If you have had experiences with lice, I would like to know what treatments worked best for you and how long it took to get child back to being lice-free. We are still battling the bugs!
for the strain that went around my daughter's school last year, Lice MD worked for many parents. You can get it at walgreens.
The big thing is, though, to nitpick every single nit out of their hair. My dd has very long hair and it was a nightmare, but we did it daily for a week, washed everything in hot water, vacuumed well and got rid of it!
Good luck!
Okay I am now an expert in this topic I hate to say. Let me give you the bad news, there is no product that kills them,no homeopathic way either, do not waste your money or your time. They have evolved and are resistent to all of the OTC and RX's now. Baylor is working on coming up with something new, but they have not yet. You have to remove them...period. The only way to kill them is remove them from their food source for 4-8 hours. I found a place called the Texas Lice Squad in Sugar Land. Call them! They are the ones who educated me after 3 months and almost $700 of wasted money. They can sell you what they use, which is more natural and effective, or you can even have them remove them for you. My daughter has waist length hair - we took her and while it was expensive to have them do it, it was less than what I had spent on stuff that did not work. They are really great there. It is run by a nurse and they are truly the experts in this field. Good Luck!
My oldest had this twice...once when she was three and we never did figure out where it came from. Then it took 2 applications of the stuff recommended by the pediatrician and we finally had to shave her head to get rid of it. Noone else in the household got it, but we had a terrible time getting it out of her head.
The second time she got it was a year and a half ago. It took 3 months of them going and coming back and her finally begging us to just cut her hair all off. Finally a friend told me to use mayannaise with enough white vinegar to keep it a paste but make it especially acidic.
Once applied to the hair, wrap the hair in plastic and leave it in for 24 hours. Then wash out twice...
This worked the first time...I had to take her outside with all the nits falling out during the combing session. There was not one nit left. This time she had given it to my youngest daughter (age 4) and we did the same for her with the mayonnaise with the same results. We had a hard time getting the eggs off her hair even with the lice comb because her hair is so fine, but because the vapor from the mayonnaise and vinegar is able to penetrate the eggs they were dead and the eggs eventually washed out of her hair... there has not been a reccurance (knock on wood) in over a year...
Instead of using plastic wrap I used the plastic head cover you can buy in the beauty supply for when you perm or color your hair and i twisted up the excess and used a ponytail holder to hold the excess twisted up and tight...
This method is inexpensive and between the body heat generated and the vapor fromt he vinegar and mayonnaise the lice simply don't stand a chance. Another plus, you are not putting harmful chemicals on your child's head...
The downside?? It takes a week or two for the stench from the mayo and the vinegar to wash fully out...I may try some lemon juice to help with that next time...
Good Luck!!!! ;-)
I was a PTA President of an elementary school and many families had problems with lice. The mayo suggested earlier, was the big secret. They also used it and then picked the hair outside. Remember you also need to vacuum all of your car seats. Your fabric furniture. Wash all of the linens in hot water and try to have separate brushes and combs for each person in the household. Do not share hats.
Nits like fine, clean hair. Our daughter had such thick hair and we could not wash it every night, I think that is why she never got them. It seemed like the most pristine children tended to get lice. Try to find Tea Tree oil hair products, or get some Tea Tree oil and add it to the hair products you use.. It will help.
You know what there is a natural way to kill the lice it is with T36-C3 which is a type of Melaleuca oil. My daughter got lice and she has very long thick hair. I put a product called Renew bath oil, which has T36-c5 in it on her head and combed it through. When I would find a nit or a louse I would pull it out with my fingernails and put it T36-c5 and it would die. I then washed her hair with Melaleuca's Original Shampoo. I washed her sheets and pillow cases and sprayed her room down with Solumel which kills lice, dust mites, and keeps a number of other bugs away all without being toxic to my children. I had her shampoo only with the Naturals shampoo for two weeks and now we follow up once a week to keep them from coming back.
Please don't put anymore pesticide on your children there is a better safer way.
