So my friend that is watching my kids today while hubby and I are both working just called and told me that our 6 year old that has VERY long, thick, curly hair has LICE!!! I noticed two day ago that she has been scatching her head and I looked and looked behind her ears and at the nape of her neck and saw nothing. So, silly me thought she had a dry scalp and went and bought dry scalp shampoo. I even was on the computer last night looking up stuff about lice and how to look for it. Anyway, my friend is a nurse and her daughter has had it three times so, I'm sure she is right. I will go to the store and get lice stuff and I'm hoping my hubby gets home in time to get all of the bedding and towles to the laundry mat. If he does not get home in time (they close at 6pm) can we just bag all of the bedding in trash bags until tomorrow night (We both have to work tomorrow as well)? What is the best store bought kit to get? Luckily, my friend checked my oldest daughter and did not see any in her hair which is also very long, thick, and curly. Any other advice for me? This sucks, I'm freaking out and now I think my head itches. Oh and by the way my lil one slept with me last night so, i'm freaking out even more.
This is making batty but, so far my older daughter does not have it and my friend checked me and said I don't either. Before, I read all the answers last night I got the Nix cream rinse and my friend (Bless her) actually did all the washing and combing out of my daughters hair last night. I think she knew she would do a better job then me since she's been through it a few times already. Also, I had to get up in the morning to go to work. What a great friend, we are so lucky! Anyway today she called me again and let me know that she still saw some more live ones. Since I knew I could not use the lice stuff on her again, this is what I did. I brought her home, put her in the shower and first washed her hair then I covered it and scrubed into her scalp Skin So Soft from Avon. I let that sit for a lil while then I got out the metal lice comb and combed through each of the parts I sectioned and clipped the sections till I went through her whole head. Then I took out all the clips combed through all her hair again with a regular comb and put a tight braid in her hair and then twisted that into a bun. I did all this while wearing two shower caps on my head lol. Then I put two plastic shower caps on her head and I will leave the skin so soft on for about 24 hours (No school for her tomorrow). After work tomorrow night I will wash her hair out a couple time with Dawn Dish liquid. Every night after her shower for now on I will put hair serum in her hair (and my older daughters as well) since they aren't supposed to like slippery hair. Oh and I will start washing her hair with the lice repeling shampoo. I also washed all bedding, recently worn clothes, threw away pillows, bagged stuffed animals (My baby is sad about her pillow pet getting bagged up), Soaked all brushes in boiling water with bleach and I can't remember what else. I'm tired!! I know I will need to keep checking her hair (well, bot their heads) regularly and re-treat in 7-10 days. Anyone think all this will work?
Teenmom gave very good advice. Lice are actually very easy to deal with. Only treat those who actually have lice in their hair, do not treat as a precaution.
Teenmom explains very well how to do the combing. It does take forever - but you definitely have to put in the time or you'll never get rid of the buggers! I'm sorry you're dealing with this - we've been through it twice - once for each of my girls. The most recent time was last year, and of course I discovered it at 9:30pm when my daughter was going to bed. She almost fell asleep sitting on the toilet lid while I combed through her hair, at 11:30pm...
I can't remember if I used Rid or Nix. But either way, after you've done the shampoo and the initial combing, make sure you check her hair every single night, for about a month. I didn't spend an hour every night, the time got less and less each night. But I was pretty thorough. You NEED to do this!! If you miss one egg it'll hatch and the cycle (nightmare) will start all over again. When it got down to the point where I was looking for maybe one or two eggs in her entire head (and all adults were dead, for the moment) I actually stopped using the combs. I just searched through her hair with my fingers and pulled the whole strand out when I found an egg. We never had to do more than the initial treatment and then the treatment you do again 10 days later (or however long later)
Don't stress too much about bedding and the fact that you slept with your daughter. Obviously wash everything (or bag it if it can't be washed) I was paranoid too because my kids lie in my bed and we read together. And of course once I knew one of them had lice I thought for sure I'd get it too (and my head itched - now I'm pretty sure it was psychological!) I never did get lice. I even had my best friend check my head!
Good luck to you. Lice suck :(
I can't remember if it's Rid or Nix (I think Nix) but only one kills the eggs as well as the bugs.
Google the cetaphyl treatment online because you can do it everyday until she is for sure clear.
Get the spray for apholstery and do all the furniture and mattresses. Spray the seams of the furniture very well. Put all pillows and stuffed animals in a dryer when you go to the laundromat at put on a high heat cycle.
Ask the pharmacist, I had to treat myself, precautionary, and was worried about what to use since I am breastfeeding. They gave me printouts and told me what to get. You can also call the health department, they can tell you what to do. If she slept in your bed, you most likely have lice also, sorry, so I would just call off work tomorrow and take care of everyone. It would also be good to call her school and let them know, they need to start head checking all the kids, or she will just go back to school and get it again.
I just recently read in Parenting magazine that there is a new prescription medication (topical) for lice. It's called Sklice and it makes it so you don't have to do the comb thingy I think. You can google it and read all about it Oh, and I think it's a one time and done thing - meaning, if you use it, she can go back to school right away. Totally worth it to check it out.
Good luck. Many many kids go through this. I got lice when I was in 5th grade with long, blonde hair. This too shall pass;)
I wouldn't use a lice remedy they sell in the stores. They are so full of harmful chemicals. When my daughter had it I used the cetaphyl method. google it. It worked. And it's safe.
I didn't read all the answers...you got so many! When we had a lice problem (4 kids!) my mom told me to put mayonnaise on their head and have them sleep in a shower cap. In the morning spray with warm water and nit comb. Worked like a charm. Sprayed fabric car seats with lice spray and but all stuffed animals in a plastic bag in the garage for 6 weeks. It's a pain in the a$& but time and patience will take care of it...hang in there!
