The Official "Coping with Lice" Support Thread

[Wildcat Diva]

Why do I have to be the cursed one to make this thread?

I'm not going to full on describe my dilemma in the first post, because I intend this to be a thread that will address this problem across the board, not just for my specific situation. My hope is that people can just bump this thread if needed and won't have to just review/make a lot of little threads. Although I bet people freaking out will probably make new threads anyway.

I will glean some advice from other threads when I can and try to consolidate them here when I have time. LHC member meteor has some great comments.

[Wildcat Diva]

Ok: where I'm at:
Found three lice on my middle child last week. (It's going around the schools bad. We are homeschooled, but my kids HAVE to be the social kind of homeschooled kids, go figure). Freaked the frick out. Spend hours researching and went to the store for Rid kit. Thought about lots of things and weighed options. Learned a lot. Got a big stress knot in my back.

Checked and checked all family heads every day. Nothing further, few dandruff flakes, that's it. Took the unused Rid kit back for my $23 refund since I learned that the lice are pretty much immune now, it's not a fail safe solution and it's strong pesticides on the skin to absorb. Everyone longh aired is wearing their hair contained (shower cap/ sleep cap for me!) Soaked the offending kid's hair in conditioner with tea tree and neem heavy. Rinsed out. Another day did a 24 hour olive oil soak for me and the kid...(even though nothing found on me), then an extended drenching in conditioner and tea tree and neem, rinsed out.

Really down to earth co-worker heard my plight and offered to peek at my scalp. I was like nooooooo maybe bugs! stay away (plus I was neemed-oily and my kids already said I had some dandruff flakes). She said she didn't care and was gonna get a relaxer on her hair anyway so never I mind. "Come here, let me see." Grabs my head while I am sheepish. She looks, says "well it's a little oily but you are fine."
Sigh. Phew. Sigh.
Deep breaths.
Watched a video about how to get nits out in conditioner soaked hair with a bit comb ($10 Amazon). Realized that that much combing will shred my hair, even soaked in oil and conditioner, and that no one at my home is skilled and patient enough to do it. Going to rely on olive oil soaks/ extended and conditioner/ neem, tea tree soaks. Also diluted vinegar rinses and some dilute vinegar scalp treatment on the offending kid at least. Will modify if I see anything more.

Please realize that four of us five are longhairs who have grown out at the very least for the boys and hubby two years. Oldest kid who is a whurly head said oh hell no when I described the nit combing procedure. It would shred his hair too.

Listened to my youngest son go on his comical (he thinks) rant about why do I love hair so much and that hair is useless and this whole ordeal proves his point. Refrained from aiming a karate chop at his throat in my state of stress.

Today checked hubby's epic beard. Found nothing. Gonna mist most everyone with neem and tea tree in some water.

[lithostoic]

Oi, that sucks. I had lice a couple times as a tot (thanks sis) and once when I was 15. Got it from my little cousin. One lice treatment did the trick though, I only had them for like a day and I didn't even know til my mom checked for me.

[Wildcat Diva]

I have been all up in most everybody's scalp business around my house pretty regular. I hope I caught it early enough. I'm about to put my hair up and cover it...

Brushes, combs and tangle teezers will get cleaned or if not bagged up for a month after which they will be cleaned and will cause no further problems as the eggs hatch within a couple of weeks and cannot survive with a lack of nourishment (blood).

[meteor]

Great idea for a thread! :D

Thank you kindly, Wildcat Diva, I can't say I know much on the topic, beyond the fact that neem oil and some essential oils (especially tea tree, but also eucalyptus, peppermint, etc) are very helpful. You can add essential oils to a neutral oil base that's easy to work with (e.g. mineral "baby" oil, coconut oil, etc...) and work from there.
Conditioners and carrier vegetable oils do suffocate lice (and that's why they are often recommended as DIY solutions), however, they do not disrupt their reproduction cycle (they don't necessarily kill eggs!), while I believe, neem and tea tree are somewhat effective for this. Check out more details on oils for this here: http://www.healthline.com/health/lice-home-remedies#2

Also, remember that combing a lot with a very fine-tooth comb is essential (I'd recommend using real silicone bombs to help with that process), and since the mechanical damage associated with this is significant, I'd *highly* recommend preventative measures - an ounce of prevention is truly worth a pound of cure! All you need to do is always have some tea tree or neem oil on hand and add it to shampoo/conditioner when needed (e.g. when kids go to camp or if somebody in school or in the household has had lice recently - other people need preventative measures and make sure to keep bedding/combs/brushes protected - e.g. ziplock baggies).
Also, from what I've read, one needs to soak personal combs and brushes in hot water (above 130 degrees F) for 5 to 10 minutes to remove lice.
All personal clothing items and bed linen should be machine washed in hot water and dried, using the hot cycle of the dryer for at least 20 minutes. (I would do this for a while even if it's only a lice scare, just to be safe.)

As for preventative products, I've noticed there is a big market in preventative anti-lice products, but glancing at the ingredients lists, I'm actually seeing simple blends of essential oils for repelling lice (esp. eucalyptus, tea tree, lemongrass) as the main ingredients, so you can actually DIY it, by making a spray with essential oils that repel lice.

Please make sure you do a patch test with the oils (it's pretty common to have allergies to some EOs) and dilute accordingly. :flower:

Best of luck! :cheer: I really hope everything is going to be OK! :pray:

[XiaoBaiTu]

Well, I'm glad to see that there are alternatives to the store-bought shampoos, since they smell so awful. I've never had lice, but I know it's pretty much inevitable that I will get them at some point since I am majoring in Elementary and Special Education and will be with kids all day for the rest of my life. I know there will be a lice outbreak at least once, though I've still got my fingers crossed!

[Wildcat Diva]

Yes I think that the 24 hour olive oil soaks followed by a long conditioner soak with combing a couple of
times a week with (wide tooth) combing and adding the oils should do it, but I can't be sure. Will check heads every day.


I'm not gonna use a nit comb on me unless I see some.
I've washed and dried bed linens and will continue that trend. Not freaking about about cleaning, don't see the point and I'll lose my mind.

There is this electronic comb that zaps the live ones that the Nebraska extension agency said was pretty good.

I found this site helpful:
http://lancaster.unl.edu/pest/lice/headlice018.shtml

[Swan Maiden]

Just went through a scare a few weeks ago. The school caught it quick so it didnt really spread. However, I took preventative measures and sent my kid to school with heavily oiled hair and tea tree oil on a cotton ball in her backpack. We stayed clear thankfully.

Fairy Tales Rosemary Repel Creme Shampoo, 12 fl.oz. + Conditioner, 8 fl.oz. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0046KL4SW/ref=cm_sw_r_other_awd_vsCaxbPB74WQP

I was looking for this shampoo in Target but they were out when I searched.

[Swan Maiden]

I also went to Sallys to search for anything and the awesome lady told me that some CVS or Walgreens had like an electric zapper type of comb she used when she ran a daycare. I didnt look for one but her story was entertaining and it might be an option.

[Wildcat Diva]

I was just coming back to link it:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001V9V1XY/ref=mp_s_a_1_1_a_it?qid=1459734362&sr=8-1&keywords=robi+comb&pi=SY200_QL40

Thank you!

[Ellethwyn]

I haaaaaaate parasites. I make my daughter wear her hair in a braid or ponytail most of the time when at school, because i really, really do not want to ever deal with lice. A couple times a year I lecture the kids about sharing things like hats, combs, hair toys, clothing, etc. There has been one time the school has sent home a notification about lice. I made the kids wear tea tree and lavender oil to school. I've read how lice are becoming resistant to pesticides and that heat treatments are the best way to kill the nits and lice now. I'd totally pay the $175 (or whatever) for a heat treatment. Though, i'd probably be so disturbed that i'd douse myself with pesticides and get the heat treatment, as well. The zapper comb is cool. I was going to buy it once, but didn't.

[meteor]

Hey, guys! I'm sure you probably already know about this, but I'll just mention it here, just in case... There have been reports of paediatricians talking about so-called "social media lice" (http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/selfies-cause-head-lice-us-paediatrician-warns-10474273.html) - basically, an unusual increase in the number of lice infestation cases that they think could be linked to taking group selfies or touching heads while looking at phone screens... and unfortunately, also an increase in cases of treatment-resistant lice (http://www.headlice.org/faq/treatments/pest.htm, http://kidshealth.org/en/parents/lice.html), which means even more pressure to avoid getting infested in the first place. :(

I haven't seen any studies into this, and I don't know how reliable this information is, but it seems pretty reasonable (assuming lice can "move 9 inches in a minute’s time" - http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/health/selfies-lead-social-media-lice-experts-article-1.2337345) and it's just something that might be worth warning kids about, to limit unnecessary head-to-head contact during picture-taking, looking at each other's screens, watching videos together, etc. :flower:

[Petulia]

I had lice from about age 5 to 12. Basically all throughout primary school. My mum tried everything from shampoos, to regular nit comb checks, and keeping my hair short. Eventually when I reached secondary school, she let me grow my hair finally (even though the lice still weren't going). Once I started using hair dyes and heat tools regularly on my hair - as in, I would curl or straighten my hair every single day - I noticed that I didn't actually have them anymore. Obviously not a good idea for kids to be dying their hair and using heat tools, but that's what got rid of them for me.

I'm 19 now. The last time I went to a hairdresser's was when I was about 16, so just 4 years after I last noticed them in my hair. The hairdresser pointed out to me that when she looked through my hair from the back of my head and near the bottom close to my neck that there were white things stuck to my hairs and she said they look like lice eggs. After this I didn't know what to do - she said the only way to remove eggs is by hand. I haven't actually had live lice though since I was about 12 - so I am wondering, if I had eggs for all those years afterwards, why was I never seeing any live lice? I still use heat a few times a month on my hair, but I haven't bleached or dyed in 8 months now.
I only turned 19 a couple of days ago so I guess I'm still young and so it might be possible that I still have eggs since it was only a few years ago that I had lice, but I don't understand how I can have eggs when there don't seem to be any live lice in my hair.

Can anyone else relate to this or provide some insight?

[samanthaa]

I've had lice once when I was fifteen. My mother used Crisco Vegetable Shortening on me and my sister's head to suffocate/kill the lice. I remember sitting around for hours with this stuff in my hair while my newly-shaved brother and father waltzed around the house worry-free :mad:

Throwing this out here as well, for all you hennaheads, because I remember reading it years ago when I was first investigating the benefits of henna: a henna treatment can be used to kill lice. From Mehandi/Henna for Hair (http://www.hennaforhair.com/health/): "Henna combined with Fenugreek will kill head lice in resistant infestations. Henna combined with Artemisia will completely eradicate head lice, even in severe infestations."

ETA: I wonder if cassia can be used to the same results but without the color deposit? I really don't see why not...?

[Wildcat Diva]

I do have a packet of cassia laying around... I'll hoard it as another intervention if needed.

I have not checked anyone's head today. Ah well. I'll check tomorrow.

Olive oil probably needs done again...
http://headlicecenter.com/head-lice-olive-oil-treatment/

Petulia, those eggs would have grown down each hair it was embedded in, way down in four years, like maybe two feet away from your scalp! Maybe it was dandruff she saw? Or maybe you just had contracted them again recently and didn't realize? I don't see how that can be if there were no live bugs. I will say, the three I saw on my son, I only saw them after I was brushing his hair and scritching and preening at his scalp (Trying to help his dandruff) for about ten minutes, and I barely noticed them then as they kept moving away from where I was working on him. If I wasn't so hair obsessed I'm not sure I would have found them on him.

[otterpotter]

So I finally write my 25th post and it's about lice :rolleyes:
My childhood best friend and all of her family members were infested with lice. For years we believed it was the school I was getting lice outbreak again and again from until my mom did a head check on my friend when she slept over one time. So we have battled them quite often when I was a kid.

