Help, We Have Lice!

Updated on September 24, 2008
B.C. asks from Leander, TX
8 answers

My daughter is in elementary school and at the beginnning of the year she came home with lice! I never had lice as a child so I did not know what to do. I looked up the information online and we have done the lice treatment stuff from the pharmacy. I have washed everything in hot water, I have cleaned, washed brushes, bagged up the stuffed animals etc. I have cleaned so much I feel like a hotel maid. I have nit picked her hair which is really thick so that does not help the situation. My problem is I can't seem to get rid of them. And I saw on the Today show a couple of weeks ago that what we have now is super lice. My daughter said she knows which girl gave it to her in class. This child said she has had them for over a year. I called the school and asked what they are doing about lice in school and they said nothing. They do not even look to see which children have it anymore. Short of shaving my daughters head what else can I do to get rid of them? Please help me, this is making me crazy.

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C.B.

answers from Austin on

I have heard great things about coconut oil. It has an anti-parasitic effect. It is not as oily or flavorful as you would think so you can sneak it in to her oatmeal/warm food and rub some in her hair. My close friend says it works.
Good luck.

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M.M.

answers from Austin on

Once, my sister and I got lice really bad as children from someone in her class. My mom ended up "bombing" the house. I don't know what exact product to tell you to use, but it got rid of them once and for all. We just went to the park as a family on Saturday with the windows open and the "bombs" working their magic. BTW, my mom ended up cutting my hair short to my chin, b/c it was think. Not very fun, but an idea. Good luck!

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M.T.

answers from Austin on

Hey B.,
I use a couple of different things all at one time. I use to use HairClean 123 and it works very well. I have since converted to LiceMD. Both can be found at your local pharmacy or walmart. Additionally, I add a couple of tablespoons of witch hazel to our daily shampoo for about a month. These things along with what you are already doing should help git rid of your problem. I would complain to someone(school board, state health dept) about the school not doing anything about this problem. Any infected child should be removed since this problem is so easily spread. Hope this helps.

M.

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K.W.

answers from Austin on

B., google the hair dryer method, it was effective for us. We continue to thoroughly blow dry my daughter's very thick hair at least once a week during the school year as a preventative measure. See this link for a start:
http://www.rogerknapp.com/medical/headlice.htm
Good luck!

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G.S.

answers from Austin on

Dear B.,

Man, oh man, do I sympathize. My 2 daughters both got it over the summer when a friend came for a sleepover. The same friend gave it to us 9 months before on a previous sleepover. Needless to say, we may not be able to do sleepovers with that friend any more. We got rid of it for one daughter almost immediately, but for the other daughter we treated for about 6 weeks! What finally worked for us was a combinatin of: (1) a natural peppermint lice killing shampoo that we bought from People's Pharmacy, (2) picking nits and lice nymphs from her hair every single day, (3) removing EVERYTHING from her bedroom except the mattress and carpet and bombing her room with a flea bomb, (4) having her sleep in a sleeping bag every night for a week, (5) putting her sleeping bag and pillow in the clothers dryer on high heat for 30 minutes each morning and spraying lice bedding spray on the air mattress under her sleeping bag. It was horrible! But two months later, and we haven't had any reinfestation (I check weekly now!).

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A.W.

answers from Austin on

I feel your pain! Go buy a new jar of mayo and slather your daughter's hair with it. Let her sleep with it in her hair overnight and wash it out the next morning. My pedi suggested this to me when my DD got lice in elem. school a few years ago. Worked like a charm!

Also, make sure you wash everything, toss hair brushes, combs, and rubber bands. Change the bed sheets daily until all lice are gone. Also, don't forget to clean your car - seatbelts, car sets, seat backs,etc.

I hope this helps

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C.S.

answers from Austin on

My daughter had it so bad we tryed everthing , but this relly works baby oil they cant live in it thet will start to jump off so be careful .her hair will be oily for a while but thet cant live in dirty or rellt oily hair hope this helps Be sure to use that comb on her after wards !!
Be Blessed !
Iam a mother of 3 ,Grandmother of 10 !

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

M.W.

answers from Austin on

Check out Fairy Tales hair care product line. They have natural lice preventative hair products -- as well as the stuff to get rid of it. My cousin's 3 kids all had it -- and this stuff has kept them all lice free for the last few years.

Hope this helps.

-M. W

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