work and hours in laundromats, because it is easier to wash and dry EVERYTHING at once instead of a load at a time at home. After lots of $$$$ and several hours of my life I was finally told about a natural treatment that works and that was the end of our lice ordeal.

The way I see it now. . .the risk may not be huge, but after everything I had to go through to get rid of them. . .NO WAY am I taking the slightest risk. . .especially if it's known. I wouldn't be driving anyone I actually knew who had lice or was recently exposed and likely to get it, like a sibling.

It's hell! Really. That's just how I feel.

I agree---it was VERY stressful- but for us I took the easy way out. I took my daughter and myself to Licebustersnyc and they got rid of them in an hour-all I had to do was wash the sheets and clothes she wore once right after treatment, vacuum once right after treatment and put pillows, stuffed animals in a bag for 3 weeks. We did go back for a recheck though because I was itchy even though I never got them- my daughters friends family of 5 had them, my daughters other friend and her mom and my daughter but I never caught them.

The place we used just used panteen conditioner and a lice comb-they comb and pick comb and pic over and over for about an hour-two hours depending on your hair (my daughters is fine) and you are good to go- and you leave with very nice smelling hair LOL and a no lice gaurentee! It was about an hour and a half drive but well worth it to have all that done and over with!!!

They are transmitted by direct contact, so as long as the friend doesn't share hats, hair accessories, headphones, etc. or touch heads with your DD, then you are safe. .

And it doesn't even have to be long contact- my daughter hugged her friends little sister hello in passing and few days later that mom called to say she found lice and next thing I know my kid has nits!

 

[LisaR]

Thanks everyone. They just found this out late last night so at the time, the friend did not have lice. Hopefully, that doesn't change.

The girl has long hair and in a 10 minute car ride, she puts her hair up and takes it down 20 different times. My DD does the exact same thing. Make up your mind already! Anyway, I can just see those little buggers getting jostled around everytime she flings her hair around. Of course, if she doesn't have lice, it won't be an issue.

I guess we will wait to hear from them today and see how things are going. I have already warned DD not to hug her for the next week or so.

 

[mickeyboat]

DD11 got it two years ago, but none of the rest of us in our family got it. We regularly share hats, brushes, pony tail holders, etc. I have no idea where she got it.

 

[Mom3girls]

I would NOT take the chance!! My three girls who all have long hair got it once and it took a full month to get rid of it. Day after day of washing EVERYTHING in very hot water and sitting for hours trying to pick thru their hair was torcherous. Would not chance it!