Always always boil or cook your hairbrushes. If you cannot due to whatever reason, toss them and buy new ones. This includes the lice comb if you use one (which we often did and I didn't notice any damage on my hair but I wasn't concerned about any damage tbh). This includes hair clips, claws, ponytail holders, bows, baretts, etc. Find a way to ensure they are clean and lice-free or throw them out.
Sometimes the lice shampoo worked and sometimes it didn't. I'm not sure why? But when the lice shampoo failed or didn't work completely, my mom smothered our heads in conditioner, put a disposable shower cap on us (and disposed of it afterward), and turned the blow dryer on us.
Wash all bedding and ensure they dry as hot as they can stand it. Change bedding super often, too. Probably not necessary but you can never be too careful.
Make sure to attend to your child's self-esteem if they are the ones infested! Let them know that it isn't their fault and name the really big bugs you pick out of their hair with them or something.

Now I have that phantom lice itch :wail:


Can anyone else relate to this or provide some insight?

I am not 100% sure on this, but I think it is very, very likely that those eggs have died but have stayed stuck in your hair. Lice eggs can be left stuck in the hair even after they have (presumably) been killed. (I remember my mom snipping hairs and all out of my already thin hair as a kid after finding an egg months after a lice sighting :shudder:)

[otterpotter]

I realize my family's approach has been probably too over-zealous but our only concern was to kill every single bug in our hair. Hair health, natural remedies, and sparkly clips be damned. Though, I came out of it with healthy hair and I never actually lost any of my hair accessories :p I still ask for a head check years later

[Wildcat Diva]

I'm not sure it would be over-zealous, if it worked that is great!

I am getting to know each freckle and mole on my kids scalp. He has olive oil drenched for overnight right now. We will do conditioner/tea tree/ neem. Washing and drying pillowcase twice a week.

I, today saw some tiny tiny tiny black dots. I'm not sure if they were baby bugs or bug poop, or dirt, but they were
way smaller than the first bugs. Like a speck. Maybe they were dirt and I am paranoid.

I made my husband check half the kid's head at the same time as me so we moved from forehead to nape and the bugs can't move back and forth undectected if they were there. I still never saw anything I believe to be a nit.
Problem with this method is that my hubby is vision impaired, needs glasses and he probably did a crap job.

Anyway, it's not worse. We will continue with this method twice a week. Homeschooling helps us not to have to hurry on the rinsing out and can do a longer treatment.

[Wildcat Diva]

Middle kid was lazy and woke up late. I put the conditioner soak over his olive oil. At noon. I didn't see but I assume he rinsed it out and went to church with friends and he is still gone. Just checked my eldest kid. I don't see anything at all. Put some neem on my hands and blessed his hair with it.

I had told middle kid yesterday about the social media aspect of transmission and he swears that he doesn't do all that head touching.

[Ellethwyn]

Middle kid was lazy and woke up late. I put the conditioner soak over his olive oil. At noon. I didn't see but I assume he rinsed it out and went to church with friends and he is still gone. Just checked my eldest kid. I don't see anything at all. Put some neem on my hands and blessed his hair with it.

I had told middle kid yesterday about the social media aspect of transmission and he swears that he doesn't do all that head touching.


Awwww, you are working so hard to get rid of those little buggers! Sounds like you might be rid of them! Good job:)

[Hailwidis]

Good luck with the lice fight Wildcat Diva!

Posting here because wtf.

I had lice/nits last summer (mid-July to August). At first I thought it was a heat rash, but it lasted when the weather got milder, my sister checked my head and found one of the darned things. I really, really hate lice. Had them twice as a kid and I get the heebie-jeebies just thinking there's a disgusting parasite living in my hair. It turns out my younger brother's girlfriend (who's from a large family with lots of siblings) had them and I caught them from her.

Anyway, I just went into hardcore eradication mode, bought a suffocating shampoo treatment from the pharmacy (no pesticides), left it in for a night, rinced it out, and repeated a week later. Lots of fine combing in between. Come to think of it, I probably shredded my hair, but I knew nothing about careful haircare back then. I checked regularly all through September and found no live lice, my head stopped itching, the rash went away.

Fast forward to recently. I joined LHC, started paying closer attention to my hair, S&Ding, etc. While S&Ding, I noticed some lice eggs attached to my hair, towards my hemline (like 5 cm away from the ends of my hair). White, dry, look dead to me. They're all on the ends of my hair, and I think lice lay their eggs close to the scalp right? So are these just old eggs I missed when combing months ago, that have slowly travelled down the hair shaft? They're pretty firmly attached. I checked several and they all seem dead to me.

Ugh, I'm getting phantom itch just thinking about this!

[lapushka]

Oh boy, you're sure lucky to have caught it early, it seems. Great idea for a thread! We didn't have an official lice thread yet. :)

[01]

...and I'm the one who 'doesn't wash' her hair? Never had lice on WO (on shampoo either).

Anyway, I hope you guys will get better. I heard oiling hair is natural remedy for lice but I don't have a clue if it works or not (for obvious reasons - never had them so I never tried that tip).

[Sknightlady]

Lice is one of my biggest fears having a young daughter in elementary school! Ugh!

[Wildcat Diva]

Thanks guys! Hailwidis, that is so interesting and weird about the egg casings. I better remember the vinegar rinse for my kid to loosen anything just in case. I'm not going to use straight vinegar, but a medium strong dilution and leave it about ten minutes and rinse it out. That is supposed to loosen the glue they attach the egg to the hair with. They must be pretty strongly on there because I read of people just cutting the hair it's attached to. All of us except my youngest are growing out so I sure hope we don't have this issue. I never saw anything except those first three bugs.

I do think that maybe I am lucky that I caught it early, and really I can credit LHC. I was working on my son's scalp by scritching and combing and pulling the sebum down, trying to address his dandruff issue and it wasn't right away that I was even doing that before I saw them. If I wasn't all about the hair, no way I would have seen them.

I can show a pic of his hair when we tried a Vikings TV show braid style. No way he wants to cut it.
http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j386/janineevans/DC5ACA3D-842C-44B0-B831-D2B28E772895_zpsppopw9kr.jpg

I looked at hubby's scalp and beard last night and did a neem oil blessing on his hair. Beard may be too close to his nose for that but we can use other citrusy oils or lavender.

Continuing reading.
http://www.todaysparent.com/family/family-health/got-lice/
This article says we can't be sure the olive oil treatment works, because the oiled human head of hair is not the same as a Harvard Petri dish full of olive oil.

Also says that tea tree oil is likely ineffective, especially diluted.

Gives other, non pesticide treatments.

[Wildcat Diva]

Oh boy.

The neem is starting to impact the teen social life. My kid's friend: "your hair smells like dirt." Ah well, it's better than, "hey, there are creepy crawlers all in your hair."

On my eldest, on whom I have seen nothing live, there are many teeny tiny white specks that seem to be in his hair a few centimeters down, and they do not move but I can pull them down the hair and off. They are so small! If I have these on my head I am doomed because no one would see them or be patient enough to get them. I am not convinced they are not specs of dirt, but they were stuck on the hair pretty good. I got what I could. Middle son, I went through his hair again today, removed one or two suspicious specks the same like my eldest. I really wish I knew if I was wasting my time or not to extract all these specs that I dunno what they are. They are both gonna shower now, so maybe that will get the dirt gone so I can see what I am really dealing with.

[meteor]

^ Oh boy! :( If neem is impacting his teen social life, maybe switch to a simple anti-lice shampoo? If it's not resistant lice, it should work just fine! :D
Yeah, I'd be super-scared of wearing neem oil outside the house, without washing it out thoroughly - it smells super-strong. That's the only downside to this oil in my eyes... but it's a pretty big one, unfortunately.

Your son's hair is so stunning! :thud:

Don't worry, Wildcat Diva! :grouphug: Stay strong! Lice have no chance to survive with your dedication! You are going to win this battle! :rockerdud :cheer:

[butter52]

I had the thickest mane in school. So I got lice SOOOO many times.

Vinegar used to be the number 1 home remedy. If it didnt work, anti-lice shampoo, and if still did not work, dying my hair was like throwing napalm on those beasts. I think the amonia or bleach burned them to the ground.

I would not freak out about having to cut the hair. Yes, lice killing is very time consuming, but no need to panic, you can kill them eventually.

The eggs are kind of tiny ovals, not specks or flakes. Those are the hardest to get rid of, but dont despair!

[Wildcat Diva]

Thank you all for posting encouragement, suggestions, and compliments! My chin is up. No we will continue neem. Who cares about teenage angst. (Rhetorical)

I've been reading about drying them (Mostly eggs, not the teens) out with a blow dryer.
http://archive.unews.utah.edu/news_releases/the-lousebuster-kills/

I also found a cool blog. In general, not just about blow dryers.
http://thenicelicelady.blogspot.com/2010/05/dont-believe-nix-package-hair-dryer-is.html?m=1

[Yarrow]

Supposedly its the brown nits that you need to get rid of ASAP because the lice could hatch from those. Though its better to remove all these white ones just in case.
Our elementary schools don't even give out alerts just at the beginning of the school year they pass out info letters what do to do if anyone gets lice and how to treat it etc.
They also recommend warm water with vinegar for loosening the nits.
I remember finding only one of these adult mutant lice on a scalp and then no more, but oh the nits, 100s and 100s of nits. I could not believe one thing can lay so many eggs. It was a week long endeavor to get rid of all of those.
oh yeah forgot:
Supposedly lice first lay their eggs in the nape and temple regions of the scalp because it is there the warmest and best hatching temperature. So if you are trying to catch lice early, check these regions regularly.

[otterpotter]

Thank you all for posting encouragement, suggestions, and compliments! My chin is up. No we will continue neem. Who cares about teenage angst. (Rhetorical)

I've been reading about drying them (Mostly eggs, not the teens) out with a blow dryer.
http://archive.unews.utah.edu/news_releases/the-lousebuster-kills/

I also found a cool blog. In general, not just about blow dryers.
http://thenicelicelady.blogspot.com/2010/05/dont-believe-nix-package-hair-dryer-is.html?m=1

Wanted to pipe in again to say having lice as a teenager was horrible and completely ruined my self esteem! I was so so paranoid that people could smell the lice shampoo (and the lice shampoo didn't actually leave behind a smell!) :cry: The little parasites affect everyone and even a head check would make me feel disgusting so keep your kids' thoughts in mind too!
:oops: Sorry for butting in and I hope I didn't offend!! :run:

[Wildcat Diva]

Aw, thanks! And no you didn't offend. I will check in with my oldest about it to be sure, he is pretty quiet and level headed, and seems confident in his group of friends (he is homeschooled, so all his social activities are self selected, so it's usually kids that like each other and are not mean.). The friend who noticed the neem smell has had a lot of problems himself and had to change schools this year, and seems really low key and nice. Also my oldest mentioned that a few of his friends in the circle had mentioned having lice (although THEY are homeschooled too!). It IS really going around our school system pretty bad, I hear.

[otterpotter]

Aw, thanks! And no you didn't offend. I will check in with my oldest about it to be sure, he is pretty quiet and level headed, and seems confident in his group of friends (he is homeschooled, so all his social activities are self selected, so it's usually kids that like each other and are not mean.). The friend who noticed the neem smell has had a lot of problems himself and had to change schools this year, and seems really low key and nice. Also my oldest mentioned that a few of his friends in the circle had mentioned having lice (although THEY are homeschooled too!). It IS really going around our school system pretty bad, I hear.

I was (and still am :oops:) a very emotional teenager so maybe it won't be a big deal at all to your eldest!
Goodness that sounds like an epidemic! I wish you luck!!

