Lice - San Francisco,CA

Put in lots and lots of conditioner in the hair and leave it in. The lice can't stick to it and then slide off. I know this is great as a preventative (do it whenever there is lice in a friends hair or in school), but I believe it also helps get rid of it.

K.

I didn't manage to go through all of the posts but I wanted to let you know that at one point when I was growing up and was having lots of trouble getting rid of lice we ended up using vasoline. We found out about it from social workers who had helped a friend adopt some girls who had horrible lice when she took them in. It worked really well. If you have problems getting rid of it then you can try it.

They seem to be everywhere right now. My Mother use to say grease would smother them, then you shampoo the hair several times to get it nice and clean. My children never had them but we had a guinea pig who did and used the grease and it worked. When I had foster children I used Rid and it worked. Gin

OTC shampoo & a super fine tooth comb to get the eggs out too. Wash EVERYTHING she may have had her head on in the last 7 days. I would recommend going to the laundry mat and using the extra large washer/dryers. It may be a bit expensive, but you want to be sure to get rid of ALL of them. Furniture wise, be sure to vaccum every inch of the furniture, including her mattress.

Also since she has gotten them from "somewhere", and even though it might be a bit embarassing, you should let her school know, as well as the parents of her playmates & friends. So they can check their children too. If she goes to after school day care alert them as well. I know it is embarassing, but she got them from someone, and it will keep spreading until everyone has gotten rid of them.

Also make sure to check your own hair, and everyone else in the family. These little buggers like to just hop onto anyone they find in their path.

Good luck, don't worry about the pesticides, thats the only way to get rid of them.

Our daughter had them two years ago, when she was 8yo. The over the counter remedies did NOT work. Apparently lice have adapted and are no longer killed by the pesticides.

Mayonnaise worked. I wet her hair, and then smothered it with mayonnaise, which I left in her hair for 6-8 hours. I put a plastic shower cap over all her hair, and then tied a bandanna over that to help keep it in place. It took a few shampoos to get all the oil in the mayonnaise back out, but it worked to smother the lice as well as the nits. You still have to comb it out (with a special nit comb you can buy separately). But since all the nits are dead, they won't keep coming back...

Good luck!
-D.

Get "Rid" from nearest Rite Aid or Walgreens. It is pretty safe just be careful not to get into the eyes. Just apply it right before shower in the bathroom itself and wash it off. Followed by regular shampoo. Comb it with the lice comb immediately on damp hair. One application should probably enough if it is just starting. Repeat the combing though. Sooner you deal with it the better as they form a jungle very rapidly.

Over the counter stuff works just right, just use the kit and it will be ok, spray every com or brush you own, and change and wash with hot water all her bedding, use it 2 times and check her head every day until gone.
Good luck.
Y..

Lice can be very difficult to get rid of if you do not take care of everything at the same time. We used over the counter products on our daughter when she was little but she was still coming in contact with the carrier at day care. We finally resorted to washing her hair with beer, yes it worked. Then you use a fine tooth comb to comb out all of the nits in her hair. You may have to do this more than once depending on how bad the lice is.
While someone takes care of the hair see if you can have someone help with washing all of her bedding, jackets, hair accesories, and brushes and combs. The nits can still live on these things and then get back in her hair the next time she uses them.
You might also want to find out where she came in contact with the lice, if that person has not taken care of the problem then you could have a reoccurance.

Hi G.,

I am a hairsylist and have seen many cases of lice. I use the A200 to get rid of the lice. It is important to change betting and clothes and comb all the lice eggs out of the hair. Lice can not live off the head. So you do not have to worry about everything in the house. Focus on the head and the eggs.

If you do not get all the eggs out they may hatch 24 hours after you use the lice shampoo. You have to stay on it. I hear people get so frustrated because they do not know how to get rid of it and it repeats over and over if you do not treat it the way you need to. I also recommend you check your child's friends heads and let the school know. It becomes a problem when you deal with your end and others do not and your child continues to bring it home.

Good luck.

N. Marie

I've heard many people have great results in getting rid of lice using tea tree oil. I think if you google it, you may be able to discover what ways it is used in...sorry I'm not more help, but I haven't had to deal with lice yet :)

Tea tree oil is natural and shouldn't irritate or anything.

