HELP!!! I Have Head Lice, Omg!

Glad it is going well for you. First my experience and then some follow up advice. I thought we had dodged the "lice bullet" after years of hearing about them going around pre-school, elementary school, neighbors' houses, etc., and then -- oh no -- our daughters picked them up at an overnight camp where all the kids slept with heads in the middle ... I panicked and was up til past midnight upon initial discover (our friends whose daughters passed on the lil critters called me to check, and sure enough -- we had them). I never used any otc products like Rid, etc. as I had some very good resources re non-toxic approaches to lice here in Davis, and also found additional good online resources. Also heard from others with lice experiences that RID doesn't really get rid of lice -- at least not the eggs/nits -- only the hatched nymphs and adults. And even some of the hatched ones seem to be developing some resistance, I hear.

What we did that worked: shampoo with mixture of shampoo and tree tea oil & eucalyptus and rosemary, then mayonnaise on hair for 1 hour or a bit more under plastic shower cap or plastic wrap. Then shampoo out hair, again with tree tea oil, and comb out afterward with nit comb. Tons come out. Then oil hair with mixture of olive or veg oil, tree tea oil, eucalyptus, rosemary and pennyroyal (latter 3 all essential oils) -- be careful re both the shampoo and oil mixture that you don't use too much essential oils -- can burn the scalp (test them on your arm first -- oil is 2 1/2 T olive oil and 1/2 teasp. ea. of essential oils. THEN NITPICK -- I bought small metal hair clips and looked through, nitpicked and then clipped their hair 1 inch at a time, so I knew exactly what hair I had looked at already. Took hours. Used scalding/boiling hot water to dip nit comb in after each use. Picked out nits by hand that weren't combed out. Then sent girls to bed with oil mixture and scarf on their heads. Next day, same - shampoo, oil, nitpick. We laundered all their clothes and linens, pillows into dryer for 45 min., vacuumed, put all stuffed animals in garbage bags for a week, etc. We got rid of them all with no recurrance. Other friends using RID had to redo, repick, etc. -- but they relied too much on the OTC treatment and didn't do enough picking in the hair.

The second time it happened -- a year later -- I did much less to the house, and just focussed on the heads (did the linens and pillows, that is all). I read that the live lice can't live off a human for more than a day -- so really we're most concerned about the eggs/nits. And since usually kids don't get it from others unless there is head to head or hat to head contact -- unlikely they will get them from furniture. (I got them from lying in bed reading to my daughter and helping her get to sleep -- heads together and hair entwined...) Second time we were clean fairly quickly. Still a number of hours nitpicking, but not nearly the panic, and no otc toxics. I have my little "lice kit" now that I pass on to friends and neighbors in need. I do recommend the lice meister nit comb -- it was much better than the combs I bought at the drug store, though I used 'em all. Another tip is if you have a good black light -- (I forget the formal name), nits will glow a bit in some hair. And I found sunlight helped me see them much better in my youngest's golden blonde/brown hair.

Finally -- a good preventive is coconut oil. It is sort of looks like the old crisco that our parents used to cook with but more watery -- slather it on their hair and work it in. Lice do NOT like it -- can't breathe or attach well, so seem to avoid heads with it. We used it for outbreaks in pre-school and classrooms or friends who had lice -- the girls just looked like they had wet heads all day -- and it smells great! Good luck!!

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Lice went rampant through our elementary school last year. I bought the shampoo/conditioner/leave-in conditioner from Fairy Tales Hair Care and I LOVE it! It smells so much better than the tea tree oil shampoos and I continue to use it because it just a great job on my girls hair (one is thin and straight, the other is thick and curly). The products are all natural and they also sell the removal kit. The website is www.fairytaleshaircare.com. Good luck!!

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I didn't read through all the answers you have but I wanted to let you know something I have found out between our family dealing with it and working at a day care when a outbreak from school kids kept us all on our toes.