[jrmviola]

i had head lice for a year in the seventh grade. Tried over the counter probably 52 times, didnt work at all. Finally we came up with a concoction of equal parts: head lice treatment (nix or other brands), current shampoo, and DOG flea and tick shampoo. You will need a shower, two sets of hands, flea combs and about three hours of rinsing (it was very goopy and did not want to come out of hair at all). i also had to cut my hair from waist to ear. it worked and THANKFULLY THANKYOU THANKYOU THANKYOU its been gone since. Best of luck!

[Spinder]

Yikes, are lice really that hard to get rid of?! :( Thankfully I have never had them, though I did have scabies once when I was in kindergarten. I was so itchy all over and I was upset because Mum couldn't wash the spots off in the tub.. then she ended up catching them from me! Luckily the special soap we used worked just fine and they went away in good time.

[Wildcat Diva]

I still see nothing further people. Nothing since those first three bugs on middle kid.

[Kimberly]

Hooray! I can only imagine the relief you must feel, WD.

[lapushka]

I still see nothing further people. Nothing since those first three bugs on middle kid.

Phew. Thank goodness you noticed in time. Way to go, mama! :D

[Wildcat Diva]

Thanks, Lapushka. However, I think my ignorance might still be a problem. It's been like a week and now I am looking again. On my oldest... I think I found lots of nits. They are so so small. But I see them now. I have had some success identifying them on his dry hair. There are a lot. I can isolate the single hair and then grab the nit with my thumb and fingernails and pull it all the way off. Eldest kid has wavy/curly texture and some coarse hairs. I am afraid to use a nit comb on him, would tear his hair up.

He again laments and resists the neem. However we will do the neem anyways, and vinegar rinse later, when he is not going out next week. It's not a good Saturday night strategy, though.

So, we are bonding over several minutes of nit picking before school/ work/social commitments separate us. We don't have a lot of time together.

On the middle kid, who had the first three bugs, I did find two nits.

Youngest boy just messed up buzzing his own head as he was too impatient for dad to do it and now has a short Mohawk with a kinda balt spot.

I see nothing on hubby.

Who knows if there is anything on me? These nits are so small that my kids are not observant enough to really see. It would be like asking for someone to do a S & D for splits.

[littlestarface]

Wildcat diva make sure you check in a place with lots of sunlight, those dam nits shine so youll be able to see them better that way.

[Wildcat Diva]

Yes we are outside but in diffused light. I can try out bright sunlight too but our sunlight here seems intense and blinding. I'll try different strategies but always outside when I can. I should get a magnifying setup for sure.

[lapushka]

Time to bring out the big guns, IMMHO. I don't care if I have to throw chemicals at it - at all; as long as it goes away. And lice is a big thing! If something is ineffective (and it obviously is, WD, or you wouldn't be having this issue now), then try something else! And act quick, before they get a chance to move to your hair. So what if you have to pull a nit comb through his hair, if it is ultimately going to save his hair, *do it*!

[littlestarface]

Yes magnifying glass would be good cuz theyre so tiny and sticky, you really have to get those suckers and make sure everyone of them is gone.

[copperlites]

I know heat tools cause a lot of damage but one thing that has been heavily promoted here as a good way to kill live lice and eggs is hair straighteners. I'm not sure on the temperature you need to use but I've had friends use this on their daughters hair and it got rid of them and seems to not have affected her hair in a visible way.

[lapushka]

I know heat tools cause a lot of damage but one thing that has been heavily promoted here as a good way to kill live lice and eggs is hair straighteners. I'm not sure on the temperature you need to use but I've had friends use this on their daughters hair and it got rid of them and seems to not have affected her hair in a visible way.

That is the oddest thing I've heard yet! I think if I were to choose between a nit comb and straighteners, I'd go for the nit comb. But that's me.

[GrowingOut]

I had lice two years ago and couldn't tell my mother because she had threatened the last time, (About 5 years ago) to chop it off to shoulder and I was at hip.

18 hours in sugar-free Listerine was apparently able to do the trick, killed the nits and the bugs with a scorched-earth tactic.

You'll smell like alcohol for a week but I don't think I've had lasting damage, just make sure to use A LOT of conditioner afterwards. It only took one application for me.

[ravenheather]

That is the oddest thing I've heard yet! I think if I were to choose between a nit comb and straighteners, I'd go for the nit comb. But that's me.

L.p.

I think I would opt for a one time straightening then nit comb. The combing would cause less damage on straightened hair. If you get all the nits that time then use neem to be sure bet you could get control of the situation.

[lapushka]

L.p.

I think I would opt for a one time straightening then nit comb. The combing would cause less damage on straightened hair. If you get all the nits that time then use neem to be sure bet you could get control of the situation.

I think I would just brush my waves out and go for it. I have gel in them now weekly, so brushing them out, especially at the beginning of the week would be terrible, but I think I would wash, put all the chemicals in, then do the natural stuff on top of it. Double whammy. And comb. Comb, comb, comb.

Thank God I don't have lice, but I do sympathize! :flower:

[Upside Down]

Oh gosh I am reading this thread and scratching everywhere. Not just on my head.

Agh. I had lice once as a kid. My mom used some shampoo but left it on for a really loooong time, maybe whole day.

And after that she went over my head for days, several times a day, looking for eggs and killing them between her fingernails. I can still hear the sound.

Eek.

Anywhoo, I would look into henna. My friends mom dyed her hair with a box dye and she says it killed lice. (And got her an interview with the principal). That is an option too, if you pick a color similar to their natural color.

[Hairkay]

I've never had lice or know of anyone who had to deal with them. I know my sis was terrified that when she had my nephew in school they'd send a lice alert notice home. She has waist length dreadlocks so if she'd got it via her child getting it from school she would have ended up cutting it all off. She's already happily cut it off one hot summer so she could swim without having to struggle to find a swim cap to put all that hair in. She grew the hair back too.

[Obsidian]

I wonder if a heavy dusting of diatomaceous earth left on overnight would help at all? Lice went around the schools here a few times when I was a kid, we used lice shampoo and killed them all with one treatment. I even got chicken lice once when I put my head in a nest box, had to get prescription shampoo for that.

[Wildcat Diva]

The pesticides don't work that well anymore, not like years ago. The lice are Thought to be becoming immune, very often, and I don't see any live lice anyway. For all I know, the nits are empty shells. They seem clear, and only two seemed dark like they had bugs in them. Having lice itself won't damage his hair, they are just bugs, and they don't spread disease. They are not a health concern. I don't want to use strong pesticide treatment on my kid's skin needlessly (and right now, it is needless, as I can detect no live lice). As far as straighteners, do they touch the needed area from scalp to first centimeter of hair to kill any viable eggs? No, they do not.

I don't know if DE will be safe. I will research it.
It may be a good idea...
I'm not opposed to try listerine.
I'll do a nit comb if I have to, but it's likely to result in damage to hair that I am not so keen on. I'm not convinced it is necessary for us at this stage.

I don't know if a straightener would get close enough to the scalp to do it for live eggs. Kid's hair doesn't stay straight with a bad ass super hot chi straightener anyway. We straightened it at Halloween and it was back curly in a few minutes. We live in humid central.

It's not that what we are doing is "not working", I think it's a process. I have heard it described as a long fight sometimes. I don't even think anything is worse, I think I never knew what those nits were. And who knows, they could just be the empty shells left from before the neem treatment, and I never noticed them before. They are that tiny.

Now this kid, the oldest, has never got the olive oil treatment/several neem treatments like my middle son. I think I assumed that the middle kid was the crux of the problems since middle kid had three live bugs (but only a few nits, when I finally could notice what they were). I assumed that oldest had nothing for most of this month, but now I wonder if oldest somehow was the one who had them worst and first. I don't know how that is so, because I see no live bugs on him, but those nits I see now prove something. Olive oil/neem conditioner on the oldest now is worth a try, if I can catch him. He is very much never home, and these treatments take time to sit. Usually when he is back from college I am at work by then, and he's gone then with friends until too late to mess with him. I will get it done though. College is winding down then we will have mornings together to do interventions.

I think I will keep hand picking nits, try neem again, vinegar rinse and olive oil. May get a nit comb. But I see no live bugs. I'm not in panic mode, reallY.

I can get that electronic nit comb too. That is the next step if I ever see a live bug again.I can also use the drying out strategy I posted about a few pages back.

I don't think this is a one step and you're done thing. If I think it's worse, I'll reconsider, but I just don't think anything is worse. I just think I didn't know what I was looking at before.

[ravenheather]

When I was in high school we got foster kids with lice. It was very much a one shot and you are done and these kids were infested. We used chemical shampoo and combed out the nits. One more treatment week or two later to make sure we got them. Never saw another bug or bit on them.

[missmagoo]

WD I had lice multiple times as a kid. It is not going to go away on its own. Just because it is not bad right now, doesn't mean it might not get bad later. I agree with lapushka, hit it hard now, before it gets in your own hair! The first time I had lice it festered all summer, because no one thought I was itchy because of lice by the end of the summer, after multiple treatments, my mom had to cut my CL hair to my chin.

They may not spread disease, but they are really itchy, highly contagious and a pain to get rid of!

[neko_kawaii]

You also have to remember to treat the environment the people inhabit. Car upholstery is frequently overlooked, for example.


WD I had lice multiple times as a kid. It is not going to go away on its own. Just because it is not bad right now, doesn't mean it might not get bad later. I agree with lapushka, hit it hard now, before it gets in your own hair! The first time I had lice it festered all summer, because no one thought I was itchy because of lice by the end of the summer, after multiple treatments, my mom had to cut my CL hair to my chin.

They may not spread disease, but they are really itchy, highly contagious and a pain to get rid of!

My sister and I had lice so many times in high school and early college. Finally we found out that one of my sister's friends that she spent tons of time with wasn't treating for them effectively and regularly spread them to everyone she knew. My sister was prohibited from staying at friend's house or having friend over to ours. Problem solved.

[Wildcat Diva]

There is so much conflicting info out there.

Based on this article, I'm not super worried about getting every nit (as most nits are non viable), nor am I worried about much in our environment (lice are poorly adapted to live once off the human head). I don't have a lot of faith in any one method. I'm going to try several methods and keep on it.

http://www.todaysparent.com/family/family-health/got-lice/

Many people are saying that they had super success with pesticide treatments twenty years ago. I don't think this has a great bearing on now due to the resistance concern. These treatments do work, but they do not work in any way flawlessly, and for me, seeing nothing in terms of live lice for weeks, am determining it to be an unnessessary intervention that could be harmful, in terms of my families heads, which I am watching and treating with some methods of assessment and removal.

A nit found more than one cm from the head is unlikely to be viable, so I am not too worried by finding those. They do not mean we are infested NOW.

Taken from an article linked below:
"Infestation is based on seeing live lice.
The standard for diagnosing head lice is finding head lice – not nits (eggs). Nits more than 1cm up on the follicle are unlikely to be viable – so they do not mean there’s a lice infection.
Never treat unless there is a clear diagnosis of head lice. There’s no reason to treat the entire family if only the kids have lice."
https://sciencebasedpharmacy.wordpress.com/2010/08/09/the-lice-drugs-dont-work-or-do-they/

[Yarrow]

I don't know about conflicting advice or not, but personally I would rather play it safe and attempt to get rid of all nits.
I have also read experts saying that supposedly lice can't be transferred through hats, yet that one lice I found most likely came from a hat. ( long story to explain all circumstances)
I have the impression that you think there are only two options: either get a harsh pesticide shampoo or just try a natural route? There are also lice shampoos without pesticides, I used one on a toddler, the main active ingredients being coconut oil and dimethycone . I'm guessing that's your main conditioner ingredient. However you were expected to take a nit comb after letting the shampoo sit, (and washing it out) and a paper towel and comb through all hair to get rid of these things. You go through one strand, wipe the comb on a paper towel, and continue. So I would definitly recommend getting a nit comb.
Baby lice are really hard to see, unlike the adult lice. But if there are nits then there must have been a adult lice present at some point. You just want to avoid having those babies grow up to become adults and lay eggs themselves and it's easier to comb them out with a nit comb when they are paralysed by the shampoo.