Use nix lice treatment can be bought at any groc store. Don't use brushes or combs without cleaning them. After you have done treatment make sure all linens have been washed in hot water and dried at highest temp. Also pillows can be put in dryer in high heat and sanitized,literally any place your child lays there heads is game in infestation including parents and bedding. Treatment is easy as shampooing hair.have to redo treatment as there may be nits(eggs)lingering still on hair shaft. Good luck nix em
I tried the OTC treatments on my daughter without a lot of success, plus I wasn't crazy about all the chemicals because I was pregnant at the time. Finally I covered her head in vaseline and put a shower cap over it for several hours. Then for the next several days I carefully examined her hair by tiny sections and made sure that no nits were left. This worked, but the vaseline was almost impossible to get out. I also ready that baby oil and mayo will do the same thing. Basically it breaks down the shell of the nit and starves them of oxygen, killing them. If we ever happen this again I will try this first.
Oh, and I set off bug bombs in the whole house to make sure that there weren't any in the beds, carpets or furniture.
I used a product I bought at the feed store. My friend suggested it after her struggle while her daughter was in elementary. Orange Oil is the product. I put a few drops into my daughters conditioner everytime she used it. It kills bugs. You must get every nit out. The orange oil does not strip the hair as bad as the pesticides in the OTC stuff. As long as you have washed (hot water) and dried everything she came in contact with, you should be good. My daughter's hair seemed to attract the darn things. I used the Orange oil/conditioner throughout the school year to prevent further problems. We did not have anymore problems after elementary school.
go to the doctor and get ovide. i sear them things are gone!!
Boy did i have an experience this might sound crazy but take pinesol and rinse thru hair it will kill any lice and or egg be careful not to get to much on the forehead this is potent and can burn your forhead but will work of course wash all sheets in hot water then get a waterbottle fill with pinesol and spray bedding D NOT rinse your hair with this product if you are pregnant. this does work my neices and nefews went to the same school and they gave it to me and rid doesnt do much of anything best of luck sounds crazy but works
The pediatrician can prescribe Ovide which they aren't resistant to - but plan to spend a whole day at home because it STINKS and it takes 8 hours to work. But, Honey, it WORKS. We had tried the OTC stuff and fought those babies for 2 or 3 months. My daughter's school didn't believe in sending notes home so once we got rid of them, a friend would give them back. But the prescription stuff worked. However- it is Malathion, which is a pesticide that has been banned for use in your yard- so that may make you think twice about using it- unless, like me, you and your two daughters (w/ their long, beautiful, blonde hair) had been fighting them for a few months. Maybe try the mayo trick first- which sounds like it also requires a day at home. Also get the spray at the drugstore and spray the beds, wash the pillows, spray the chair backs at home, wash all the bedding and clothes in HOT water, vacuum well and -even tho you aren't supposed to- I sprayed the hair brushes every night. Let me tell you- we may all end up with cancer but I wanted those babies GONE and that was what finally did the trick. Don't forget any helmets (bike) your daughter might wear or headbands....school getting out will help a LOT, also. uggh. I am itching just typing this and it has been 5 years since we had to fight them.....
Lice Free worked for us. Walmart.
Also, if you read the labels, most of the lice shampoos are the same active ingredient and strength as many of Flea shampoos...but they're a LOT more expensive. Most are permethrin or pymethrin. (the Lice Free is supposed to be organic or herbal...or something less toxic. It's been so many years since I used it I've forgotten... but I know it worked when nothing else did.)
I used the Flea shampoos to mop, and in the washing machine when I washed bedding, stuffed animals...etc. Thank GOODNESS my girls are grown and we don't have to worry about those little critters anymore!! I also finally used Flea dip in my carpet shampooer and did the couch and carpet.
Oh, and as a teacher... they tell us that we don't usually get lice even with active cases in the classroom because we adults blowdry/curl...etc. our hair (which kills the freshly hatched nits) AND we USE styling products, which inhibit the eggs from sticking to the hair shaft... Basically, they adhere to the product and wash off when we shampoo. So, I started blow drying and using a little styling gel (Spray Gel can be sprayed closer to the scalp, and lightly done) or some such on my girls' hair every morning. I thought it was worth the little extra effort.
Good Luck!