The over the counter stuff works on killing the lice but not desolving the eggs and that is why it says to wait 10 days and use it again. Nit combs are about the only way you can get rid of those little eggs and be sure they are gone, but you have to go through a few times to make sure you aren't missing any. Stuffed animals, pillows and bedding should be washed in hot water, if they can be in the water. If they can't be washed, put them in large garbage bags and tie it shut really tight then put them away for 2 weeks. Once you go through the hair and get the nits out, use hair spray or hair gel on the hair all the time since lice like clean hair shafts to stick their eggs too and the hair spray and gel makes it harder the the eggs to stick. I went as far as getting a carpet cleaner with an upolistry attachment and cleaned all my furniture with hot soapy water, carpets and don't forget the car seats.

Good luck

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I hope you read this - or others do...I just got over a case myself. I went to a professional nit picker - yes, they are out there! You need to realized that just b/c you did on comb through you (nad your daughter) are NOT done yet. You need to continue to do a comb through every other day for 2 weeks! The only way to truly get rid of lice is to break their life cycle. I used Nix and got a bunch of dead bugs - went to the pro the next day and they found about 10 more live lice! They are becoming immune to the shampoos. There could have been some so tiny you didn't get them and they will continue to mature over the next few days and lay more eggs. This is how people get re-infected so often - they do one comb thru and think they are done.

Also, the pros said you only need to use a thick white conditioner to do the comb through (they like Pantene). All the other 'cures' do not really work in the long run - you have to comb, comb, comb for 2 weeks to break the life cycle.

Good luck!

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N., the otc stuff is taking a risk - every child is different, but there are accounts of permanent brain disorders caused from it. I would stick with the non toxic ideas!

If you know anyone using Melaleuca products - their oil (commonly referred to as Tea Tree Oil) is the trick. It with a hot wet towel wrapped around the head causes the nits to burst...easier than the mayo type ideas.

Melaleuca's Natural Shampoo has far more Melaleuca oil it in than the store shelf brands, and it is a great preventative for the rest of the family without doing anything weird. Plus - WalMart Tea Tree Oil is not the strength or pharmaceutical quality of Melaleuca's.

Lice hate the oil and Melaleuca has it in a water soluble formula (Sol U Mel) that can be sprayed on *anything*...couches, pillows, toys, carpeting. I have had personal experience of using all this to prevent and get rid of the critters.

JoyBoudreau
www.joyboudreau.com

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EEks i'm itchy...
ok my mom used to put alcohol on our heads and wrap it up in a towel or shower cap...i don't know how "healthy" that is but it worked lol..and i'm ok.
the lady I take my daughters to for haircuts recommended "Fairytales"hairproducts http://www.fairytaleshaircare.com/catalog/displayCatalog....
it all has rosemary and stuff and it deters them from your hair... she told me you don't need all the products. the leave in conditioner is enough. i have started using it for my girls (almost 2 & 4) it smells good... best of luck.

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N.,

Don't panic!! Call the doctor for the perscription head lice killer for you and your daughter. Next, do put anything you can in the dryer, pillows stuffed animals etc. Bed linens and what ever else can be washed, wash it in the hotest water the material can take. Dry on hottest setting it can take. Go to the store and look for the spray that you can spray on the couches, beds, rugs etc. Follow the directions. After all of this, I am sure you will be exhausted because you have to do this all at once. Don't start and leave it for the next day otherwise you have defeated your purpose.

Now, when you use the perscription shampoo on you and your daughter, rinse well then re- rinse with a mixture of 1/4 vinegar to 3/4 water. This will help loosen the eggs from your hair because you have to comb them out very carefully to make sure you get evey last one. Save the comb and recomb your hair for several days just in case you missed some eggs or nits as they call them. Be careful for at least 3-4 weeks, check everyone daily and see if you can find the source of where you got them from so you can avoid it in the future.

Good luck.

E.

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I had a child care center and here is what I told my parents. Don't put poison on your children I gave them info from the best website out there.

headlice.org

When my friends kids and mine had it we sat for hours after washing their hair and sectioned off hair and combed and picked out the bugs, my friend just pulled the whole hair out with the nit on it. I bought a light at Staples that has a magification lense and a light so I could see better. Every day, for hours we sat with one kid or another on a towel in our lap.

Head lice are at epidemic levels because people just don't check oftern enough and they all have home remedies that don't work. Tea tree oil can be purchased and just a few drops put in your shampoo. So each time you wash your hair you are putting an oil into it that lice don't like.