[Wildcat Diva]

Yeah, I'm all for using different methods. Just when I am making investments in time, stress, overall health, hair health and money (in that order? Hmmmm, maybe overall health comes first, then stress, then hair health, then time, then money? Lots of factors), I want it to make sense and not be based on myth or fear.

I cannot separate my hair easily into two sections for braiding without ripping it apart (gently?). Oldest teens hair is the same. Very wavy, tangly. Coated with oil? Maybe. I can try nit combing when oiled.

But I'm not gonna freak out when no real evidence shows that nothing as worse, that nothing shows that the efforts that we have tried have failed. I can just recognize a nit now, after going for three weeks of looking for a big hunk of something or thinking that dandruff flakes might be nits. I know what they are now, and they were likely there the whole time.

But... The nit comb. It will have to, in order to work, have such tiny times as to scrape down each individual hair to remove a nit. Two hairs in the same time will not do it. You literally have to pluck the nit, for example with fingers and pull it off the hair.
Fragile hair will not stand this grabby metal comb process. (In order for it to grab a nit, it is gonna have to for sure scrape each hair strand, and multiple times). I think that paralyzing them with shampoo, conditioner neem and oil and vinegar, (not in that order, doing some fine tooth combing and hand picking will be just as good. But, I am learning, so we will see.

I can also add dimethicone to the mix. I have on hand a product "sleek and shine" serum with Dimethiconal as second ingredient. Hmmmm, maybe not the same thing?

[ravenheather]

According to the article you linked nit picking on hair is very important in getting rid of lice.

[Kimberly]

So sorry you are still dealing with this, WD. I have a friend who wrote an herbal remedies book, and I will ask her for suggestions today. I'd almost bet a nickle that tea tree oil will be involved.

[Wildcat Diva]

According to the article you linked nit picking on hair is very important in getting rid of lice.

I know the article says that in a heading, but then they go on to present conflicting data that has me doubting the all or nothing truth of the matter...

"Most lice-treatment instructions include a section on getting out the nits (lice eggs). However, some sources, like the Canadian Paediatric Society, don’t mention it. And at least one prominent expert, Richard Pollack of the Harvard School of Public Health, says nit removal is not necessary. “Because most [head lice] eggs will be non-viable, their removal is often impractical and unjustified,” Pollack states on the school’s website."


And paired with other things I have read...
From the CDC:
"If no nymphs or adults are seen, and the only nits found are more than ¼ inch from the scalp, then the infestation is probably old and no longer active — and does not need to be treated."
http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/lice/head/diagnosis.html

I'm going to watch it still, keep reading, and do what I can with treating. This is my process for dealing with things and it seems to have worked for all my various parenting concerns and dilemmas so far. "Worked" to me means effective as I define it. It's difficult to say what "works" for others, or what the criteria for "effective" results will be.

Middle kid got nit picked (Dry hair) and neem conditioned and combed. Found maybe six nits on dry hair. Nothing live. Nothing close to the scalp. I can see nothing in conditioned hair at all. Later he will get vinegar soaked and rinsed. Then he will get dandruff shampoo (he has flakes). He asked for no olive oil today, and I said ok. Another time. My oldest was gone when I got up, is still gone, and will be gone all day. I'll have to once again look later on him.

[lithostoic]

I might have them -.- My cousin is pretty sure he has lice and my scalp has been suspiciously itchy the past few days. But I did go swimming in a chlorine pool on Saturday so that could be it too. My hair was super dry after so that's likely. I'll know tomorrow when I can check in really good light (natural + artificial). Any tips for if I do have them? Will a shea butter masque followed by cwc suffocate them and pull them and eggs off?

[Wildcat Diva]

Just wait and see what you can see. Have someone or a couple of someones at the same time check. They move quickly away from the light so they have to really watch. I'll look for
some tips on how to check...

[ravenheather]

I don't think a shea butter mask will be effective in removing g lice.

[lapushka]

No please, if you have them, go get specialized shampoo and do the natural remedies as a secondary step (what won't hurt, won't hurt). And added oils will surely, if nothing else, nourish the hair after it's been stripped by such drying shampoos as this. But DO NOT, please do not rely on natural as your only "cure". You'll start infecting other people, you'll be in it for the long haul instead of it being short and sweet (as it should be, if not for the good of the people around you). It's not about *you* when it concerns lice. Your job, IMO, is to get rid of this as fast as humanly possible. It will be an infestation if you don't! :)

[andrea1982]

I'm a nurse. Here's a link from the Health Authority where I live, the "wet combing method" is a viable method that does not involve using the pesticide shampoo (which may or may not be effective anymore due to increased resistance).
https://www.interiorhealth.ca/YourHealth/SchoolHealth/HeadLice/Documents/Head_Lice_Management.pdf

This is what I use on my kids to check when yet another letter comes home from school about head lice ;). I do think the nit comb can cause some mechanical damage, and am hoping I won't have to try it on my hair. It's probable you don't have it, since you haven't found anything and you probably keep your hair up most of the time.

Just remember that lice is a big PITA, but won't actually harm your health. They don't carry disease.

[lithostoic]

It's not ABOUT ME it's about the fact that I have exactly zero dollars to my name. All I can do is use what I have on hand. Not everyone is rolling in cash.

[lapushka]

It's not ABOUT ME it's about the fact that I have exactly zero dollars to my name. All I can do is use what I have on hand. Not everyone is rolling in cash.

Neither am I, but this needs some attention, and there's plenty of threads on here about how to deal with lice DIY. :)

[lithostoic]

Sorry if I was rude, I'm just so frustrated with not having money :/ I've looked through this whole thread and don't have any of the things to diy a treatment with.

[Hailwidis]

I'm sure you have some anti-lice/nit diy products at home, lithostoic! ACV and coconut oil are one of the home remedies I've heard of, so it doesn't have to be super expensive or exotic.

http://headliceinformation.org/apple-cider-vinegar-head-lice-treatment/
http://www.mommypotamus.com/natural-remedies-lice/
http://headlicecenter.com/head-lice-vinegar/
http://www.top10homeremedies.com/how-to/get-rid-head-lice.html

Disclaimer: last time I had nits (the only time I had them as an adult) I just wanted them OUT OF MY HAIR and did two rounds of a pharmacy-bought suffocating treatment (left in hair for 8 hours each). Problem solved. So I haven't tried any of these myself. But as a kid, I had lice three times and I remember my parents trying to treat them at least once with a combination of olive oil and vinegar (followed by lots of fine combing). I was too young to remember whether that solved the infestation or whether they then resorted to using pesticides - I know the times after that they weren't so patient and just used the latter.

[lithostoic]

I don't have ACV or coconut oil, but my mom might. I'll see what I can do next week when I'm there. Thanks!

[littlestarface]

I just wanna say to anyone who might have lice is be careful around other people, you dont want those little parasites infesting others. These suckers can jump an hang onto any fabric they can get next to, even car seats, pillows, headband, couches, sheets blankets, backpacks, anything near a head. I remember everytime we got lice my mom wouldnt let us out of the house until the whole thing had been eradicated and she would even use flea spray, dog shampoo :rolleyes: ohh those times. I remember once when I was 15 me and my son got lice and boy was it horrible, we had such a bad infestation we started getting lumps on our scalp *shudders* I hate those filthy parasites.

[Wildcat Diva]

Litho, I'm so sorry that money is tight. In your circumstance, first I would see if I have them. I still need to help on that end.

Oil as a suffocating treatment might work to at least get you started. Olive oil, if you have it, if not, some other veggie oil. Soak it, Drench it. Wrap in plastic three hours. Get cheapie conditioner. Soak hair. Wide tooth comb. Then fine tooth comb.

Rinse hair. Soak with diluted vinegar (strong dilution), ten minutes. Rinse out.

Do you have access to a hair dryer? There is a method that involves warm air at high speed for 30 minutes to help dry them out. (Kills 98 percent of eggs)

It's a start...

Please read this blog. She is a professional lice removal person. She also makes sense to me. I like her a lot. She also describes the hair dryer trick some where on her blogs.

http://thenicelicelady.blogspot.com/2015/05/something-old-something-new.html?m=1
http://thenicelicelady.blogspot.com/2015/05/early-detection-might-be-all-treatment.html?m=1

And to the above post, I do believe lice to not jump.

[littlestarface]

Sorry thats fleas, but still they are very contagious and can live on things thats been touched by the infected persons' head.

[lithostoic]

Thank you so much Wildcat Diva

[Wildcat Diva]

Sorry thats fleas, but still they are very contagious and can live on things thats been touched by the infected persons' head.
No problem. Yes, my youngest son was just now tattling on that the oldest son had sent pictures of himself hanging out with his friends and they are all wearing each other's hats in the photos. Grrrrrrrrrrrrr! I honestly don't think they can live super long like that but often long enough to make a transfer to another head.

Thank you so much Wildcat Diva

You are welcome and hope it helps. I'll be thinking of you.

I found the hair dryer info. Do you have access to one?
http://thenicelicelady.blogspot.ca/2010/05/dont-believe-nix-package-hair-dryer-is.html?m=1

Also found some info on how to use vinegar as part of your toolkit. This site says undiluted vinegar, ugh....
http://headlicecenter.com/head-lice-vinegar/

[Kimberly]

Checked in with my friend the green solutions expert. She suggested mixing therapeutic-grade tea tree oil with conditioner, applied to hair and left on for twenty minutes, along with treating bedding and etc. This is supposed to be more effective than Neem, easier to remove, and less stinky. She said it would take about a half ounce of tea tree oil, and that you shouldn't be paying more than $10 an ounce for it.

[lithostoic]

I have a hair dryer but it's just a crappy little conair one

[lapushka]

I have a hair dryer but it's just a crappy little conair one

If it blows air, I'm sure it's fine. ;) :p

[cocoahair]

Terrible Flashbacks (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=110347&highlight=cocoahair)

I had a terrible case of lice way back when aka three years ago and I went for the pesticide shampoo because I was scared/disturbed and defaulted to my mother's advice because i just couldn't handle thinking about it. I had a terrible time of it. I let my mother and her neighbor rip those lice combs through my tailbone length hair which i would say needs to be done but gently so. I am grateful to the women who helped me but they both had shoulder length at best hair and didn't understand why i flinched as they ripped through the ends of my hair. Unfortunately, I didn't say anything because I wanted them to keep helping me and they were in a rush to get it done.They were flustered and definitely disgusted by the whole parasite thing. In some respects I recognize it(lice comb)had to be done but my heart says there had to be another gentler way. I had to do a big chop after that ordeal to top it all off and I left LHC for awhile after it all happened. My hair has only recently recovered its length and I'm still working on the shed(can you call it shed when they are ripped out?:hmm:) aspect of my hair as I have a distinct line(only to me but you know how it goes :wink:) of grow back. Anyway i wanted to share my mistakes, not to cause anyone anxiety or fear but to pass on the knowledge. :D
Also i added the link to my post in case someone wants to look for some of the natural remedies the lovely people who responded game me.

Moral of the story: Don't panic. The lice aren't going to develop nuclear technology and destroy the world in the time it takes you to gently detangle and carefully run the lice comb through every section of hair. Also do your research before you act instead of after like I did.

