Our friends oversee an orphanage in Central America
They asked when we visit if we can bring down head lice combs.
I looked them up online just now and they are EXPENSIVE!
Seeing as the head lice thing is a constant down there, it just ebbs and flows and is never truly eradicated, I am thinking not only would I like your input on the best combs, but also less toxic treatment options, AND PREVENTION.
They do have a Walmart in town of all things and Home Depot (paint thinner? just kidding!).
And I am sure there are naturopaths around there somewhere.
Even if it's stuff I can't get there, we can always bring it down for them.
Thanks for all your input.
I 2nd the "Terminator". Use coupons & get them at Ulta. Add tea tree oil to shampoo & conditioner for everyday use & actually leave conditioner in the hair without rinsing. Also applying olive oil or coconut oil with a few drops of tea tree oil in hair overnight once a week.
The comb to get is called The Terminator, it's $10. When you visit, keep your hair pulled back at all times. Lice do not like tea tree oil or shampoos that have particular smells such as Suave rosemary mint. As for treatments, there are many thoughts about how to get rid of the live lice but there isn't anything that kills the nits which are the problem. None of the naturopaths work. The only way to be sure to get rid of lice and their nits is to sit and pick them out over several days. Good luck
Mayonnaise is often recommended in addition to the shampoos - a really thick paste of it makes a difference, with a shower cap to keep it all on. The combs alone aren't going to do it.
See if you can get donations through the orphanage do you aren't underwriting the expense. Maybe you can get a church group to help underwrite your costs and reach out to area drug chains for outright donations or discounted products. Then they get the PR and tell local papers how they are helping an orphanage, get good write-ups and create community good will. All the big stores have community budgets - not all work internationally but you can try.
having had to deal with this recently, the natural treatments are the most effective. I waisted $200 on the best prescription cysathamum based phamasudical and in the end, a 4 hour oil treatment with combing is what worked.
The best comb is the Terminator. The construction of it will hold up well, but also, its the best comb. However, its hard to do certain types of hair with it. The Terminator will not work on thick curly hair.
flea combs - from the pet store!
they have metal teeth so will stand up to more sterilizing/cleaning
you have to be very careful, but rubbing alcohol kills the live ones (we found out by cleaning the comb in alcohol) - while not recommended to put on a child's head, we did once after they were brought home for the 4th time in about 4 weeks (school - ugh) -- we had a large container of clear water ready to go after running a little alcohol around the scalp
another optional way of suffocation is cheap hair conditioner - use like the mayo - leave on about 2-3 hrs while covered with one of those little plastic wrap type salon caps used during perms/haircolor
We used the shampoo, still had lice a week later and used mayonnaise. It worked!
I always thought the mayonnaise was a joke, but I think I'd ask if they'd like you to buy a few cases of it.
Combing is the best prevention of outbreak, seriously. Bring good quality metal combs too, not the cheaper plastic type.
Chemical and natural treatments both are for killing adult lice but for prevention you need to get rid of the eggs. You can only do it with combing and heat.
When my child was young, we experienced a continual breakout at her school. A parent told us to use mayonnaise because the medicine was getting expensive. We Tried it, and it worked. Poor mayonnaise in dry hair, strap a plastic bag on the head for done time, then add it off and dry it. Now this doesn't help work the comb pay, but at least it kills the critters and eggs.
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When my child was young, we experienced a continual breakout at her school. A parent told us to use mayonnaise because the medicine was getting expensive. We Tried it, and it worked. Put mayonnaise in dry hair, wrap a plastic bag on the head for some time, then wash it out and dry hair. Now this doesn't help with the comb part, but at least it kills the critters and eggs.
I understand lice breathe. So, IMHO, the best thing would be go load up on hair grease and take that. You can put enough grease in their hair to suffocate any live lice and keeping the grease in on a daily basis will keep them from getting it again. The grease leave the hair really slice so lice don't like it and the nits won't attach to the hair shaft so no issue with re-infection. That's the least expensive advice I have. The other thing I like is that the grease really conditions the hair. When my GD was using it (in elementary school for lice issues), she could ride a motorcycle without a helmet (never did - just using it as an example) and her hair could be combed out without any pulling because it just didn't get tangled. Anyway, it's Coconut Hair Conditioner and it's in a plastic jar, kind of like Vaseline.