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N.:
So sorry to hear about the lice. The best thing I have found and it is not harsh chemicals is Heman's Real Mayonnaise. The oil in it kills the lice, smothers them. Is good for hair and works as conditioner and not the harsh chemicals. Can also use olive oil. You put the mayonnaise over hair a nd work in, cover w/ a shower cap and let set for 3 hrs. Then wash out. A bit messy, but not bad to get out. As for pillows, bed clothes, etc. Wash in hot water and dry in dryer. They make a spray for furniture, carpets, etc. Do not forget to spray car seats/carpet if cloth seats. Also bag up all toys that have hair or stuffed animals. I forget how long to do this, but think 30 days. Just put in trash bag and seal. Can wash stuffed animals also.

Since the mayonnaise is not harmful, you can treat whole family if you want. Before my niece has had them and slept w/ me when young. I never did get them.

It is a mess and can be expensive. Good luck!!

A.

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Look in the pharmacy section of the store. They will have several different products to get rid of the lice and eggs in your hair. I think it was rid or pronto brand also had a can of spray for the furniture and carpets. We used this several years ago when we were invaded by the nasty little creatures. We also bagged up all the stuffed animals that could not be laundered for a period of 2-4 weeks. We did the stuff on our hair first and combed out. This seemed to be the hardest part. I kept a large mason style jar of alcohol while we were combing out to rinse the comb in or if there were any little creatures that were not dead yet. We vacuumed everything that we could and then put sheets on the furniture. Every night we laundered those sheets in a load with hot bleach water and detergent. As far as the bedding we laundered everything in hot water with one half cup bleach and detergent. We tried to sit on hard chairs as much as we could. If you get everyone involved in the cleaning it should go quicker. Make sure that you DO NOT SHARE hats,combs, hair accessories, or towels that have not been laundered. It will be a lot of diligent work for a while but you'll get through it. When you bag up the things that cannot be laundered make sure the bag closes tightly. We had a large area rug that could not be laundered so we put 2 large trash bags, one on each end, and had to cut another one to wrap around the center. We put electrical tape on the seams to seal it up. Good Luck and God Bless!

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It stinks combing doesn't it?

Well, just remember that you are NOT DONE YET!!!! In a few days (or a week), do the oil thing again & leave it on for at least an hour or more. Then wash & rinse using a good conditioner & comb again. You'd be surprised that there will probably be more eggs or lice... there usually is.

Also, use a coconut scented shampoo & conditioner (Suave makes one) & use hair spray. If your daughter's hair is long, braid it & spray it with hair spray. This will help prevent lice from coming back on your hair.

Vacuum, vacuum, vacuum every day for a month or so to keep them off the furniture so you don't get reinfected.

You are almost out of the woods.

J. :-)

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Hi, KathyR gave great advice... Keep combing through for 2 weeks and re apply the Nix! I have read that it is the most effective shampoo. I know that feeling you had, I had the same reaction when both of my kids, 7 and 9 had it! Who combed through your hair? A loved one? Thankfully, I didn't get it, but I still fear it! I did comb through my adult cousin's hair a month after our ordeal. Our kids go to the same school. I got some all natural spray online that did sooth my worry. Just type a search for licedex if you are interested. This too shall pass...Hang in there...you are now the LICE terminator!!!

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Some of this will probably repeat what others have said. First of all, not only are those chemical shampoos dangerous, but often they don't even work. I've used the mayonaise trick, olive oil, and also vaseline. In fact, when my, then 3 year old, had them, we rotated with all three for about a week. Put your choice remedy on the hair and work it in really well, down to the scalp, out to the ends. Cover with plastic wrap as tightly as is comfortable. Cover that with a shower cap to keep the sheets clean! Leave on overnight. Then in the morning, before rinsing, hold head over the sink and use one of those nit combs and COMB COMB COMB. The combing is the most important part of the process! Do this process several times, over a period of several days. We literally left vaseline in my little boys's hair (covered with a hat!) for several days all day long. The lice actually prefer clean hair over greasy! After your hair is finally rid of them, wash for a while with a shampoo containing tea tree oil. Vacuum everything that cannot be washed and dried in extremely hot temperatures (including car seats). Make sure you toss the vacuum bag in an outside trash bin after the procedure. Good luck!