Sorry for the huge downer post :flower: I'm not upset about it anymore :thumbsup:

[Wildcat Diva]

Cocoahair, wow. Thank you for your post. You confirm a lot of my concerns and worries with your experience.
I am so sorry.

I know that the lice are not gonna explode overnight. I am watching and treating. Using a variety of methods and not freaking out.

I caught my youngest, who I was previously not concerned about as he cut his hair. Well, there are some nits in his short Mohawk part of the hair (and these are disturbingly close to scalp). He is easy to treat with his little blond self. But I am glad I looked. (Now that I know what to look for... Impossibly small nits!

Caught the oldest to examine (miracle). Lots of old nits far down the hair shaft, old ones. Maybe several months worth of growth down the hair shafts. I now think he is patient zero, and think this had been going on a while. However, no adults? No bugs I can see? Interesting. Maybe the treatments I did do early on did something.

His last final exam is tomorrow, so we can get more treatments going. I plan to teach my middle kid to nit pick because I do wonder if any are living on me and I need someone to take a look that is actually careful and not so casual.

Seen nothing on hubby.

I am so NOT panicking. I got this, with my variety of tools, techniques and persistence. Here is a new method I read about.

http://nuvoforheadlice.com/test/?page_id=9#acceptLicense

Thank you Kimberly about the Tea Tree Oil. That is one thing I have read both things about. (Works/doesn't work) It can't hurt to try, except it's a bit touchy as some people may be allergic to the amount needed to kill the lice. I'm gonna use it sparingly.

[cocoahair]

Cocoahair, wow. Thank you for your post. You confirm a lot of my concerns and worries with your experience.
I am so sorry.

I know that the lice are not gonna explode overnight. I am watching and treating. Using a variety of methods and not freaking out.

I caught my youngest, who I was previously not concerned about as he cut his hair. Well, there are some nits in his short Mohawk part of the hair (and these are disturbingly close to scalp). He is easy to treat with his little blond self. But I am glad I looked. (Now that I know what to look for... Impossibly small nits!

Caught the oldest to examine (miracle). Lots of old nits far down the hair shaft, old ones. Maybe several months worth of growth down the hair shafts. I now think he is patient zero, and think this had been going on a while. However, no adults? No bugs I can see? Interesting. Maybe the treatments I did do early on did something.

His last final exam is tomorrow, so we can get more treatments going. I plan to teach my middle kid to nit pick because I do wonder if any are living on me and I need someone to take a look that is actually careful and not so casual.

Seen nothing on hubby.

I am so NOT panicking. I got this, with my variety of tools, techniques and persistence. Here is a new method I read about.

you go girl! You totally do! :cheer: Glad to share my mini story hopefully if someone in the future is feeling slightly panicky it will help them pump the breaks :D

[Wildcat Diva]

I have been at this one month. Huh. Seems longer.

We are not finished yet. Found one adult on middle son, and several baby ones on the eldest.
We had slacked off a bit due to being busy. I don't think I timed the olive oil/neem treatments right. I'll correct that.

I have learned a lot in a month.

Had confirmation to prove that what I tried (olive oil overnight, and then neem/ conditioner worked through and left for a few minutes and wet and lathered in CO fashion) does kill bugs (found one for evidence).

Have ordered the electronic comb. You do NOT have to pull it through the length! Thank goodness. Ordered a regular metal nit comb too.

Plan to retreat with olive oil, conditioner and neem in 10 days. Will use the electronic comb and try out the metal nit comb in the meanwhile.

Looking for actual studies on neem. Found this abstract of a study.
http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/articles/82589248/combined-neem-oil-6-w-w-eucalyptus-oil-16-w-w-lotion-treating-head-lice-vitro-vivo-efficacy-studies

Found this too. Neem fared better than the chemical used in many OTC treatments.
http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs00436-006-0146-7

I made a mistake in backing off neem. I was trying to use it in leave in form (mistake, kids hated that) but I will be now adding it to my kids' conditioner, applied to scalp in a strong dilution first and then making them leave it on for 30 minutes and I'll help them add a little water to kinda CO it in properly before they rinse out a few minutes later in the shower themselves. I did this outside and then when I sat down to rest, found a dead nymph stage bug stuck to my hand (off my eldest). I let it sit outside all day and it never woke up.

I am not upset or feel like we "failed" at this point. We are making progress in getting the old nits off of my eldest. He had a lot (despite my never finding any adult bugs on him!)

ETA: totally going to do three weeks of this too. Knockoff version of Cetaphil. (Equate)
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/114/3/e275.full
Even though, this study is critiqued because it has not been replicated. The person that headed this study was gonna try to market Cetaphil under a different name and try to charge $250 a bottle for it. That doesn't mean the stuff doesn't work, though. I'm not sure what replication efforts are out there and what they say.

Here are some prescription options described in Forbes. They describe OTC treatments as pitifully ineffective. http://www.forbes.com/sites/melaniehaiken/2012/11/28/finally-a-new-head-lice-treatment-that-really-works/#583fc8331957

[Wildcat Diva]

Well, I got my electronic comb and my terminator metal comb.

I can try out the electronic comb another day. I am too tired, but from first impression I think there will be a learning curve.

The metal nit comb? Wow. I might as well just cut my hair off now if I ever need one. It's got ridges spiraling down the edges of each tiny tine to rip the nits off a single hair. I bought one, because everything online says to use one. I might be able to use this on the boys with APLish hair after detangling, maybe not. It seems brutal. Mechanical damage city.

I'm pretty happy with the progress we have made with dry hair nit picking without these items, but I convinced myself that I might need them and it would be better to have them.

I may or may not have just wasted $30 on these two items.

[lapushka]

WD, I think it's about time you tackled it *hard*. A month with this is long. You really can't keep drawing this out (the risk of them infecting other people is great!) and that is not nice. :( I'm surprised you haven't gotten them already. Have you checked?

[Wildcat Diva]

I know a month seems long, but think about it. The chances of missing one or a few eggs is very great, nothing is 100 percent. The success rates on the OTC treatments is gauged to be less than what I am doing.

Just found another scholarly article on neem after reading a butt ton of crazy popular "magazine" articles with sketchy info. I am so done with those now (frustrated!).
http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00436-011-2374-8

If I kill almost every egg, there is still a chance that in 7-10 days the eggs that survived will hatch, and in another several days that bug will be an adult and only then capable of laying eggs if there is another adult to breed with.
The adults are big and pretty easy to spot in good light outside in blond hair.

I found one adult on my middle kid last week. One adult cannot breed by itself. I found several baby bugs on my oldest, who I did not use as many neem treatments on because I never saw any bugs on him before, only nits. The baby bugs I finally discovered on him are not yet ready to breed. So I nabbed that adult and the babies I saw, and I treated with neem conditioner, which I know for a fact kills them (there is a dead baby bug still where I left it outside when I found it during treatment).

I have seen people infested On YouTube , where a school nurse checking will move the comb and one or two adults scurry away, and you do that again and again. That is so not where we are at with this.

I did check Friday again outside in good light. I see nothing except we continue the pruning of old, non viable nits far away from the scalp. My kids are instructed to wear their hair back and covered around others. No hugging and head touching (mainly because I don't want to be reinfested). They are not at big risk of infesting others in my book, so I don't worry.

I am not sure what hitting this hard would look like other than the metal comb. Not sure that effort will be worth the gain.

I don't see failure with us now, I see success. I did check after our treatment on Tuesday. My kids have no bugs that I can see at all. Certainly none capable of infecting other people at the moment. I am treating the problem. If anybody doing this fight thinks they are gonna get 100 percent now, they are mistaken. Those prescription options in Forbes I linked did look promising. But what happens when one of these kids my kids are hanging with infects them again. It is going all around and I am sure people have them who don't know they have it. Obviously my eldest had some months ago (because he had nits way down his hair strand, like four inches down) and never itched and we never knew.)

Based on my research and results, I feel confident that we are doing the right things. I did see live bugs, but only one adult which cannot breed by itself. I believe that we are cleaning up leftovers from the first treatments failure rate, which you are going to have with ALL treatments. I think we have a good regimen going. I'm not quite sure what I am drawing out. I think our success rate is really good so far!

This is not a rare problem anymore. When I was a kid in the seventies, chances of getting lice as a grade school kid within a year was under 2 percent. Now, it's around 30 percent. Every parent should watch for it.


This article has the references to changing percentage of chance of getting lice. It also talks about how flawed many claims and studies are.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2042248/Why-expensive-head-lice-cures-money-drain.html

This article next cracked me up. I don't have my kids in a public school, but it brings out some interesting attitudes. Says that science and the AAP are behind a new stance for people to chill and stop sending kids home who have lice or nits. Says that they are "not particularly contagious." Says that they are pretty much harmless, that they "don't actually matter." Hahahahah wow. There again, so much conflicting info.
http://www.slate.com/articles/life/family/2014/03/lice_in_school_let_em_stay.html

[missrandie]

I'd say just keep up with your neem conditioning and tackle what you find. You are doing great, WD! You'll whip it :)

[Complexity]

I think that you're definitely fighting a winning battle here, WD! I've never had lice myself, but I'm definitely itchy after reading through this thread haha.

A friend of mine's daughter brought lice home from school last year, and the OTC treatments my friend bought to fight it did absolutely nothing but turn her daughter's hair into a tangled mess. The only thing that seemed to work for her was diligent washing of fabrics and using therapeutic grade tea tree oil in her shampoo and conditioner (though now that I think about it, she does blow dry her hair as well and that might have something to do with it).

Keep up the good work!

[Wildcat Diva]

I did a lengthy check on both long haired boys today. About 20 minutes each, and I started the olive oil treatment on my middle kid. He has a lot of scalp issues (flakes) and he needed some detangling big time too in his APL hair. I saw nothing but the ever decreasing number of old nit casings far down the hairs that I catch when I see them and are not going anywhere.

No bugs, and I definitely would have seen adults as both kids had piece-y hair that was easy to see scalp on.
I am tired, I napped about an hour this afternoon and it's my day off. I'm glad I am looking so hard at this and getting good results. But tired. Between this stuff and orthodontist appointments, sheesh. I don't remember being this tired doing parenting since those days where we would all go to the zoo and at least one kid was still nursing.

[red-again]

Can you get hedrin over there? It's dimethicone and lice cannot become resistant to it, it coats their hard exoskeleton, and they dehydrate and die. I've had nothing but complete success with it. It is not pesticide containing at all.
Also, rather than the metal combs, I use plastic ones called Bug Buster. They are available online ( eBay etc) and are much gentler on the hair plus you can see everything you comb out as the comb is so bright and the louse is so dark!

[Wildcat Diva]

I don't see that I can get the Hedrin, but I think I can get dimethicone on Amazon. I might have to research that one, to see what percentage the cone is in the Hedrin. I thought about it, and put a coney serum on my youngest,
As that seemed easy on his shorter hair. It's worth considering. I have looked into it, and I will further. Thanks for the comb recommendation, I needed a better one. I have been making do with the fine tooth combs from Sally's so far.

I truly hope we are almost done.

[Wildcat Diva]

spent 30 minutes checking both long haired boys today. Nothing but a few way down on the hair shaft dormant nits.

Even though we seem done with this, I'm gonna continue about weekly neem treatments to catch any new problems with friends/sleepovers and to prevent dandruff. I described my neem strategy in a dandruff thread, I'll repeat here.:


Here is what we do. Use a slant tip applicator bottle, if convenient.

My neem comes with a dropper cap. I use two droppers full of neem oil in the bottle, I add about two ounces of conditioner. I add about one ounce of water to make my conditioner runnier.
Shake Shake Shake to mix it up.