I used everything when my daughter got them at 5 yrs old. It finally occured to me that they dont like processed hair sionce I didn't get them so I dyed her hair the same as her natural hair color and that took care of it. I walked through the house with bug bombs and sprayed everything and took all toys to the laundrymat and put them in the dryer for 30 minutes then in big garbage bags tied shut for 3 weeks. It is essential tpo trewat everyome in the house as well. They have a new one without chemicals called LICE MD.

There is a salon in Sac that specializes in getting rid of lice. I am sorry that I can't remember the name but they get rid of them and they do it naturally. Your gonna want to REALY vacuum the house every where child my lay their head also really clean all hats if any. Good Luck they are a lot of work. Oh yeah strip childs bedding and wash in super hot water.

Hi G.,

I have a LOT of experience in this area. We were foster parents for many years and often received children with lice. Often, whole sibling groups with it!

There is a 5-Step Battle Plan given me by a home health nurse. It is very detailed and takes 21 days in total. IT involves Olive Oil and a shower cap to suffocate the lice on 6 of the days. The interval is very important a sit has to do with the incubation period of the eggs.

The trouble with the toxic remedies that you spoke about is that the lice have developed a resistance to them and they don't work. Also, they are poison!

IF this 5-Step treatment is something you are interested in and hasn't been shared, I can find time to type it (it's 7 pages) or copy and mail it, or deliver it if you are in Woodland. I have used it often and it has worked every time!

Please let me know how I can be of help.

Blessings,
T.

Hi G.!

The OTC stuff works just fine. But at her age, you'll need to take your time, and not be rushed. If you do it "right" the first time, then you may not have to repeat the process. BEFORE & AFTER treating her, though, you need to make sure that you have washed any bedding that she has slept in, clean the couches, wash her clothes, etc....make sure that ANYTHING she used is now clean, so there is absolutely no chance of it coming back after her head is clean.

Also, does she go to a daycare/after school program. We discovered that after doing the whole process over 4 times, that it was the DAYCARE helper who had the lice, after I had even checked her. Anyway,....................

I "hair part" is the easy job, the cleaning is the worst. About 11 years ago, it took us longer to get rid of Lice, then it did to get rid of fleas!!! Not a fun year! Just try to make sure that you coever all bases, and clean anything & everything you think might need to be cleaned.

For stuffed animals, you have to put them in an air-tight garbage bag for 7 days, then you can hand clean/washer machine. Then the dryer for 30 minutes on high.

Good Luck, G.. May "The Force Be With You" on this task :o)

~N.

Well I can tell you that I had a super THICK & LOOONG hair growing up. If there was someone with lice in the same CITY as me I got it:) It seemed like none of the shampoo's or combs or tricks worked. It was horrible. Someone had told my mom to try mixing Ortho "Bug-B-gone" (I know, it sounds harsh) 50/50 with your regular shampoo and a little bit of water. It was the only thing that EVER worked, it was at heaven send! Try leaving it in for about 2-5 minutes at first to make sure there is no reaction and then leave it on for 15 minutes. It kills the eggs also. I would suggest a comb through after the hair is DRY (I know it says wet on the NIX packaging but they stick to the shaft easier when it's wet & it takes 2x as long and it's more painful for your daughter). Lastly, make sure you wash everything (clothes, bedsheets, favorite toys etc...)& Put stuffed animals into a plastic bag for about 30 days in the garage and let her know it's nothing to be ashamed of :) Good Luck

G.,
We have had it in our house twice. We used the creme rinse
treatment, and the spray...it worked like a charm with no
re-occurences. I know it is not chemical free, but it does work. Mayonaise will also drown them, but you have to leave it on for hours, covered in a plastic bag, and they do come back.
W.

This is what I received from my kids preschool when they had an outbreak of lice. Hopefully it helps!

WHO GETS LICE? Any child can get head lice. Head lice do not spread disease, and they have nothing to do with cleanliness. Head lice are a very common occurrence in school settings and they are very contagious.