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I just had to do my sons head two nights ago. Goto Walmart or whereever and buy the RID kit or even the Equate at Walmart(its the same only cheaper) with the treatment shampoo, the comb out for eggs, and it has the furniture spray and wash everything else in hot water. It will work although you may have to do another followup treatment. Just follow the directions, its very easy, but will take less than an hour. And think back to where or who you or your kid has been. Also make sure to alert other parents/friends/ whoever you or your kid has been around to let them know you just did a treatment. So you dont get reinfested. Yes, its embarrasing, I have had them, but its a normal kid thing. They are ugly creatures and from the biting you will have alot of redness and irritation. It will work. God Bless.

PS AN update-I didnt think the store boughts were dangerous so maybe try everyone elses tricks before the storebought chemicals. Sorry and God Bless. Is there a lice epidemic going around cuz my son, my ex husband, and his friends daughter has the darned critters too. Whats up? Yucko!!!

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N., I went through this with my children when they were younger. I tried everything on the market and spent hundreds of dollars on products that did not work for us and many painful hours trying to comb them out of the hair. Finally I received some useful information from a nurse of all people (ha! ha!). Baby oil and a shower cap was all I needed. Before going to bed in the evening put the baby oil on the hair and put the shower cap on over it. Leave it on all night while sleeping. In the morning comb hair to rid of excess lice and then wash 2-3 times. The oil smothers the lice and eggs therefore killing them. This worked with one treatment. As far as the furniture and bed linens you were given the proper advice. However, not feeling secure about just drying the linens I also washed them first. Also do not forget to discard the vacuum cleaner bag or empty the canister. I hope this helps. M. C.

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It's really not so big a deal. My mom always said it's no sin to get lice, but it is a sin to keep them. No danger of that, right! LOL

Put stuffed animals, pillows, clothes, etc in the hottest dryer setting like you said or else close them in airtight (not drawstrings) garbage bags for 2 weeks.

Use a pesticide spray on bedding.

Shampoo each family member with Rid or an equivalent.

Spray combs and brushes or wash with boiling water or the same (pesticide) shampoo.

If you don't get them all the first time, repeat!

You'll live!

2 moms found this helpful

My children have picked up head lice before at school and I used Rid. It works great! I also took all of the bedding off of the beds and washed them in hot water. That gets rid of them as well. You can throw your pillows in the dryer or use a vaccum on them to get them out of the pillows. You can find Rid at Wal-Mart in the pharmacy section. That has been the best product that I have found.
God bless!
L. C.

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N.,
I feel your horror. I had never heard of head lice until I moved back to my home area. It simply means that you have clean hair< (lice doesn't like dirty hair). When I went into surgery to have my hystorectomy they discovered that I had it. The nurse treated me like I had some type of deadly contagious disease!! Come to find out a prominent child in our community that I taught in SS had it in church the previous Sunday, and that is how I came in contact.
You can treat it many ways. For your hair, you can use mayonaise, since this is not a poision, it is safe. Just put in good, leave in about 10 min, wash throughly. It is hard to wash out. Re treat in a few days. You need to buy the sprays, you can get this @ wally world, ect. Spray your furniture, baseboards, vehicle, wash all covers., treat EVERYONE IN THE HOUSE. For pets, use a good flea shampoo or call you vet and ask them what to do. YOU MUST TREAT AND CLEAN EVERYONE AND EVERYTHING YOU COME IN CONTACT WITH. Then every day vaccum to continue picking up the eggs. In a about a week or 2, everthing should be back to normal.
Oh, you need a nit comb, to get the eggs out of your hair.
Good luck.
T.

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N.:
I can see that you got alot of great information from alot of moms. However if you are still having a problem, please give me a call or check out my listing on Mamasource. I am The Nit Fairy and my business is treating families for head lice. I have numerous reviews from moms just like yourself. I will be more than happy to help you with any questions or concerns you may have.

2 moms found this helpful

N.:
I know I am late too, but listen to those who talk of the Nit comb. The products are strong and I would not use them again on my children as one of them got a little sick afterwards. Of course I used it a little longer to make sure the lice were dead. Anyway, you have to be very diligent about checking every single person in your family. Some people say wash all the linens. I washed everything in hot water every single day and got tired of that so after awhile I just washed the pillow cases. Anyway, I would check everyone in my family every single day for at least a few weeks.