I start on dry hair before I am gonna shower in about a half hour. I use the slant tip applicator bottle to squirt the mixture all over the scalp. Massage in with fingertips. Clip hair up and wait a bit.
(Most of the hair length remains dry this way)
Get into the shower, kinda CO the neem through the lengths with a little more water. And squirt on anything left in the applicator bottle onto lengths. After COing (massaging) lengths, wait a minute or so. Wash out hair as normal.

Once a week treatment.

I'm so glad I didn't need to use a nit comb to solve this problem.
http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j386/janineevans/7CBA2875-1B3B-4A36-A38E-ED66D2996CA6_zps1hxgyrbw.jpghttp://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j386/janineevans/2EB49284-27B8-47AF-9875-CA0BFBE74E9E_zpse6xdqk8p.jpg

[Wildcat Diva]

Checking in.

Here is the progress.
In checking Jake, my youngest. I did two passes through his light blond Mohawk strip of hair that is about six inches wide (rest of head is shaved short) and an inch and a half long.

I had seen a couple of nits close to scalp so I knew something was up. On the second slow pass with a fine toothed comb,
I found only one bigger bug only. Did a cetaphil/hair dryer treatment and added some neem to that for good measure.

Checked middle son, I don't see anything, no nits or bugs.

Oldest son, my gosh he is hard to pin down to check. He is always asleep or doing something or about to go somewhere and doesn't want his long hair disturbed. I checked him yesterday. Nothing near his scalp from what I can tell. Still several only nits found long down the hair, four inches. I think it will take months to get every one. It seems that whichever way the hair is parted and turned affects if I happen to see it or not.

I showed Jake a nit on Dalton because Jake said he would look at my scalp to see. When he said when I showed him the nit was was "Jeeeeeezus that's small!" Again, no one is going to see these on my head if I have them or get them unless it is bad enough for them to be crawling around with serious infestation, which has NOT happened with our efforts.

I'm going to keep doing weekly neem as described above.

I am very happy we decided on no harsh treatments and no nit comb use. Neem is a lifesaver, and I think the cetaphil/hairdryer treatment and the Hedrin are all ways I would also try if I was starting over again. The neem is just the easiest though, and no cone buildup to worry over.

[lapushka]

I showed Jake a nit on Dalton because Jake said he would look at my scalp to see. When he said when I showed him the nit was was "Jeeeeeezus that's small!" Again, no one is going to see these on my head if I have them or get them unless it is bad enough for them to be crawling around with serious infestation, which has NOT happened with our efforts.

No but you can unwittingly infect others while walking around with this low-infestation issue. Your son keeps getting them, so the issue isn't cleared up, and one day you might not be on top of it all, and he could have a head full of lice! They breed like mad. :)

[Wildcat Diva]

I don't know that they do breed like mad... or we would have tons of them. It takes me almost twenty minutes of checking like mad to find any signs.

My oldest kid obviously had them for months and the ONLY thing I saw on him was two immature bugs. Never an adult.

I bet any school nurse would clear each of my kids completely and say we have nothing unless she was gonna spend 20 minutes per kid and find the tiniest signs with her face six inches away from the kid's scalp. Again, our heads look nothing like infested heads on YouTube where it's painfully obvious.

My kids have friends, who knows if they are getting a bug here and there from friends.

I still have never seen anything on hubby, and he and I are all up in each other's business, sleep with out heads next to each other at night and share brushes. I pay close attention to his hair and scalp every day. I'm sure if I have a raging infestation it would show up on him at some point.

I'm not worried.

One louse a month found and no other evidence is lower than a low level infestation. How do I know a kid here and there (it's been different ones) is not being reinfested by friends?

I'll admit that I cried with stress when I was deciding what to do and people told me that if I used diluted neem instead of Rid that I would be overrun. That hasn't happened, and the Rid (nor anything is 100%) is not thought to be that effective. Even buzzing all our hair would do nothing, as it seems Jake's hair which is less than two inches long has been able to hide one bug. I don't understand what it is I should be doing differently to stop something that may be the slightest problem in this day and age of having kids (see statistics mentioned up thread) no matter what I do.

[lapushka]

I'll admit that I cried with stress when I was deciding what to do and people told me that if I used diluted neem instead of Rid that I would be overrun. That hasn't happened, and the Rid (nor anything is 100%) is not thought to be that effective. Even buzzing all our hair would do nothing, as it seems Jake's hair which is less than two inches long has been able to hide one bug. I don't understand what it is I should be doing differently to stop something that may be the slightest problem in this day and age of having kids (see statistics mentioned up thread) no matter what I do.

IDK but I would get chemicals! Lots of them. A special shampoo at least. I would want this gone and out of my house. That's just me, I guess. :)

[hayheadsbird]

The condishioner method with a nit comb has always worked well for us. Takes about 2 weeks to get totally clear, but it's effective.

[Wildcat Diva]

IDK but I would get chemicals! Lots of them. A special shampoo at least. I would want this gone and out of my house. That's just me, I guess. :)

I can't do chemical shampoo every week after my kids hang out with their friends or spend the night.

I see no proof that the chemical shampoos are anywhere near to 100% effective so I don't see the point as far as different from our results.

Maybe prescription options are looking a little better but I will still have to do weekly checks because my kids have friends who likely have them and may still have them. My kids obviously had them for months and I was doing hairstyles and hair treatments on them and I never saw them. I can't imagine any other parent noticing their kid has them when they were at the low level we dealt with. I think the only reason I caught on that my kids had them at all was because I am hair and scalp obsessed and paying attention to my kids' heads for more than five minutes at a time.

[Decoy24601]

IDK but I would get chemicals! Lots of them. A special shampoo at least. I would want this gone and out of my house. That's just me, I guess. :)

Aren't the majority of lice resistant to most chemical shampoos now? I've heard this quite a few times. http://www.healthline.com/health-news/head-lice-developing-resistance-to-common-treatments-081815

I had lice as a kid and while we did get a kit for it, I had olive oil in my hair 24/7 for a week. The olive oil would aid in removing the bugs when she used the lice comb in my hair. She also rinsed my scalp with hydrogen peroxide a couple times (not in a row and it never burned my skin, it was just cold). She would comb them out of my hair multiple times a day and I had my hair in olive oil in a shower cap. I think I was lice-free in a couple weeks. I also had very long hair at the time. From what I've heard a large part of getting rid of them is just mechanical removal.

I hope you get the lice situation resolved. It isn't fun.

[Kitten1030]

http://www.hasd.org/healthservices/Directions%20for%20use%20of%20the%20Cetaphil%20Lic e%20Treatment.pdf
Just leaving this here for future reference. I've *knock on wood* not had to deal with this but I recently read a news article about lice being resistant to the lice medications and this was offered as an effective option. Seems like you got it under control mama WD. I'm sure it is a nightmare with all that hair in the house.

[Wildcat Diva]

It's not just the hair... It's all those attitudes underneath the hair that make me want to run far far away. But then that's another thread...


But thanks, hahaha.

[lapushka]

I can't do chemical shampoo every week after my kids hang out with their friends or spend the night.

I see no proof that the chemical shampoos are anywhere near to 100% effective so I don't see the point as far as different from our results.

Maybe prescription options are looking a little better but I will still have to do weekly checks because my kids have friends who likely have them and may still have them. My kids obviously had them for months and I was doing hairstyles and hair treatments on them and I never saw them. I can't imagine any other parent noticing their kid has them when they were at the low level we dealt with. I think the only reason I caught on that my kids had them at all was because I am hair and scalp obsessed and paying attention to my kids' heads for more than five minutes at a time.

Oh God, WD, honestly, I would *so* freak out and shave my head! I just hate the thought of these little critters crawling on me!

[lithostoic]

Found one adult bug while rinsing out shampoo. I don't have hairdryer or access to neem, what do I do?

[Anje]

Found one adult bug while rinsing out shampoo. I don't have hairdryer or access to neem, what do I do?

Near as I can tell, best thing is to get yourself a metal-tined nit comb and some oil (whatever hair oil you like, I suppose -- I think sunflower is nice and readily available at the grocery store). Oil heavily to lubricate everything, detangle your hair, then start combing with the nit comb. Make sure you get all the surfaces along your scalp, which is where they actually hang out. Dispose of all the lice you comb out, then wash out the oil. Repeat every couple of days, until you're no longer finding lice. If you keep removing them, eventually you'll get them all and there won't be any new eggs hatching and maturing.

You can probably get a nit comb at a pharmacy or a big-box store with a pharmacy section. Otherwise, there's always Amazon.

[brickworld13]

Near as I can tell, best thing is to get yourself a metal-tined nit comb and some oil (whatever hair oil you like, I suppose -- I think sunflower is nice and readily available at the grocery store). Oil heavily to lubricate everything, detangle your hair, then start combing with the nit comb. Make sure you get all the surfaces along your scalp, which is where they actually hang out. Dispose of all the lice you comb out, then wash out the oil. Repeat every couple of days, until you're no longer finding lice.

You can probably get a nit comb at a pharmacy or a big-box store with a pharmacy section. Otherwise, there's always Amazon.

The one we had growing up was silvery with a bright yellow handle. Don't even look at the plastic ones. The tines break right off.

[lithostoic]

Thanks Anje, hopefully cvs has nit combs since I can't order online. Fingers crossed!

[Anje]

Meanwhile, you all have me half paranoid and itchy. I'm resisting the urge to order a comb preemptively, which is silly since I have no lice and no children.

[brickworld13]

Meanwhile, you all have me half paranoid and itchy. I'm resisting the urge to order a comb preemptively, which is silly since I have no lice and no children.

They also work for fleas if you happen to have four legged house inhabitants.

[Wildcat Diva]

I never used a nit comb yet, just conditioner and and a fine toothed comb. Also, a spray bottle of water to keep the hair moist and stop it from drying out while combing can help.

Read this link...
http://thenicelicelady.blogspot.com/2015/05/early-detection-might-be-all-treatment.html?m=1


I liked this link too:
http://thenicelicelady.blogspot.com/2015/05/something-old-something-new.html?m=1

[Henni]

We had lice earlier this year. I was braiding my daughter's extremely fine blond hair and saw a bug, it was quite big and black. I had never seen one before, so I can't compare, but it did look vicious! ;)

I freaked out and we bought lice suffocatings shampoo that should kill both lice and nits as they don't recommend old pesticides anymore in pharmacys. Washed everyones head with it and combed everyone with metal lice comb and put everything that might have lice either washing machine, freezer, boiling water or in plastic bags for 2 weeks. Blowdried everyones roots also for couple times, not right after liceshampoo as it was still quite harsh even it had this oily feel. We repeated lice shampoo for children after 7days, just in case.

I found probably ~80 nits alltogether from my 2 children while combing and didn't see another live one. Thank god!

I didn't even remember this, probably I just blocked it from my mind. It might explain poor condition of my ends :rolleyes: I was quite vigorous while combing my hair.. I was only one in my family who sees nits, so coudn't trust that there woudn't be any.

[Henni]

Just for curiosity. I've heard that people used DDT for treating lice back in the 50s.. And survived. Newer treatments are a lot gentler so I wouldn't hesitate.

[Decoy24601]

Just for curiosity. I've heard that people used DDT for treating lice back in the 50s.. And survived. Newer treatments are a lot gentler so I wouldn't hesitate.

DDT is a pesticide that is bio-accumulative and can cause some pretty bad long-term effects. It's not even legal in the US anymore for most things, its use is very restricted. I doubt newer treatments would still contain DDT at all.

[Henni]

DDT is a pesticide that is bio-accumulative and can cause some pretty bad long-term effects. It's not even legal in the US anymore for most things, its use is very restricted. I doubt newer treatments would still contain DDT at all.

I think it has not been legal in any civiliced country for decades for obvious reasons.

