Lice how long to stay away

[mommy2emily]

Not sure where to post this. Here is my dilemma, I was with someone on Monday, they called yesterday and said the daughter has lice and they treated her hair last night. We have plans to get together on Sunday, as of now my daughters do not have anything as far as I can see, do I go with them Sunday or stay away?

 

[3boymthr]

We got them from middle DS' best friend - they thought they were gone and said oh, he's fine so we let him come over. They were back a couple of days later and again and again. They finally gave in and shaved him bald. I shaved my boys the day I found them and was sure they were gone, but unless they've done this. So IMO - stay away. Nits can take over a week to hatch. Just one missed nit can mean disaster. If you get them it can take weeks to get rid of them unless your daughters have short hair and/or you're willing to shave your daughters heads.

 

[PrincessMommy2]

I have to agree with previous poster....don't take any chances - stay away! It takes more than treating the hair. Your friend also needs to check daily for nits- that is the hard part. Your friend should understand. I hope you don't have to deal with them! I dealt with this last year with my DD's long dark hair and it was a nightmare. I cringe now whenever I see her head touching one of her friends heads...you just never know...it is so easy to get.

 

[Hannathy]

If you are going somewhere or if they are just coming over to your place I'd say go. Just tell your kids not to be trying anything on or wrestling around. or hanging their coats close together.

Just getting together isn't going to do anything. You have to have contact.

It was nice of her to call, most people wouldn't have. And the kids will be in school after being treated so why shouldn't they go someplace?

 

[njcarita]

a few families( in our school have been dealling with recurring lice since summer... one girl alone has been treated 8 times with the lice shampoo since summer..... I would limit contact ..... it has been a nightmare for these families....

 

[mjkacmom]

I have to agree with previous poster....don't take any chances - stay away! It takes more than treating the hair. Your friend also needs to check daily for nits- that is the hard part. Your friend should understand. I hope you don't have to deal with them! I dealt with this last year with my DD's long dark hair and it was a nightmare. I cringe now whenever I see her head touching one of her friends heads...you just never know...it is so easy to get.

She has to comb at least an hour a day for nits, not just check. OP, I'd stay away - it takes at least a week to make sure they're gone for good, and they rarely are.

 

[icalum]

I would probably stay away, too, having dealt with lice a couple years ago. If I did get together, I would take precautions before hand. Lice is going around school now, so my DDs are shampooing with Suave kids Coconut shampoo (budget) or Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Shampoo (not budget). Supposedly these shampoos repel lice to a certain extent.

 

[smacky1]

I agree that until its been several weeks clear of nits I would stay away. Getting rid of lice is a nightmare. My nieces had them and everytime they thought they were gone, they would get sent home again because the school nurse found nits. You are better to be safe than sorry!

 

[mickeyplanner08]

OK, so I'd probably go, but my daughter's hair would be pulled back so tight to her head and then hairsprayed into a helmet before we went.

We found head lice 3 days into school this year. My DD has super-thick down below her shoulders hair. We got them from friends 4 days before school started.

Keep checking your daughter for live bugs. I treated and combed and did a cetaphil treatment. As long as you get them combed out before they are a week old, they can't lay new nits. So, we combed, and combed and combed and combed every other day for 3 weeks even though we only found lice the first week. I was a little crazy about it.

I was not crazy, however, about chasing all vacuuming, linen washing and car treating. I actually watched some live ones one day, and none ever lived longer than 2 hours off my daughter's head. (OK, so I'm a nurse-we do other crazy gross things, too)

I won't say it wasn't traumatic, but I did read that if head lice is your biggest health concern for your kids, you have a lot to be thankful for. That did put it into perspective for me!

 

[Leajess99]

Not sure where to post this. Here is my dilemma, I was with someone on Monday, they called yesterday and said the daughter has lice and they treated her hair last night. We have plans to get together on Sunday, as of now my daughters do not have anything as far as I can see, do I go with them Sunday or stay away?

If you go just use hair spray in your child's hair. Coconut smelling shampoo or tea tree oil shampoo also works well in keeping lice away. The lice like clean hair and by using hair spray or even gel, they won't attach. Having a child in preschool with a child who had lice issues for the whole year, I learned a lot. My daughter is mixed so we use the mosturizing oil in her hair and they would not even bother her.

ETA: The school my daughter now goes to checks all the kids heads after breaks for lice. I like that they are proactive while the other school had to act after the fact.

 

[smartkim]

One treatment is not enough anyway. If I were you and you have already checked and found your child's hair free of lice, I would go ahead and treat your child's hair now, especially since she has been around the little girl. The best thing that I have heard works is Apple Cider Vinegar. Wash your child's hair in it for a few days in a row. It is supposed to keep them away.

