Lice

my daughter has hair so thick, when she got lice we thought we would never get rid of it, we wound up cutting off her hair and it as so sad.

She wound up getting it again and her sister got it - we tried every shampoo on the market and all those products meant to loosen the eggs, the doctor even went as far as to prescribe a treatment- nothing worked.

I talked to another doctor and she told me the cheapest, easiest way to eliminate and prevent another case- I did it one timeand have never had a lice problem again- I have suggested this or done it for my friends and so far they have had no problems again with lice.

First, lice hate oil- it suffocates them- there are a lot of treatments with mayonaise and light oils out there- if you wnat ot be sure to kill them all- use olive oil- it is VERY healthy for the kids scalp and it is a thicker oil and very effective.
Coat their hair in olive oil and send them outside to play or let them play in the tub for an hour or so- while they are soaking in the oil, vacuum the floors, sofas and the bed- also- an often forgotten place- vacuum out the car before the kids get back in it.

Next wash the oil out of their hair- you will wind up with the hair still somewhat coated- this is okay- dont try to hard to get it all out at this point.

Now, soak their hair in vinegar- this will be very effective in loosening up those eggs and cleaning the rest of the oil out of their hair , after a couple of minutes of really wetting down the hair with vinegar, go ahead and use the lice comb to comb out all the eggs (make sure to use a big comb to detangle all the hair before soaking with vinegar.

To prevent future lice problems, use VO5 or some other oil based hair dressing in their hair when they go to school or somewhere where exposure might be a problem. Get some tea tree oil and put a couple of drops in their hair dressing and / or shampoo. The tea tree oil will not initiall get rid of the lice but after they are gone it will deter them from coming back.

This method is very effective and a lot healthier and safer than the chemical lice treatments.

Another investment you might make is for about $30 from Walgreens you can pick up a Robi-Comb. Lice have a 2 week life cycle so after you have gotten rid of the lice - run this through their hair once a day for the next 2 weeks to hit any missed eggs or bugs before they can lay more eggs- this comb has a slight electric charge that is safe for kids- I used it and it does not hurt or botherthem at all, but it will shock any lice that get caught between its teeth. THen anytime you think they may have been exposed to lice, run it through their hair and it will take care of those one or two that might have jumped in there before they become a problem.

http://www.scottcountyiowa.com/health/lice_treatment_oliv... has an excellent description of the method we've used with my kids (all 3 of whom have had lice - 4 times, now, usually from school). Make sure you look at all 3 steps :) and I've heard good things about the mayonnaise treatment, too - just haven't used it myself.
I did a lot of research when we first ever got them, and decided to avoid the chemical approach at all costs, and have had much success with using the olive oil treatment. I work olive oil into the hair and then wrap the head in saran wrap and cover that with a bandanna to keep it in place as best as possible. Then after a couple of hours (sometimes overnight, depending on when they're found) I have them wash their hair and we sit and comb nits and lice out until the whole head has been gone over in teeny bits at a time. I repeat the combing process (sans oil) morning and night 'til they've come up clean for 2 days in a row, then check them fully every day 'til 2 weeks is up, as well as quarantining everything the heads came in contact with (vacuuming, laundry/hot dryer for at least 30min/bagging up on bedding/pillows/stufties, and don't forget to vacuum the car!)

After you've eliminated them, check hair weekly to prevent reinfestation. Also, I've found that using a tea tree oil shampoo on the kids helps them not catch them again so readily.
As a note: Sitting in front of a movie can help during combing out - bright light on the head is very necessary for seeing clearly, so choose your location accordingly.

Shaving the head is a very definitive way to ensure there are no lice on the head...and it meets with mixed reactions. One summer the kids and I all had buzz cuts because two had lice and one wouldn't sit still for the combing out and the consequence was that he got his head shaved (1/8" buzz cut)...and everyone else wanted it, too. :) It was fun, but I realize it's not for everyone.

If you have further questions, S. at oloteas dot org will reach me readily. Best to you!

Our kids got this once, and we fought it for an entire year. What finally worked for us was to mix rosemary essential oil, tea tree oil and almond oil (olive oil would work well too). I coated their heads with this mixture and they slept in it. Wrap their heads or cover their pillows to protect them from the oil. The next day, I shampooed it out using normal shampoo. I repeated this procedure every night for a week. That way the adult lice could not lay more eggs, and those that were already in eggs would not survive long enough to begin again.

It will take several shampoos to remove all of the oil, so be patient. We did two shampoos every morning, even after we stopped doing the oil for a day or two to make sure we got the excess out. They didn't look too great while we were doing the treatment... their hair was oily even after the initial shampoo. We homeschool, so it wasn't an issue that they needed to look good for school every day.

