OT: Aaahhh...Lice!

[Camno's Mama]

The two girls that I babysit every day have lice! So far, we have nothing in our hair, which is awesome. But I have to wash EVERYTHING in our house and clean, clean, clean. I am taking a break while I air out the living room because I had to spray the couches since that's where they all like to lay down and cuddle.

So, gross. You should see the pile of laundry that I have to do. Anyone else had to deal with this???

 

[RMulieri]

Yeah, it goes around our preschool quite often.I try not to get too grossed9 easier said then done) I keep telling myself...it really isn't a hygiene thing

 

[bgirl29]

My daughter's 2nd grade class if having a problem with head lice currently. We are both kinda grossed out by that fact. She didn't want to go to school after she brought the note home about them. I am keeping my fingers crossed that she doesnt catch them. She has been leaving her hat on in school all day, so not very much of her hair hangs out. I have no idea if this will really help her not catch them but it does make her feel better about going to school. I have my fingers crossed for both of us OP!

I also go in on every Thursday and the children all read to me for three minutes each. I think I will try to not get too close tomorrow.

 

[Nie0214]

I am still to this day scared when I go to the hairdressers that they will find lice while cutting my hair because that happened to me when I was in 3rd grade. I had slept over my cousins' house for a weekend and all 4 of them had it (my aunt never mentioned it though she knew about it, my dad was peeved). It was so embarassing as a kid, even though I'm pretty sure none of my classmates knew about it. It is simple enough to rid of though, or was 15 years ago.

 

[Camno's Mama]

After doing some research, I have realized that it's hard to get rid of. I'm worried because they will come back tomorrow, and what if they're not rid of it? What if they miss something and it's back in my house?

Argh...I'm thinking I will check their hair before they even get in my car or walk in the door.

 

[jackie101]

The little girl that I babysit just had it it took almost 2wks to get rid of. She was not allowed back in school until she was cleared by the nurse. My children never got it. I did have the school nurse check my 2 that are in school & I kept checking my other 2. I would not babsit until she got cleared by the nurse. It does take a while to get rid of.

 

[RN01]

I am a nurse working in a health dept and we see it all the time. It gives me the creeps everytime I see it. Recently a girl in my daughter's class came in and she had them really bad. She had just been at our house the day before so of course I went crazy stipping everything and washing and spraying down everything. So a month goes by and this girl asks my daughter to sleep over. I'm thinking surely she has gotten rid of it by now so I let her. A few days later she comes back in the be checked again and has them worse than ever. I was so mad. Why would someone let their kid have someone over to spend the night if they knew they had lice??? I treated my daughter just incase. I had to do all this without telling her why I was doing it. So far so good, but the girl still has it, who knows who all she's spread it around to. Just remind your kids: Don't share hats, brushes, combs, pillows, etc...

 

[Camno's Mama]

I am a nurse working in a health dept and we see it all the time. It gives me the creeps everytime I see it. Recently a girl in my daughter's class came in and she had them really bad. She had just been at our house the day before so of course I went crazy stipping everything and washing and spraying down everything. So a month goes by and this girl asks my daughter to sleep over. I'm thinking surely she has gotten rid of it by now so I let her. A few days later she comes back in the be checked again and has them worse than ever. I was so mad. Why would someone let their kid have someone over to spend the night if they knew they had lice??? I treated my daughter just incase. I had to do all this without telling her why I was doing it. So far so good, but the girl still has it, who knows who all she's spread it around to. Just remind your kids: Don't share hats, brushes, combs, pillows, etc...

The older one has to be checked at school by the nurse. Can you recommend a good way to quickly check the younger one before she comes into my house every morning? How long should it take to check well enough?

I am also going to tell her parents no stuffed animals or toys from their house until they have been clear for two weeks.

I am so hesitant to let them come back tomorrow, but I feel like I have to let them.

 

[bridgie04]

Cetaphil is the only way to get rid of them. They have become resistant to drugstore treatments.

Google Cetaphil/lice for the way to get rid of them.

 

[mjkacmom]

Cetaphil is the only way to get rid of them. They have become resistant to drugstore treatments.

Google Cetaphil/lice for the way to get rid of them.