Also, I didn't just comb through my kids hair once a day. I used a little vinegar and water and shampooed their hair two to three times a day. And picked through their hair every time after shampooing. The shampooing washes some of them away. You have to comb with the nit comb after every shampoo. Yes, they will get sick of you doing this, but I got rid of it within a week or so doing it this way.

You do still have to check every single day for at least a month. And then periodically after that. Have someone checking you also.

The reason you have to use the comb is to get all the nits, and not let them hatch. That is why there is the need to check so often.

My kids got lice because I worked in the childcare center at the gym. My daughter took her brush one day and left it on the shelf and someone else used it.

If you haven't already, I would educate your children on not allowing anyone else to use their brush, comb, make up, etc. And not to use anyone else's or try on any hats. I was always paranoid about them trying on hats at the store too, after this happened to us. It was our first experience and I wanted to make sure it was the last. It is not a pleasant
thing to deal with as it is a lot of work. Personally, I would not use the chemicals because it is a pesticide.

Anyway, best of everything to do. Sorry for you having to go through this, makes everyone feel dirty but it is a normal part of what happens when they go to school, church, the gym, etc.

Sorry, this post is so long. Keep up your faith. God will get you through this ordeal. When you have teenagers you will realize this is nothing compared to what you go through then. But God does promise he won't put us through more than we can handle.

You don't have to throw out the pillows. I probably went overboard with the washing, the dryer does work. But I would wash the cases every day. I would be super good about using the comb three times a day that is what worked for me.

I am going to send you a private message if you'd like to talk more you can email me direct.

Take care and God bless,
K.

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Oh N., how I feel for you. We've never had lice, but did get pinworms once - EWWWW!Worse than lice,'cause they were inside our bodies, not outside, talk about gross! Every fall, when school started, I would fear my kids bring home lice! Anyway, I have seen & treated plenty of cases of lice in the hospital, and usually treated myself after caring for anyone with them, just in case!
Anything that can be washed, wash and dry in the hottest temperature possible. Anything that cannot be washed, bag up in plastic bags and leave for at least 2 weeks before opening. "anything" includes all things that have come in close proximity to your or your daughters head. This includes toys, pillows, anything used in the hair, all blouses and shirts and other clothes that are put on over the head, hats, & scarves.
As for you and your daughter, get a lice shampoo such as Nix or Rid, and follow instructions on the box. Without having the box in front of me, I believe it says to shampoo in, cover head with shower cap and leave overnight, then shampoo out in am, and comb hair thoroughly with a nit comb (this is a VERY IMPORTANT step!) This is a painstaking step that can take hours, if you have long hair, but you must remove all the nits, or they will hatch and reinfest. Even if the box says it kills nits, don't count on it! Some boxes are kits, that contain a shower cap and nit comb. If yours doesn't, they can be purchased separately from the druggist.A nit comb has teeth that are VERY close together, so you may need to get tangles out with a regular comb before attempting the nit comb. Nits are the eggs, they look like dandruff, but are stuck to the hair shaft, so every strand of hair must be conmed through and inspected! The tx should be repeated in one week, just in case there are any survivors. Whew! There are other home remedies that probably work too, but this is what I know. And, no matter what you use on the head, the nit comb procedure should be done.

2 moms found this helpful

I'm so sorry. My son got lice from school ( of course) and then the little girl that had it first invited us to her birthday party. I took All clothes, bedding, hats towels, and whatever else and washed everything in hot water ( using a little smaller load than the water setting, ex I did 3/4 of a load and used the full setting) and then put them on high in the dryer for forever (about an hour or so). Meanwhile I had someone take my son after doing the rid ex thing on him and me even though I didn't have any. I sprayed the entire house, mattresses, rugs, the walls around beds with raid and left for about an hour. I came back and cleaned walls, beds, etc with hot soapy water and dried mattresses with hairdryer. I went to this extreme, because I hate even the thought of having lice *( I'm itching now). My mother-in-law use to put some rid ex in a spray bottle and spray her kids hair before school when they 1st started. Good luck, and again I'm sorry.

