head lice....help! (ideas, babies, parents, clothes)
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About a month ago I discovered head lice on my daughter. We spent about a week and a half trying different treatments and did lots of combing. I also realized a few days into the ordeal that I had it as well. I think I know where we got it from, and we haven't been around that person again. I thought the problem was gone, but a few days ago discovered lice on my daughter's head again. I had someone look at my head, and I have it as well. Most of them are babies, so I am assuming we missed some nits last time, and they have hatched and laid more eggs. It is possible that I never fully got rid of them on my own head the first time. I had to rely on my boyfriend to do the nit-extracting on my head...and he can't even part hair, much less thoroughly get all the nits out!
We have tried Nix (which seems to work the best at killing the live lice), olive oil, tree tea oil, lotions, mouthwash, vinegar. I have tried to pick all of nits out of her hair (several times....this is the tedious awful part!) but every time I look at her head again I find more. I have been washing sheets and blankets daily, and spraying daily, etc. All of her stuffed animals are still tied in plastic bags in her closet from last time. Luckily we have hardwood floors in most rooms but I still vacuum the rugs. So in other words I am doing all of the correct procedures to clean the house.
If anyone has any ideas, please post them! She can't go back to school until all of the nits and lice are gone, and has missed too many days of school because of this problem!
Last edited by wilmingtonangel; 12-08-2009 at 06:30 AM..
We dealt with this twice. The only effective thing we could do is just keep picking them out. It's a crummy thing but a couple times a day we would go through her hair and pick them out one by one. We also put olive oil in her hair at night and put a shower cap on to protect the bedding.
If we never have to deal with this again it will be too soon. Good luck.
The best thing is to get a prescription from the doctor. The lice seem to have become immune to most of the over the counter medications. When using the stuff don't just use it on your head, you should also use it on the rest of your body so lather up from head to toe. Lice will run down and find other areas to hide while you are just washing your hair, then they will venture back up once you are done. The medication from the doctor is strong so be sure to follow their instructions to a T.
Be sure to wash everything that can be washed, like bedding and clothes and anything that can't be washed like stuffed animals put into large plastic bags and put them outdoors for a couple weeks. I found some bug bombs that had the main ingredient that you find in NIX and set them off in my house to take care of everything else that couldn't be washed or stuffed in a plastic bag like furniture and carpets. I can't right off think of the name for the bug bombs, but I found them at Wal-mart. Just read the lables on both the NIX and the bug bombs.
I wish you luck, I know how you feel and like another poster said if I never have to deal with lice again it will be to soon.
Call the school nurse. She could be catching them from school again and again and again. The nurse needs to do a head lice check of all students. Not all parents are as attentive as you.
I've never had the problem, but I have friends who did and they needed to wash EVERYTHING---including clothing that was already clean.
All textiles need to be cleaned at the same time as the treatment. That means opening your drawers and closets and washing everything in them in addition to bedding.
I found a can of the bug bomb I was talking about. It is called HOT SHOT and mine is a blue can and says No Mess Fogger on it. The indedient to look for is Piperonyl Butoxide.
I didn't think of the bug bombs. I actually already had some in my house (I live in the south so I have to let off bug bombs about once a year) that have the same ingredient as the hair stuff...permethrin.
I did inform the school nurse because I know they check the whole class. Last time no one else in the class had it except my daughter, although I have not asked this time.
I am really trying to avoid the prescription strength chemicals. It is a very strong chemical and has been linked to leukemia & cancer. But if nothing else works I may have to try that as a last resort.
I did a little research, and I found a lady that owns a business of extracting nits from the hair. She's $40/hour though
I didn't think of the bug bombs. I actually already had some in my house (I live in the south so I have to let off bug bombs about once a year) that have the same ingredient as the hair stuff...permethrin.
I did inform the school nurse because I know they check the whole class. Last time no one else in the class had it except my daughter, although I have not asked this time.
I am really trying to avoid the prescription strength chemicals. It is a very strong chemical and has been linked to leukemia & cancer. But if nothing else works I may have to try that as a last resort.
I did a little research, and I found a lady that owns a business of extracting nits from the hair. She's $40/hour though
Wow that is pretty expensive, but as I was going through it I might have paid it.
When you wash the bedding and clothes, make sure your dryer is on the highest heat setting, it is the heat that kills everything.
I didn't think of the bug bombs. I actually already had some in my house (I live in the south so I have to let off bug bombs about once a year) that have the same ingredient as the hair stuff...permethrin.
I did inform the school nurse because I know they check the whole class. Last time no one else in the class had it except my daughter, although I have not asked this time.
I am really trying to avoid the prescription strength chemicals. It is a very strong chemical and has been linked to leukemia & cancer. But if nothing else works I may have to try that as a last resort.
I did a little research, and I found a lady that owns a business of extracting nits from the hair. She's $40/hour though
I think there may actually be some new things out (prescription level) to deal with lice. They may have strong side effects too. I don't know, but your doctor probably does. I understand there is a new tablet out to deal with them and awhile back I was reading about something new that "smothers" the lice like olive oil and mayo but is apparently more effective than the home remedies. Again, I would check with doctor. If you don't like the options he gives, don't use them but he may have something new worth trying that would not be harmful.
I just called the lady that owns the lice extracting business and talked to her about 20 minutes. She is going to come over tomorrow evening to go through my daughter's hair so she can go back to school on Thursday. Because of time constraints (I'm a college professor and this week is finals week....so missing work is out of the question), she will have to come back this weekend to go through my hair.
It is expensive...but hopefully worth it! I know I will not get rid of this problem until all nits are gone.
I think there may actually be some new things out (prescription level) to deal with lice. They may have strong side effects too. I don't know, but your doctor probably does. I understand there is a new tablet out to deal with them and awhile back I was reading about something new that "smothers" the lice like olive oil and mayo but is apparently more effective than the home remedies. Again, I would check with doctor. If you don't like the options he gives, don't use them but he may have something new worth trying that would not be harmful.
If I can't get rid of them myself, I am definitely calling the doctor to look for more suggestions/treatments.
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