I did this, along with the drugstore treatment, and it took FOREVER! But, anything to get rid of them!

 

[Aliceacc]

We're dealing with it right now. I think my daughter picked it up at the movie theater.

I just wish I could SEE the ##$@ things so I could get rid of them!!!

 

[RyJMom]

My oldest had it in the spring. I used something called Not Nice to Lice that I got at the pharmacy. It was pesticide free. We were rid of them in 24 hours. I also bought one of those little nit combs. We did the treatment and the only other thing I did was the comb that I would rinse in warm water with peppermint oil in it. (I did wash everything) Good luck.

 

[leagirl12]

The older one has to be checked at school by the nurse. Can you recommend a good way to quickly check the younger one before she comes into my house every morning? How long should it take to check well enough?

I am also going to tell her parents no stuffed animals or toys from their house until they have been clear for two weeks.

I am so hesitant to let them come back tomorrow, but I feel like I have to let them.

I think the quickest way is to look at the nape of the neck and around the ears....this is where they tend to be at. But look for the eggs too not just the bugs! If you've never seen them...the eggs look like dandruff that won't can't be just dusted off of the hair. Alot of people think they are clear because the bugs are gone but if you don't get rid of ALL of the eggs it's just a matter of time before it all comes back.

 

[justtobeme2]

Just a note African Americans and people with really curly hair don't get lice. Lice like to run up and down the shaft and they can't with curly hair. My nephew had them once and I could see the bug in his head, it freaked me out. I know most of you won't do this but you can wash your childs head in pet flea shampoo. It's safe for 5lb puppies so we assumed it was safe for him, of course letting it sit for a min and rinsing really well. The insecticide in that shampoo is the same as what's in the pharmacy kind.

 

[mytwinklestar]

We have had to deal with children with head lice on several occasions when we fostered. We tried every remedy available until we found a treatment that worked in ONE application... and catch this, it is natural, doesn't smell awful, doesn't burn the scalp, and truly... ONE treatment! No, I do not sell the product. I have no interest in the company. The product is Nit Free and should be followed by the use of the Terminator Comb. It was the ONLY thing that worked. Google them. I ordered from a distributor in Alabama. It is not in stores as for as I know. You can have it delivered overnight - with extra expense but is worth it. The product and comb costs about $22-26. I spent a great deal more on the store-bought products that did NOT work. Try it. I promise it will get rid of the lice. Ugh... I start itching just talking about this. YUCK!

 

[deb24k]

Just a note African Americans and people with really curly hair don't get lice. Lice like to run up and down the shaft and they can't with curly hair. My nephew had them once and I could see the bug in his head, it freaked me out. I know most of you won't do this but you can wash your childs head in pet flea shampoo. It's safe for 5lb puppies so we assumed it was safe for him, of course letting it sit for a min and rinsing really well. The insecticide in that shampoo is the same as what's in the pharmacy kind.

Actually as a preschool teacher I have had a few African American students get lice. It is not as common but possible. My nephews and children got lice this summer. It was being passed around my nephew's daycare center and the center would not comply with washing funiture or the rugs. They alsowere not ensuring that children were not still infested when returning to the center. I had all four childre (mild cases) clear in 24 hours. I am a school teacher and since school was almost in session I brought the children to our school nurse to be cleared.

The largest portion of work is laundry, vacuming, and spraying. Don't forget your car and carseats. To check the children use natural light and take small chuncks of hair with a comb. Anything that looks like dandruff but is attatched to the hair shaft and wont move by being brushed with a finger is a nit. These need to be removed as you won't be able to tell if they (the nits) are clear or not with a naked eye.