[Henni]

I did not mean to recommend using anything like that! Not in any circumstance! Only safe shampoos that are in pharmacys. Those which are not meant for human skin/hair might do severe damage.

[Decoy24601]

I did not mean to recommend using anything like that! Not in any circumstance! Only safe shampoos that are in pharmacys. Those which are not meant for human skin/hair might do severe damage.

Ah, alright ;) I was a little confused because of your wording/my interpretation.

[Wildcat Diva]

Just for curiosity. I've heard that people used DDT for treating lice back in the 50s.. And survived. Newer treatments are a lot gentler so I wouldn't hesitate.

I would do my research about what is actually effective and what is not. Compare lots of sources and go with what makes sense to you.

I have learned a lot reading, and a lot of what people just recommend makes no real sense to me because of the unproven assumptions many make. Like, it's a chemical pesticide, so it will work 100 percent. Or this used to work back when I was a kid, so it should work now (not accounting for treatment resistance in recent years).

Even though "safe" shampoos are being sold in pharmacies, this doesn't mean that they work well anymore.

[Henni]

Ah, alright ;) I was a little confused because of your wording/my interpretation.

It is my poor english, sorry. I should practice it more :)

I did get quite concerned as if someone might think it would be recommendation to use something that could be damaging or harmful.

Nowadays shampoos for treating lice are not as severe as those used in past.

[Decoy24601]

It is my poor english, sorry. I should practice it more :)

I did get quite concerned as if someone might think it would be recommendation to use something that could be damaging or harmful.

Nowadays shampoos for treating lice are not as severe as those used in past.

That's alright :). And yeah, the shampoos now are much safer than DDT would be for sure. The only issue is that a lot of lice have developed a resistance to most commercial shampoos. I know that even 10+ years ago when I was little and had lice the commercial shampoo kit didn't work, so I had to soak my hair in olive oil for a week straight and have my mother comb them out, we also tried hydrogen peroxide on my scalp (it's not as harsh as it sounds actually, especially since my head was already soaking wet, which dilutes the hydrogen peroxide). It took 2-3 weeks to get rid of them if I remember correctly.

[Henni]

I would do my research about what is actually effective and what is not. Compare lots of sources and go with what makes sense to you.

I have learned a lot reading, and a lot of what people just recommend makes no real sense to me because of the unproven assumptions many make. Like, it's a chemical pesticide, so it will work 100 percent. Or this used to work back when I was a kid, so it should work now (not accounting for treatment resistance in recent years).

Even though "safe" shampoos are being sold in pharmacies, this doesn't mean that they work well anymore.

We were sold shampoo that didn't have harmfull pesticides, it was something that has been in market just for a year. I have no idea what was in it, but felt oily but washed squeeky clean with water and we got rid of lice in a week.

I saw nits only in the first week after washing while playing little monkeys with children, picking nits from hair (I did not eat them though like monkeys) :)

I was pretty freaked and probably overreacted. I just wanted to get rid of them as fast as possible.

[Henni]

That's alright :). And yeah, the shampoos now are much safer than DDT would be for sure. The only issue is that a lot of lice have developed a resistance to most commercial shampoos. I know that even 10+ years ago when I was little and had lice the commercial shampoo kit didn't work, so I had to soak my hair in olive oil for a week straight and have my mother comb them out, we also tried hydrogen peroxide on my scalp (it's not as harsh as it sounds actually, especially since my head was already soaking wet, which dilutes the hydrogen peroxide). It took 2-3 weeks to get rid of them if I remember correctly.

Lice are tough. Hydrogen peroxide sounds harsh, but it works. Probably a lot easier for scalp than weekly combing for extented period.

I am probably going to but neem oil to add to my shampoo for precaution when schools start. Just in case.

[Wildcat Diva]

Someone just asked me about this so I will repost it.

I need to get an index of links info together for this thread don't I?
http://nuvoforheadlice.com/test/?page_id=9#acceptLicense
Cetaphil treatment.

The treatment Henni described is probably Hedrin. Which I would consider making if I can't find.

[Henni]

I looked for the shampoo we used and it was manufactured and sold only in my country. As it was available only in here all the ingredients were in my language. It contained chemically altered oil as first ingredient, then some foaming agents and trademarked ingredient (sesame oil, acrylate copolymer) and perfume. No shampoo after, just rinsing with water.

It was not safe to use children under 12 months, but was safe to use every 3 days for preventing lice. It supposedly dries lice and nits and in my opinion hair and scalp too, so I will not use it for preventing, but definately will use it if we get lice again. I would even cut all my hair if needed and buy a pretty wig!

I am getting flashbacks and gaining understanding for my hair too. I feel so bad as I shredded my hair with lice comb, even I never found any from my head.

I did sleep occasionally sharing pillow with my kids as they tend to come sleep next to us if they wake up at night after nightmares or such. :) Next time I hope to take calmer approach.

[Wildcat Diva]

There is no need to cut hair off or damage it for lice. They don't even spread disease. There are ways to deal with them without taking drastic measures all in a flurry. I think very very many people freak out. I refuse to.

[littlestarface]

There is no need to cut hair off or damage it for lice. They don't even spread disease. There are ways to deal with them without taking drastic measures all in a flurry. I think very very many people freak out. I refuse to.

Lol I don't see how anyone can not freak out about bugs living on their body but thats just me. I flip out and won't stop til they're eradicated.

[ravenheather]

To prevent lice I spray my kids hair with rosemary essential oil in my mister bottle every morning before school. So far it has worked.

[Wildcat Diva]

Lol I don't see how anyone can not freak out about bugs living on their body but thats just me. I flip out and won't stop til they're eradicated.

IMO, flipping out is not helpful. Flipping out doesn't do anything effective necessarily. I prefer to make efforts that seem reasonable to me and are not based on fear and speculation. But I have found, at least IRL, that people get a little "judgey" with me if I don't flip out.

Don't think about stuff like this...
http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20150508-these-mites-live-on-your-face

From the link (about facial mites...):
"All their waste builds up over time and then there's one large flush of bacteria
They do save it all up until death, though. When a Demodex dies, its body dries out and all the built-up waste degrades on your face.
"It's not an exploding action necessarily, but it's true that all their waste builds up over time and then there's one large flush of bacteria," says Thoemmes. "It's not just coming in discrete units over time, it's a lot built up that comes out."

[Decoy24601]

There is no need to cut hair off or damage it for lice. They don't even spread disease. There are ways to deal with them without taking drastic measures all in a flurry. I think very very many people freak out. I refuse to.

I agree. I didn't even freak out as a kid about the fact bugs were in my hair, but I did throw fits because of the extreme itchiness they caused, lol. Getting bed bugs was much worse in my opinion, but only because I had a very bad reaction to them and was so itchy that I ended up getting scars from the bites (compulsive scratching in my sleep). What bothered me more on both occasions was the discomfort, rather than the bugs themselves.

[littlestarface]

IMO, flipping out is not helpful. Flipping out doesn't do anything effective necessarily. I prefer to make efforts that seem reasonable to me and are not based on fear and speculation. But I have found, at least IRL, that people get a little "judgey" with me if I don't flip out."
It helps for me anyway cuz then we get rid of them quickly and effectively as well. I much prefer overacting to rid the infestation of bugs sucking out our blood.

[Wildcat Diva]

I like to think that the lack of freaking out DID help me to be quick and efficient at doing what works instead of spinning my wheels doing something unproven to help for no good reason, exhausting me physically and emotionally, and wasting resources I could better spend to do what is fact and logic based and makes sense. That's just how it shakes out for me.

[lithostoic]

Pulled a crawler off my bf's head. Getting us some RID shampoo (also comes with 2 lice combs) today hopefully. Prob wash in the morning bc I work til 9.

Got 2 boxes of the RID step 1. Step 2 and 3 are pretty useless (special gel for combing out nits and furniture spray) so I just got the 2in1 shampoo/conditioner and combs. Tomorrow is lice treatment day.

[Wildcat Diva]

I wish you lots of success in your treatments!

Things at my house seem to rocking along pretty good. No recent signs at all on anyone. I'll continue neem/ conditioner treatments on all the longhairs every couple of weeks or at the very least once a month. Continue weekly to go out into the sunlight to pick old nit casings off the eldest as those seem never ending to find an occasional one far down the length, depending on which way the curly hair is moved or parted in that moment.

[lithostoic]

Update: Completed round 1 of my head. Boyfriend currently rinsing his hair so I can comb it. Round 2 comes in a week.

[samanthaa]

I am having trouble determining the source of my scalp itchiness, whether it's lice or a reaction to a new conditioner and/or protest to stretching washing. The only two times I've had a really terribly itchy scalp were 1.) when I was using TRESemme shampoo years ago before switching to shampoo bars and 2.) when I had lice.

I noticed a bit of scalp itchiness a few days after switching to a new conditioner, which touched my scalp twice (one week in an SMT and the next week as a cowash). The itchiness was the worst closer to wash day (I've managed to stretch my shampoos to once a week, but in the past couple of weeks I've begun increasing the number of times I wash per week because my scalp seems happier after a wash). It also seemed happier when I went back to my old chemical-free conditioner.

But then this last Friday, after using one of my old conditioners for a week, I had a bout of itchiness that lasted, say, five minutes, during which time I scraped off a bunch of the skin at the back of my head. I don't think it bled, but my scalp definitely stung after that when it got wet. Now three full days later, it's mostly healed, and I haven't had anymore itchiness (except now, reading through this thread, but I think that's just phantom itchiness).

Is this normal if you have a lice infestation, that you have severe itchiness (so much so that you're scraping off skin) but not even every day? More like once a week? The first and only time I had lice, I remember the itchiness being so prominent. There wasn't a doubt in my mind that I had lice.

I guess the only way to know for sure is to have someone check my head, but alas I do not live near any family, and I won't see my SO for another two days (I'd prefer to start treatment earlier than than, if I seriously thought it was lice). I've spent some time studying my scalp in the mirror, but I'm not sure I'd be able to see anything that way, honestly.

I might do a thick overnight cassia treatment just to be on the safe side. If I can find tea tree oil at the grocery on my way home, I'll add that to it, but I also have lavender, clove, and peppermint essential oils at home if not. There's really no down side since I like to cassia every few weeks anyway, but it's just the wondering that kills me. And I was away for the weekend so my apartment hasn't had anybody in it for 48+ hours, so I not going to freak out about needing to wash things. I do wonder how one cleans a horn comb, though...

[Wildcat Diva]

Oh man, I'm sorry you had the itchies!! I would say, that doing the cassia is good, but who knows if you have them, so I don't advise you do do any commercial treatment without any further evidence. You probably could read above in my posts prior as to my opinion, gleaned from reading I did, on the futility of rabid house cleaning where lice is concerned. A horn comb, if you are that worried, can be bagged for a few weeks to where anything on it had hatched and died because it cannot feed.

Having someone check you may be ONE way to catch them, but in my house, even then I am doubtful as to if the checking was catching what was actually there. I persistently have looked for them, regularly, over weeks into my kids' hair and really struggled to find what was there. It took me three weeks of persistence to finally notice what a nit was, and I still marvel at how tiny they are. My eldest must have had some for months, with no itchiness, (because he had the most nits, far down the length) and I never saw a live adult bug on him at all. Only a few babies (four only), and those are after hours of looking.

Cheap conditioner, a spray bottle of water for re-wetting as you go, a fine toothed comb and a white towel to wipe it on, could help you self assess/ treat by removal on wet, conditioner soaked hair, maybe?

For me, the harmless and easy regular neem conditioning treatments I describe prior in the thread are the only thing that made sense to me for us. I did and do them on myself proactively, even though no one ever found anything on me. I also added in a few really really heavy olive oil soaks for hours early on too. My hair can't take lots of combing, but a fine tooth combing with a ton of conditioner in, with the comb rinsed in a bowl of water after each pass, could be a good harmless method to try proactively, as well.