WHAT ARE LICE? Lice are small, wingless insects that feed at the scalp of a human. This feeding causes persistent itching. Adult female lice attach tiny, grayish-white, tear drop-shaped eggs (nits) with a glue-like substance to the hair. They resemble dandruff but will not "flake" off. Eggs hatch in a week, and the lice are fully mature in 7-10 days. Female lice lay 3-4 eggs per day, producing an average of 90 eggs during her one-month life span. Head lice need a human host and cannot survive away from a host for more than three days. Pets do not carry head lice.

HEAD CHECK
Look for very small "dandruff" type flakes that do not "flake" off. Lice are hard to locate because they move quickly, are smaller than a tick, and shy away from light. Lice usually lay eggs along the back of the neck and around the ears. That is a good place to start looking. However, lice can lay eggs anywhere on the head. You will know it is a nit if it is attached to the shaft of the hair and you try to slide it off and it does not move easily. Any nits or lice that are noticed should be washed down the sink or flushed away. If you notice any lice or nits, you should proceed with the COMPLETE TREATMENT. If you do not notice any nits, then you should re-check your child daily, just to make sure you didn’t miss anything.

EXPOSED CLASSROOM If your child is in the exposed classroom, you may choose to treat your child, even if you do not see lice or nits. Lice and nits are very difficult to see and it takes a good deal of patience and great eyes to ensure that you thoroughly check your child’s entire head of hair.

COMPLETE TREATMENT Consult your doctor for further recommendations.
1. KILL LICE & MOST NITS. Permethrin (found in NIX) is the most effective in killing nits, but it is only 70-90% effective. The survivor nits will hatch in 7-10 days! Input that has been given to me is to purchase PRELL shampoo. Wash hair as usual, towel dry and then apply NIX brand shampoo according to the directions.

2. REMOVE ALL NITS. Choose a location that has good lighting and place a sheet over the chair. Plastic "nit combs" are not as effective as metal nit combs. SLP recommends you thoroughly check your child’s head with a metal nit comb, which will need to be purchased separately. You will want to section off the hair and move systematically through each section. If a nit or lice is seen in the section of hair, it is recommended that you do not move on to the next section of hair until the current section is clean of nits and lice. When that section is clean you will want to soak the comb in vinegar and clean the comb of any nits or lice. This will prevent you from actually putting them back in to the hair in a different location. You may have to go over the entire head two or three times to ensure complete removal. Be patient, as this can take hours, depending on the amount and length of hair. REMEMBER: Nix is not totally effective in killing all nits, and nits that ARE NOT REMOVED, will hatch into lice, thus starting the cycle over again.

3. CLEAN YOUR HOME. Since head lice can survive away from the human body for short
periods, and nits can hatch from hair that has fallen off your child, please be VERY thorough.

a. Vacuum everything including carpets, rugs, mattresses and upholstered furniture. Throw
away your vacuum bag.

b. Wash clothes, bed linens and towels using hot water, then dry on hot cycle for 30minutes.
c. Items not machine washable, such as stuffed animals, pillows, or comforters should be dry-cleaned or stored in sealed plastic bags for 14 days.

d. Soak combs, brushes, hair clips and bows, etc. for 30 minutes in hot water, at least 130F. Vinegar soaking is also effective.

e. Ask your doctor about using a lice spray on furniture, the car, car seats, bike helmets, and
other items that are hard to bag or vacuum. (NIX brand has been recommended.)

FOLLOW-UP
If your child does have lice, please notify your school. Continue to check your child daily for the next 7-10 days, incase you missed any nits and the nits hatch and begin the process again. I also encourage you to “minimize” the cloth items your child comes in contact with over the next two weeks. That way, if re-infestation does occur, you will not need to wash everything again.

Remember that contracting lice is NOT a hygiene or “dirty home” issue and is nothing to be ashamed of.

Hi,
There are a lot of folk remedies out there that are supposed to work. One that is sworn by is tea tree oil, but you have to dilute it the right amount or it can burn. For preventative measures, if you wash her hair with tea tree shampoo, lice do not like that stuff, and it will keep them away. Good luck.