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hello N.
I realize it is a week later but I hope you are still checking your daughters hair daily, your older daughter and having someone look through yours. I would check every few days for a couple of weeks just to be sure. We have gone through this and we all have thick hair. It is not a matter of going through once and thinking you are done, especially with the otc chemicals, as many of them are not as effective as people think, lice are often resistant to chemicals, or you may miss a nit that hatches and starts the whole process over again.Believe me, it happens.

A few moms suggested tea tree oil, and I think it is the best. Get a GOOD quality tea tree oil, mix with water to spray everything and keep doing that for a couple of weeks. Use the oil directly on your hair and scalp and also mix some in with your shampoo, an otc tea tree oil shampoo won't contain enough to be helpful, add lots!!

So, how is going a week later? Are you all clear?

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There's a website that has tons of home remedies, and you can do a search for lice - I know I've seen remedies there, such as the mayo... it is the peoplespharmacy.com. Good luck!

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Head lice, pin worms, scabies---all parasites waiting to attack our precious little ones. Take heart, as gross as they are, they are all treatable. Has anyone had scabies yet? UGH

This is the reason our mothers told us not to share combs and brushes. Don't let them share headgear either. My grandaughters softball team shared a batting helmet---and lice!

Just always be aware of an itch that doesn't go away quickly. Long term itches are not normal.
God bless you all. This is one good thing about having them all grown up!

2 moms found this helpful

Quite an ordeal! Sorry you had to go through this. I want to echo what others have said about the need to go through the hair (we did it every day) with a nit comb--or with eyes and fingers. I separated my daughter's (long) hair in such a way that I could see 360 degrees around every shaft of hair--and pulled out every nit.

Most important--make sure that the kids she hangs around with, and the teachers, are nit free. My daughter got lice just before Christmas break. We went through the whole routine. She was finally clear (we checked every day). And then she got them again when she went back to school. I spent three days checking and clearing the teacher's head and the heads of the other kids in the class. Turns out it was all the kids who liked to sit on the teacher's lap and who played together.

Best wishes,
Siddheshwari S

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I know this is a late post, BUT for all you mom's who want a shampoo with tea tree oil in it, melaleuca.com has everything you want and need for hair, home, bath, laundry. It is all natural products and yes the shampoo does work for lice! Learned that years ago when my 21 year old was about 11 and brought them home! If you have any questions on melaleuca I will be glad to answer them or if you need help placing an order! ____@____.com

L.

1 mom found this helpful

It can happen to any of us dear heart--- I had one go-round with my two children when they were in day-care ( is our little daughter in day-care??--that's a really risky environment- it only takes one child--)

I also wanted to comment on your religioun-- you are my kind of person- I attend --- and have for 36 years - the best little church ever -- open- flexible- tolerant and non-judgemental. AND I find myself puzzled often- but leave it to God -- who knows and sees and cares for us-- . THANK you for saying it so well--

:-) Old Mom--aka - J.

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RID at the pharmacist. Comes with enought shampoo to wash a couple heads, and a can of spray to spray things down with. Wash all bedding and keep checking the heads that dont think they have them!!!! Good luck and God Bless!

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filp mattresses , put pillows in dryer for 30 min on highest heat , wash all bed clothes , put stuffed animals in a trash bag for 14 days or dry them on high heat , sweep furniture , wash rugs /dry , dry coats/hats/backpacks,bleach all combs /brushes , put hair ties in hot hot water 1hour, make sure when your done cleaning to clean out your sweeper then take out trash, BE SURE TO PICK OUT ALL NITS/BUGS!! 3 weeks after you treat your hair with head lice dye your hair for 3 months then everything should be ok we've been dying our hair and knock on wood we have been clear.

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I didn't read the replies, but go as far as bagging stuffed animals for a time and vacuuming mattresses. Wash all bedding, buy the spray for your furniture. I heard the store products are not good for you, especially if you have to use them again and again. That is why you can never be too cautious about treating the house as well as your family. Once upon a time and back in the day, I had said "no, not my kid". It happened to my family and the experience with using the lil' nit picking comb on my three lil' girls long hair and how time consuming it was is a memory I wont forget. I did find that Avon's Skin So Soft Oil worked wonders. We had to leave it on for a bit, but it suffocated the lil' buggers!