 

[reginaastralis]

My little sister's friend had a really big problem with lice just a few years back, and she had long (middle of her back) thick hair. We checked that girls hair nightly, for a solid two months because the boy kept getting it. We also washed her hair with the coconut shampoo, and a custodian at my mom's school told her a recipe to make to add to shampoo so she wouldn't get it.

Mind you, we did EVERYTHING we could so my sister could get rid of them. Countless lice treatments, mayo ... everything. It was a horrible summer for that girl. The only thing that got rid of them was combing through her hair nightly in sections, with a little flea comb. It had the smallest tines I could find. I would put the lice and nits in a glass of alcohol. Ugh, this is bringing back nightmares.

If you have mulitple daughters ... it's time for seperate hair brushes for sure. Once we finally got baby sis lice free, we didn't let her play with the little boy for a few weeks ... and when we did let her go out and play, it was with her hair braided and drenched in hair spray.

 

[mommy2emily]

Thanks for all of the information, I am supposed to meet them at Sesame Place so I think I will just cancel for this weekend and stay away. Though it's a hard call cause who's to say there aren't other people there with it alco as it seems to be going around the schools now. If I brave going I will pull there hair back in ponytails and spray it good with hairspray.
Thanks for the tip I will use coconut shampoo too I have that here anyway.

 

[SandrA9810]

http://www.tesh.com/ittrium/visit/A1x97x1y1xa5x1x76y1x2407x1x9by1x240cx1y5x1f582x5x1

here's a good article. And they love a clean living environment. I don't think there's ever a way to prevent them entirely, and pretty much every one has said their child has gotten it. Sometimes you can catch it early, sometimes not.
My early childhood was in a mostly black area, a lot of the black kids never got it because of the stuff they use in their hair to slick in back. When I started going to school in a mostly white neighborhood, it was a common problem.

 

[riley2008]

I'm in the minority here. I surprised that you are seriously thinking about skipping out on a visit to Sesame Place because the friends have recently been treated for lice. Your children will likely have a much greater chance of getting lice at a whole lot of other places.

Seriously, go, have a great time. Afterwards, if you are still really worried, a quick shampooing that night with Sergeant's Skip Flea Dog shampoo will do fine.

 

[Hannathy]

Thanks for all of the information, I am supposed to meet them at Sesame Place so I think I will just cancel for this weekend and stay away. Though it's a hard call cause who's to say there aren't other people there with it alco as it seems to be going around the schools now. If I brave going I will pull there hair back in ponytails and spray it good with hairspray.
Thanks for the tip I will use coconut shampoo too I have that here anyway.

I'm sorry but do you know how silly this sounds? I thought you meant go to their house. Do you have any idea how many kids are going to be at Sesame that probably have live lice that aren't treated? do you know how many are at the mall? You may as well never go anywhere if you miss a day at a public place because of a child who you know has been treated.
You do know how it is going to make her feel right? Exactly like everyone does even tho they say "oh don't feel like that" but then friends go and won't go to a big open park with your contaminated child so how else are you supposed to feel.

You do know she didn't even have to tell you, then you would have went and had a good time.

I would absolutely go to a public place with them. the child is going to be in school so the same amount of contact.

 

[Carina]

I would probably stay away, too, having dealt with lice a couple years ago. If I did get together, I would take precautions before hand. Lice is going around school now, so my DDs are shampooing with Suave kids Coconut shampoo (budget) or Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Shampoo (not budget). Supposedly these shampoos repel lice to a certain extent.

I put tea tree oil in my suave cocconut shampoo...lol

 

[Mickey527]

they did a segment on head lice a few weeks back. they talked about the new Lice treatment places that charge $200 or more for treatment. someone actually combs through hair every day picking out lice and they do a retreatment a week later.
they said head lice do not jump or crawl. You can only get them from sharing hats, touching heads or sitting on an upolstered couch or chair after the infected person, or using the same brush or comb. THEY WILL NOT JUMP ONTO HER HEAD.
they also said that traditional home methods are not working as well since they had to take specific insecticides out of the ingredients, the best thing is really combing the nits out during treatment. That is why the companies are opening, the "hairdresser" will comb the hair for 2-3 hours.
I would not change your plans, unless you are planning on having them sit that close together they should be fine. I would meet them there, not go in the same car since the lice can come onto the seat cushions. I would also make sure that your child doesnt try on hats etc... Since you know how they are spread you can prevent them very simply.

 

[SeansMom]

http://www.tpchd.org/files/library/e9ac7c153b5b4e61.pdf

The above link will take you to the best little booklet on lice. Pass it on to your friend and read it yourself. It gives facts, not fiction, and is the book I gave parents when I worked for the school district. BTW, while lice are pesky little critters, they don't jump, carry disease, or other myths you may have heard.

 

[Mom2Ben02]

Saw this at Ulta...they had a whole line.

http://www.fairytaleshaircare.com/i...n=com_virtuemart&Itemid=61&vmcchk=1&Itemid=61