It finally worked, and we have never had to deal with them again. My oldest had long hair at the time, and while it was more work to do her hair, it worked on her as well.

Good luck.

Call your doctor for a prescription lice treatment. After so many exposures to the over-the-counter treatments, they are now basically super-lice.

My girl used to get it ALL the time from school... We tried everything, every website, everything the store had, and nothing worked... Then we heard something from an older person.. Mayonnaise!!!

Mayonnaise it can be the cheap stuff, put in hair, like you would shampoo. Really use alot, and get it down to the roots of the hair. Then wrap in cling wrap, that clear stuff you use over leftovers bowls... wrap hair in that, and then put on a tight shower cap... use duck tape to make it smaller.. then sleep in that over-night....
Now use an old towel, sheets and pillowcase... because it doesn't smeel that great in the morning, and it could stain.
Wash out in the morning with regural shampoo... best to use tea tree oil... brush them out, they will be dead.

I use tea tree oil mixed with water in a spray bottle and spray there hair once a week, back packs, coats, anything that they take to school too, hairbrushs.

Also if any teddy bears need to be put in a black garbage bag, and closed up tight for 30 days. Because they can live in there too... also srpay them with the tea tree oil once a week to once a month. plus all bedding like the box spring and stuff..

Hope this helps, I know it's a big pain, my daughter has really long hair! email me if you need more explained..
Mel

Try calling your family DR. and get him/her to call in a prescription to the pharmacy called OVIDE. It's pretty potent stuff. You put it on dry hair and leave it for 8 hours or so. I did it w/my daughters hair at night, put her hair in a ponytail then braided the ponytail and wrapped it in a bun. Put a shower cap over her head and send her to bed. Then wash out and remove nits in the a.m. It smells horrible but does the trick. NEVER came back. My daughters hair is also extremely thick and long (to her bottom). Also put away stuffed animals in garbage bags for 2 weeks. Do the bedding and vacuum the carpets. Shampoo the carpets if possible. GOOD LUCK!!!!

APPLE CIDER VINEGAR!!!!Lice thrive off of soap residue.After your kids wash their hair,do a second rinse with the vinegar.It eats the soap residue right up!!!

Hope it works!!
A.:)

I know this sounds crazy but we had a run with this and the only thing that worked after my tearful days was Mayonnaise. You apply it and leave it on for 30 minutes under a plastic bag. comb through it with a comb. Good luck!!

Cutting her hair as short as you can stand will help a lot. I know it's hard to do, but it will make a BIG difference. Also once you get rid of it, ad several drops of Tea Tree Oil to your shampoos. I've heard that it keeps them from coming back.

Good luck, I know how awful it is to deal with lice. It seems like it will never end. It WILL go away eventually : )

Ok, Growing up My sisters kids would bring it home from school. and we would all get it. The lice is used to the rid and all the other treatments. Get mineral oil, its gross i know but at night time just pour it over your heads and massage it in... it suffocates them. make sure to lay a towel on the pillow so the oil doesnt go into the pillow. It is very hard to wash it out, But it works like a champ. DO it four nights in a row and then check it out!

Good luck

www.nuvoforheadlice.com

Very good non-toxic way to treat head lice without losing your sanity. Follow the directions outlined on the website. Has worked for us and other families we know misfortunate enough to host this parasite.

Our family went through the same thing with our daughter a few years ago, when there was an outbreak at her school. No matter what we did (putting pillows in dark bags for a few weeks, washing everything in hot water, etc.), or how many times she endured the treatment and diligent combing, they came back. Unfortunately, the only thing that worked was to cut her beautiful, long hair. She got a short, but cute bob (and one more treatment), and the lice went away. I also bought a special conditioning spray with all natural ingredients, such as rosemary, which supposedly repel lice. The lady at the shop where I bought it suggested that we also spray the collar/ hood of her jacket and tops. Unfortunately, the shop was in Ohio, but I am sure you can find it online. It was approx. $10-12. So far, no recurrances. Good luck, you have my complete empathy!

I have found that the lice shampoos don't work anymore. I agree with everyone that says that oil is the best solution. I soak my daughter's hair in vegetable oil for an hour or more then wash it out with a "magic potion". It is a solution of vinegar (to lossen the nits) dawn dish soap (to get rid of the oil residue) and tea tree oil (something that lice hate). I found the recipe online and it makes enough for several treatments. I did this everynight for a week as well as lots of combing and picking....thats the worst part of treating the little buggers!