Tina
The only way to truly get rid of lice is to get rid of the nits attached to the hair. The best product I have found is a comb called LiceMeister. You can buy one at Walgreens or get one online. The comb has very close metal tines. It is actually considered a metal device. It will assist you in removing the lice and their eggs. I have found a wonderful method is to use the comb in conjunction with a leave in product to make combing more managable. My daughter's hair is very fine and tangles easily. Combing seems like torture to her. I have tried leaving conditioner in her hair while combing and this helps. What really seems to be most effective is to completely cover her hair in olive oil. The oil lubricates the hair for easy combing, suspends the lice in the liquid so they can't move around the head while combing, and also breaks down the glue that adheres the nits to the hair shaft. I have found that the combination of the comb and the olive oil is the one-two punch we need to get through this.
Unfortunately the school my daughter goes to has a problem with lice and it is an ongoing issue for us. She gets it, we get rid of it and then someone else has it and we begin again every few months.
I have found that the LiceMeister comb is great for even doing lice checks. If there are nits or lice in her hair, a clean comb going through her hair is going to pick them out. Then once we know there is an issue, we can move on to using the oil and comb.
You can get more information about the LiceMeister comb at a website called www.headlice.org which is a non profit organization. They offer advice and information about head lice and can be very helpful.
I would be very careful about using certain products on your child's head. Chemicals can be very harsh and can be very dangerous. This website can give you information about possible side effects some of these treatments can have and give you the risks so you can make a fully educated decision about how to treat this condition in the most healthy and effective way possible.
Hi,
I have been through this before as well... We got rid of them in one day! I used some all natural shampoo stuff, but the real trick is to sit down with a towel, comb and kleenex and comb every inch of hair on your childs head until all the eggs are gone. it is time consuming, but it will get rid of them... I did see a commercial about some new store bought "natural" stuff, so you might get some of that, but again, the trick is to comb, comb, and comb with the little nit comb that comes in the pack. Hope this helps. Good luck.
My son brought lice home from daycare, and it was a pain to get rid of. I treated his head with "Rid", but you still have to treat his room, too!! Put all stuffed animals in a large trash bag, and "quarantine" them in an unused closet or attic for at least 2 weeks. The lice cannot survive for longer than that without a host. If you can get a "mattress bag", which is like a plastic cover for a mattress... that helps too. You only have to use it for 2 weeks. Same goes for pillows, etc. If you have carpet, then vacuum often. If you don't treat the room, they'll just keep coming back again... Good luck!
Good Morning!
I dealt with lice for several months in a row. I had the school nurse calling me all the time sending my daughter home. I tried everything over the counter as well as a prescription from the dr. Nothing seemed to work. I finally tried pouring vegetable oil in her hair. I used the lice comb and combed her hour for at least two hours. I then used a vinegar rinse after words. I have not seem any "bugs" for a long time now. Remember to wash EVERYTHING in hot water on a daily basis for at least two weeks. I hope this helps.
We went through 2 rounds of the prescripton medication, along with removing the nits, and still had problems. I finally bought a box of Nix and it worked perfectly on the first application.
Talk to the pharmacist regarding the best OTC treatment - these do work.
You have to treat both kids - and you might even have to treat other members of the family residing in the house.
You MUST MUST MUST wash all bed linens (pillows, sheets, bedspreades, comforters, etc) in hot water to kill the boogers. Any stuffed animals that the kiddos sleep with have to be washed as well.
There are several websites that are very informative about treating lice as well.
Hi,
I feel your pain. Went through about 4 months of lice with my daughter a couple of years ago. Ended up getting RX meds from the Dr, but some things that seemed to help were adding a few drops of Tea Tree Oil to her shampoo bottle. They don't like the smell or taste of it evidently. Also using a product called Rid-X or something like that from Walmart. It's a ONE-TIME application thing with a tiny metal comb. You MUST use the comb to get the nits out. Pain in the butt, but it does work. To make it easier to comb, get some Mane and Tail conditioner and slather it on and don't rinse out. Comb, then shampoo again. You'll know it's the right product (sorry can't remember the correct name) because it's the ONLY one that says only ONE application needed. Her problem was she kept getting them until we realized it was from the bus seats. When I made the bus barn dis-infect the whole bus, they went away. Check everyone in the house, treat everyone who has even one nit and wash ALL linens in HOT water. There is a spray you can get for sofas. You even have to wash pillows. Any stuffed animals can usually be put outside in the hot sun for a couple of days to kill them. But if they can be washed, all the better. Good luck!