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Be on the look out.. sometimes they reoccur - 2 weeks after the first time you've had them.. actually this happens a lot.. so keep a look out.. and good luck.. lice can be such a pain!!!

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hey N. just wanted to add that yoou have to do it all over again about 10 day make sure all stuffed to are bag for two weeks and dry all pillows and beding and when sending her to day care or school put hair up and put a coat of hair spray so new bugs can't jump on i also i got a robi comb they help find the litle nasty bugger and go thur her hair reg good luck

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My daughter picked up lice twice last year. I put her pillows in a hot dryer every day for 20 mins. for about 2 weeks. When I was sure we were rid of the lice, I trashed them and got her new ones. In addition to treating with Rid, I meticulously combed through her hair under a bright light every night for about three weeks with the lice comb. It is imperative to get every egg and nit. You won't be able to do this to your own hair - you'll need help. As for couches, your car, etc. you can vacuum them thoroughly. Rid also makes a spray for them. Yes, Rid is a chemical, so consider that. Good Luck. Be thorough and meticulous.

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Hey N.,

I think the mayo thing is a great idea! I have heard it before on the show 'The Doctors' and since an RN on here suggested it as well, I would say it will work! Don't mind the nasty posts.....

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Hey guys, I read this and thought I'd send out an FYI... I am working with a new mom-developed brand -- Babo Botanicals -- that has a line created especially for lice prevention. It's all natural, made on an organic farm. And will be launching next year. If you want to, join us on the Babo Botanicals Facebook Fan Page or if you are on Twitter ____@____.com'll keep you posted on when we're launching and where you will be able to buy the line.

I am an RN, mother, and owner of The Texas Lice Squad. We are the only professional head lice removal service in the state of Texas, with offices in the Houston and Dallas area.

The little buggers have pretty much grown resistant to the OTC products as well as prescpription treatments. The pesticides - and they ARE pesticides (same one found in flea shampoo and bug sprays) - are designed to work on the bug's central nervous system. The eggs (nits) and babies (nymphs) do not have a CNS and therefore these products have no effect on them. Published research shows that 80% of the adult bugs have grown resistant to these pesticides. Oils, mayo, etc. will not smother them - they can actually shut their own respiratory system down. Getting rid of lice is a manual process and all nits/babies/adults must be removed or the cycle will continue. That is what we do here at The Texas Lice Squad without the use of pesticides or chemicals. An average treatment takes about 2 hours and we guarantee our procedure.

Bagging and cleaning is mostly unnecessary - lice need to feed every 3 to 4 hours and most will die when they miss their first meal. The eggs (nits) require the warmth of a human scalp - in other words you are their incubator - and once off the head, they will not hatch.

If you will go to our website http://www.texaslicesquad.com you will find a great deal of useful information.

P. Warner, RN, NE-BC
President/CEO
The Texas Lice Squad

OMG!!...there ARE remedies,otc...I think the MAYO bit is overboard !! ...K. M.

I laughed out loud when I got to your post. Memories of time gone by! My little 7 yr old girl had naturally curly hair, brown with golden glints in it.

I spent 60 hours coming her waist-length hair the first time around. Three weeks later she came home with them again! And this time I came down with them! And I had waist-length hair also!

But the second time around someone told us about the alternative stuff. At that time, Herbal Essence had a shampoo that had rosemary in it (green color - I remember this so well!), and I was told to buy a 2 oz bottle of Tea Tree Oil from the health store and mix the entire bottle in with the shampoo. I did it and it worked very well. I hated the smell of the TTO at first, but have learned to love it now. It smells so woodsy. We both used that shampoo mixture for many years afterward and never had a problem with lice again.

The Herbal Essence company has changed both their bottles and their formulas now, so I was very interested to hear that the Melaleuca Company has a shampoo that works against lice and nits. The Fairy stuff sounds good, too. I have short hair now, but my daughter has dreadlocks and I can't even imagine her getting lice now! She'd have to get her hair cut off!!!

Glad to hear that you conquered the problem. Hope all goes well!

A.

First of all... don't freak out. It is very common. Kids just seem to pass it back and forth much like the common cold. You have gotten plenty of good remedies and just so you know, you may have to repeat the entire process. Stay calm and try not to make it an embarrassing experience for your girls. It will go away. Good luck.