I'm not sure where you live but there are actually "salons" that specialize in getting rid of lice, if you don't want to do it yourself. They can be pricey though. Look in your phone book, they have names like "Nit Picky". Otherwise do exactly as everyone here has said, OTC remedies work best, wash EVERYTHING, and let your child's teacher know asap.

At 2 years old my daughter came home with it 3 times from the same pre-school. Needless to say she does not go there anymore. It was such a night mare that if it happens again I am going to contact the company advertised in Parent Magazine (sorry I do not remember the name) but they specialize in head lice and will even come to your home. I don't care what the cost is, I don't want to go through it again.

G.,
Hi. We had the same issue when my daughter was this age. It kept reoccurring.....Those over the counter types were so harsh to her scalp. I finally had someone tell me to try Mayonaise. I never would have thought of it myself.3
I covered my daughter's hair in mayo (thick). I then put a plastic shower cap over it & let her sit this way for a hour. It smothers the lil buggers. Now your child's hair may be a little greasy for a few days & that's ok cause if any new one's hatch they won't be able to breath. The biggest problem is getting ALL of the eggs. You can try to get them out with that metal lice comb but I found pinching them with my fingernails & pulling hard to the end of the hair. If you don't get ALL the eggs you will have this problem again!
And I know it does not sound very clean BUT lice LOVE clean/dry hair. Leave it a lil greasy for a few days it's okay...I promise. Better than having to do this treatment over & over agin.....Good Luck ...L.

we had it every fall for a couple years - here is finally did the trick:

First, treated with lice shampoo, comb etc.
Strip bedding and washed. Bagged all stuffed animals and non-washables for 60 days after last infestation.

Second, every day when my kids got home, I stripped them, put all clothes into wash. Put them in tub, and washed their hair with Olive Oil shampoo and didn't rinse. Got them out of tub, and used lice comb with o.o. shampoo still in it. Once we'd gone through hair, back in tub to rinse etc. Fresh clothes, then vacuumed area we'd been sitting.

Every morning, all bedding went into dryer for 30-40 minutes as a precaution.

I did this every day for about 6 weeks, and we finally got rid of the beasties. You can't rely on other parents to be aggressive, so the lice tend to cycle through a few times in a row. By not stopping treatment to see if they were gone, I think we nailed the second generation before it had a chance to set up house.

My daughter had lice at about the same age. And, she has lots of really, really curly hair, so it was a nightmare!
If you want to avoid the chemical/pesticide route, here is what I did and would recommend...
If you go to a health food store, you should be able to find shampoos that treat lice. Look for something with a large percentage of tea tree oil -- but it should say right on the label that it treats lice. You can usually get a corresponding conditioner, too. Then (this may sound odd, but...) before bedtime, slather your daughter's hair in coconut oil (make sure you get lots of it on the scalp, at the base of the hair) and cover her head with a shower cap for her to sleep in. This will, essentially, suffocate the lice. In the morning, wash again with the tea tree oil shampoo & conditioner. Also, and this is a painstaking process, you will have to go through her hair section by section (almost strand by strand) to remove the nits. These are the lice eggs. I recommend putting in a good movie for you both to watch while you do this. Also, make sure to wash her bedding (sheets, pillowcases and pillows) in Lice Wash, put them in airtight plastic bags and DON'T USE THEM for a couple of months (because, if there are lice or eggs in the bedding, you're just going to have to start all over again).
Good Luck!

My girl had it last year. We did the shampoo in to cycles and sprayed all the furnitue along with washing all the bedding. I combed her hair everyday to get the leftovers out. It was actually a fairly easy process. We used the OTC box.

I've had lice twice the last few months or my boys did. I used Rid and it worked pretty easily. If you are concerned about pesticided Lice MD doesn't have any but I don't know how it works. Once you get her head cleared of lice you need to get your house cleared too. It is such a pain. you need to vacuum very well, included couches and chairs that are not leather. YOu need to wash linens, towels, stuffed animals. Don't forget about backpacks, coats, the car.

Good luck I knew how horrible this is to deal with.

As far as I know the OTC meds are the only way to get rid of them. Do it fast. They will live in your furniture. You need to strip all sheets, do all laundry. Good Luck, I hear it can be a real pain to get rid of.