 

[Disneydreamer5]

I hate to say it but I have become a freakin expert on this subject. There was a little girl in my daughters 1st grade class that had it and low & behold gave it to my daughter who had hair down to her waitst.Needless to say it was a matter of days before we all had it. I mean all except DH.
I bought every that I needed and worked my butt off to get ried of it.
I tried everything from the pharmacy stuff to things on google, vinegar,vasoline, you name it we used it. Due to all my girls and me having long hair I even had to have my DH aunt ,who cuts hair, come and cut everyones hair cause it was so bad.
Well once the house was cleaner then its ever been(I mean I washed the floors,wall,smatresses,ceiling, throw away all their stuffed animals,recleaned everything in everyones dressers,ect) and the kids were all nit free, back to school they went and everyone, including me, were cleard. Keep in mind I was 29 years old and because my little one was always climbing in my bed I got the little suckers too!ugh! Try getting them out of your own hair. Can you say nightmare?
One week later, my youngest had it again because the little girl who started it went back to school without seeing the nurse first and she still had them.
The reason I am writing is because this was probably the most frustrating thing I have ever gone through as a parent. It was so trumatizing to my duaghter as she just sat there crying while I was trying to get those little nits out of her hair. It was just awful.
In all my research I discovered that I needed to always blow dry their hair. I was good for having them shower before school and putting their hair up in ponytails while it was still wet cause it always made them look so neat and clean. Well Lice love cool, wet heads. Frist mistake.
I also learn that they hate hairspray. For the next 3 years my daughter head was hard as a rock with hairspray,lol, and thank goodness the little suckers never got her again. I also discovered that if you mix a little water with Lysterine in a spray bottle and put it in the hair the alcohol in that also repels the lice big time. Once its dry there is no smell from it that humans can smell so I would put that in her hair while it was wet, blow dry her and put her hair up in a bun.
I still dread the springtime as my daughter is now in the 5th grade and we know for a fact this same kid from first grade still gets it.
She was just sent home this passed September with it again. I don't know what her mother is doing but I know we dealth with it twice and that was more then enough for me to call my doctor, due my research and whatever else needed to get done in order to make sure it was never an issue again in my house. I am itchy just talking about. Good luck everyone, hope someone gets some good resutls from my wisdom. Of all the things to have wisdom in right?

 

[Camno's Mama]

Welll...we're still good here. No lice on my boys, dh or myself. My head is itchy, but I have dry scalp and all of the checking is making it more sensitive. But worth it.

The girls aren't coming today because their mom has it and she decided to take care of it last night and stay home today because they want to make sure. Which I really appreciate.

I have one more load of laundry to do, but it wasn't really a "suspicious" load. I was really careful to just try to get anything that wasn't in a drawer or a closet washed. I really hope we make it through this without getting it.

It's so overwhelming. I just want to cry when I think about having to do it all again.

 

[SoonipiLady]

Oregano Essential Oil will kill the lice and the eggs, but be sure to put it in a carrier oil first them put it on your dry hair and cover it with a shower cap for at least 1/2 hour. (longer is better) Cinnamon leaf oil and lavender oil also kill lice. I have made an oil with a combiantion of these three oils in a carrier or almond or coconut oil. The oil also helps break down the waxy coating on the eggs that make them hard to remove with the nit comb.

After removing the cap, use the nit comb (you can use a conditioner to make it easier), and then wash hair with a tea tree shampoo. (or add tea tree oil to your current shampoo.) Tea Tree Oil is a natural repellent for head lice. There are several shampoos that have a good proportion of tea tree oil in them including Melaluca's orginal shampoo.

Blow dry hair using the highest setting for as long as they can stand it. Lice eggs exposed to high heat for at least 30 seconds are more likely not to hatch.

Anyway, lice runs rampent in our school here it seems. I use these treatments at lest once a month on my DD just to be sure. Prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Good Luck!
Karen

 

[RN01]

The older one has to be checked at school by the nurse. Can you recommend a good way to quickly check the younger one before she comes into my house every morning? How long should it take to check well enough?

I am also going to tell her parents no stuffed animals or toys from their house until they have been clear for two weeks.

I am so hesitant to let them come back tomorrow, but I feel like I have to let them.

It's pretty easy to check IF they don't have dandriff. The nits are very small oval whitish yellow, sometimes gray. If you try to pull it off the hair they will "stick" to the hair instead of coming off easily like dandriff would. The actual lice themselves are very hard to see and sometimes impossible. The thing is, if they still have the nits, they can hatch and the lice will be back so they have to be nit free. You can look on "you tube" or do an google image search to see what they look like. The actual check should only take a minute or so. The most common place to find them are behind the ears and at the base of the neck but look everywhere.