G.,
My daughter was 6 when I discovered she had head lice and it was MISERABLE! We used an over the counter head lice treatment and it was successful in eliminating them, but for about 2 weeks after the treatment I was still finding eggs in her hair! You really have to keep checking EVERY SINGLE strand of hair on her head after the treatment to continue getting rid of the eggs, they are the real problem. They are called nits and they can sometimes be resistant to the treatments and hatch. We washed everthing in hot water 3 times, bedding, pillows, all the blankets, stuffed animals, head lice is just a huge nightmare of a problem and I pray I NEVER have to deal with it again!! The treatments they sell in the store, however, do seem to work and are safe, so don't fear giving them a try. Just remember to keep combing her hair for nits for a long time afterward.

They are a nightmare. I eradicated my 5 y.o. dughter's infestation after laboring for months. Chemical treatments and manual "picking" almost every day. I've since, heard about a company called nitpixies, where they manually pick out the lice and nits (eggs) and I think they guaranteee results. I spent endless time and tears doing it myself. If you're patient and methodical maybe you're up to the task of doing it yourself, but if happened to me again, I'd pay whatever it cost, to get rid of the lice.

Welcome to Motherhood!

Sadly, the only way to really know you're getting rid of them is to use something like RID. There are a few other remedies that don't use pesticides, but they are not nearly as effective. This means that your daughter may unwittingly be the harbinger of an infection at her school, and that is so embarrassing that I would really recommend just using the RID and being done with it.

Parents are so weird about lice, and it carries a huge stigma. I've used it on both of my kids over the years, and would do so again. It seems a small price to pay.

Best,

J.

It is critical that you wash everything in your house!! Clothes, bedding, stuffed animals, carpet etc...Stay away from other people until you have it under control or it will spread like a wild fire.

Hi G.,

Sorry to hear about your lice problem. But don't worry. This is what we (2 girls & myself) do/did here, we add 5 or 6 drops of Tea Tree Oil and a tablespoon or 2 of vinegar to our regular shampoo. We usually wash our hair 2 or 3 times in a row when the lice is found in our hair. This works great cause we can actually see the lice and nits slid right out in the rinse water. I also put a few drops of Tea Tree Oil in the conditioner too. It helps with tangles. AND, finally, I put a few drops of Tea Tree Oil in a spray bottle mixed with plain water. I spray the beds, carpets, car, etc. with this water. I also spray our heads with it once a week or when someone has been exposed to lice. This has worked great for us. We've only had lice twice here. I usually get the Tea Tree Oil from Wal Mart cause it's usually cheaper there.

Hope this helps you too!
Good luck!!
N.

The only way to do it without using pesticides is to pick every bug and nit out one by one. Then you have to check her hair every day for new nits for several weeks. Also, wash all of her linens and bedding in hot water. It is easier to use the over the counter lice shampoo. If you get a kit be sure to buy a good lice comb because the ones that come in the kits don't work very well.

Dear G.,
I don't know if the mayonnaise, olive or tea tree oil works, but I do know that lice can live on anything. I have totally noticed that right around back to school time, there are about a zillion commercials on TV for lice products.
Combs, brushes, jackets, hats, blankets, pillows.
An entire classroom can be infested and obviously the children aren't running around rubbing their heads together. Washing bedding and laundry in hot water and drying on the hottest setting is very important. It's expensive, but they also make a spray for things like your couch. It's not so bad killing the lice, but you have to make sure you get the eggs.
My sister works at a school and she is so in the habit of doing lice checks that if any kid comes up to hug her, as a habit, she starts checking their hair. Nieces, nephews, grandkids included. She doesn't say, "Let me check your head for lice", she just nonchalantly gives a little check.
You'll get through it.
I really hope some of the other things actually work. That would be awesome! Let us know what works best for you.

There was a great article in Wondertime magazine a couple of months ago

http://wondertime.go.com/learning/article/how-to-treat-li...

She discusses some options without the heavy insecticides. They are more time consuming but a better first line of defense because we are starting to select for insecticide resistance lice now... Hope this helps.