I checked the two eldest boys scalps yesterday with dry hair.

I found nothing of concern.

Upon really really close inspection, I still find old nits to pluck down the length. Only about five on the middle child, still quite a few more than that on the eldest, who had the most to begin with, in his very wavy hair. It's a painstaking process, outside in the best light. You see a little dot of shininess, begin to isolate it on a single hair, grab it on the single hair, pull it down and off. You can slide it down ten inches on the length and it will stay there if you don't persist to the very end of that hair strand. These are only seen on very very close inspection, with an experienced eye, over several minutes of close looking. We will continue regular checks and twice a month treatments anyway, just to be sure, and squash any new infestations from their friends, a tactic I find worthwhile, because lice are so common now.

I just had a friend tell me that the applicator bottle technique for applying the neemed conditioner dilution directly to the scalp was a brilliant technique. easy application that way.

[lithostoic]

Finished round 2 of lice treatment. No adults, I only had 3 tiny babies and SO had a couple nits but mostly just dandruff. I call success!

[samanthaa]

I really appreciate all of the research you did and posted about, WD. I've read through all the links you've posted and it's really kept me calm. No, I won't do a commercial treatment. I wouldn't do a commercial treatment even if I did know without a doubt I had them, considering how ineffective they often are. My first infestation was treated successfully with an application (possibly two--it was a long time ago) of Crisco vegetable shortening. I did an 11.5-hour cassia + fenugreek + tea tree oil application last night (I posted in more detail about it on my LHC blog, if anybody's interested), and I'll probably soak my hair in a strong vinegar dilution tonight, condition heavily, and go through it with a lice comb to see if I can, on my own, find anything.

I have enough leftover cassia mix to do another treatment in a week. I might have enough to do two more, if I'm feeling really antsy about it. Plenty of leftover tea tree oil to add to conditioners or oils in the meanwhile (it seems my coconut oil might have gotten lost in the mail...no olive currently on hand).

The only "cleaning" I've done is to boil my hair ties/plastic combs/clips (I destroyed my favorite octopus clip! Luckily it only cost about $2...) and cling wrap/bag up my horn combs and BBB. I did wash on Friday, and though I did sleep in my bed Friday night, I'm hoping the 48-hour vacancy was enough time that anything alive died without a human host. I refuse to drag all my stuff to the laundromat again for an infestation I'm still not certain I have. I might do some vacuuming tonight, but my rugs could really use it anyway.

Glad you've had success, lithostoic!

[lapushka]

I really appreciate all of the research you did and posted about, WD. I've read through all the links you've posted and it's really kept me calm. No, I won't do a commercial treatment. I wouldn't do a commercial treatment even if I did know without a doubt I had them, considering how ineffective they often are. My first infestation was treated successfully with an application (possibly two--it was a long time ago) of Crisco vegetable shortening. I did an 11.5-hour cassia + fenugreek + tea tree oil application last night (I posted in more detail about it on my LHC blog, if anybody's interested), and I'll probably soak my hair in a strong vinegar dilution tonight, condition heavily, and go through it with a lice comb to see if I can, on my own, find anything.

I have enough leftover cassia mix to do another treatment in a week. I might have enough to do two more, if I'm feeling really antsy about it. Plenty of leftover tea tree oil to add to conditioners or oils in the meanwhile (it seems my coconut oil might have gotten lost in the mail...no olive currently on hand).

The only "cleaning" I've done is to boil my hair ties/plastic combs/clips (I destroyed my favorite octopus clip! Luckily it only cost about $2...) and cling wrap/bag up my horn combs and BBB. I did wash on Friday, and though I did sleep in my bed Friday night, I'm hoping the 48-hour vacancy was enough time that anything alive died without a human host. I refuse to drag all my stuff to the laundromat again for an infestation I'm still not certain I have. I might do some vacuuming tonight, but my rugs could really use it anyway.

Glad you've had success, lithostoic!

Are you sure yet you have lice, or is it a gamble you've taken? I'm just wondering... Oh yeah, now I've read it - disregard my question. I do hope it's nothing. Can't you get someone to look at your hair?

[lithostoic]

So the lice came back shortly after my last post and we haven't been able to get rid of them x-x They've survived heavy overnight oilings and thick deep treatments, we've been combing every time we wash now (every 3ish days)and they're still not gone. I'm at my wits end.

[DarkChocolate]

How do adults get lice? I always associated it with early childhood. Can they live in carpets?

[littlestarface]

So the lice came back shortly after my last post and we haven't been able to get rid of them x-x They've survived heavy overnight oilings and thick deep treatments, we've been combing every time we wash now (every 3ish days)and they're still not gone. I'm at my wits end.

It's a shame you can't get people to pick them out everyday cuz it takes a combo of doing these treatments and hand picking out the nits and lice.


Darkchocolate head to head contact thats how. I don;t let anyone come near me I don't even let any of my neices near my head *shudders* just incase.

[lora410]

ek when we lived in Fl there was always a lice infestation going around the schools!!!! poor kiddo had it several times. She so kindly passed it on to me once and I had hip length hair at the time. We literally had to spend hrs pulling the dead nit eggs out with our fingernails becuase nit combs DON'T WORK. Thankfully in NC I haven't heard one episode of it.. knock on wood

[lithostoic]

I honestly have no idea how I got them. I dislike kids so there's no connection there, and the only person I touch heads with is my boyfriend. But the point is, I have them, and I'm getting frustrated.

[Rowdy]

I've been having a love affair with vinegar and have been reading about all it's uses :D I don't know if it has been mentioned here but apparently vinegar can unglue nits from the hair shaft and make it much easier to comb them out.

[lithostoic]

Ugh I hate vinegar x-x Everything I'm looking for advice wise always turns to vinegar. Lice, hard water, etc. Guess I'm gonna have to suck it up and try not to vomit in the shower. I don't want to smell like a pickle though, I wanna smell pretty.

[Wildcat Diva]

I honestly have no idea how I got them. I dislike kids so there's no connection there, and the only person I touch heads with is my boyfriend. But the point is, I have them, and I'm getting frustrated.
I feel your frustration.

What else can you try?

I have not been doing the neem but want to start again, for just in case.

I have not seen anything recently but scalp does itch a lot recently. I have people in my family look at my hair/ scalp but they see nothing. I am pretty sure the lice run away from the part being looked at. They are not easy to catch (stealthy quickness) unless you have many of them in a heavier infestation.

About a month ago, I found one lonely adult lice on my son Jake's short blond strip of hair that is his mohawk. I was discouraged a bit because I had done the cetaphil/ hairdryer thing the day before, with a ton of combing through while I blow dried. Then, the next day, this adult lice is just prancing around on there like a badass? Oh, he was dead meat.

I've seen nothing since. Everyone is due for a check. I'm doing neem this week for sure.

For litho... Since commercial treatments left you hanging, there are other options. The prescription options from the Forbes article linked up thread seemed promising.

[Wildcat Diva]

Vinegar is not going to kill lice.


You could try neem and smell like garlicy dirt? J/K. Adding eucalyptus oil is recommended and helps the smell.

[lithostoic]

I'd rather smell like dirt than relish. Essential oils are on sale today at cvs, I'll have to head over there since I get off work early today.

[Wildcat Diva]

CVS won't have neem, IMO. It's not a traditionally popular, drug store commercially marketed, essential oil. If they have it, I'll be shocked.

I had to order mine from Amazon. You will need a health food store at the least. A garden store might carry it too.

[samanthaa]

You might be able to find tea tree oil at CVS, though. Or at a grocery store. I found it at my grocery store, where I also found fenugreek capsules (meant to be taken as a dietary supplement). I would throw both of these into whatever natural treatment you try (olive oil, conditioner, cassia, etc.).

[Wildcat Diva]

Yes, tea tree oil she will find. Honestly, I read enough about tea tree oil and lice to come to the conclusion that it's wasn't worth counting on, so I pretty much skipped it as an effort.

The Hedrin option is worth looking into. I researched the ingredients in Hedrin and considered making my own.

[samanthaa]

Yes, tea tree oil she will find. Honestly, I read enough about tea tree oil and lice to come to the conclusion that it's wasn't worth counting on, so I pretty much skipped it as an effort.

I defer to your knowledge and experience in this area!

[Wildcat Diva]

Well, it's just from what I read. It may actually be a help, but I couldn't find studies that encourages me. There was anecdotal evidence both ways. When I read one that said the kid in class who had the head doused in tea tree he could smell across the room that the author said had the worst infestation he had ever seen, I was like hmmmmmm. Then I was like, no, I need studies on this, since tea tree can be irritating the the large quantities needed to kill lice, I'm reading. Which I could not find, but I'm not a great "searcher."

I have located and linked actual scientific studies on neem up thread. That's what I go with, and often, as it's bound to miss some.

Update: just had my best option for checking (husband has poor vision), which is my eldest son to check me. He sees nothing but dandruff. Check took five minutes or so, because it's "hot outside", sheesh. If you remember, I never have had any myself, that I know of. (It's just been my sons). Just proactive checks (and neem soaks) on me.

[lithostoic]

I already have tto. Doesn't seem to help other than it smells great and feels refreshing on the scalp lol.

[DarkChocolate]

I already have tto. Doesn't seem to help other than it smells great and feels refreshing on the scalp lol.

Tea tree oil also is said to help hair grow:) Have you noticed that lithostoic?

[lithostoic]

My hair has always grown fast when taken care of well. Not sure tto has made a difference, I don't think I've used it enough to see. I think eating healthy is the biggest factor for me.

[lithostoic]

Sorry for the double post. We thought we were rid of the lice but we're itching like crazy and finding bugs again. Uggghhhh.

[Wildcat Diva]

Oh man, so sorry...

[lithostoic]

Idk why this keeps happening. But I had deep condish soaked hair under a grocery bag under a beanie/toque for about 18 hours before rinsing and combing. Found mainly just nits, a few small lice, and one big one. I'm sure I missed some but all the hatched lice were dead. Guess I'll just keep doing this before every wash or something. Not necessarily the whole 18 hours though, that's just because I was too tired to do it before bed.

[Mrstran]

My daughter use to get this all the time from her dads house. His niece who had it was there all the time with her mother who never bothered to get rid of it. ( gross)

The only way I found to completely rid of the situation was to use the nit comb and remove EVERYTHING. As much as a pain as it sounds, it is the most effective. Doing this every 14 days will prevent another infestation. Also, everything the kids have used (that can't fit in the wash) must be bagged up for 2 weeks. Blankets, pillows, stuffed animals, and clothes all should be washed in a long cycle of hot water. (I also use to bag these after washing) The Mattresses sprayed, let to dry and sheets changed, rugs, couches sprayed with Lice spray also and left to dry. Brushes and Combes thrown out.

I did all this and got rid of it. Whenever she came home after that first time, I had her go in the bathroom, shower while I bagged her clothes and shoes, and then dried her hair and went through it with the nit comb. Making sure I got every strand. I rinsed the comb after every swipe through to make sure I wasn't putting anything back in her hair.

She had red thick curly long red hair
It was exhausting!

These things can climb on anything, backpacks, clothes, rugs, cloth toys.

[Wildcat Diva]

If you go back and read my posts on here you can tell how tired I was. Took a lot of effort, over months. Your struggle kinda proved to me that "running to the store for a kit" would not have had me any better off.

[Wildcat Diva]

spent 30 minutes checking both long haired boys today. Nothing but a few way down on the hair shaft dormant nits.

Even though we seem done with this, I'm gonna continue about weekly neem treatments to catch any new problems with friends/sleepovers and to prevent dandruff. I described my neem strategy in a dandruff thread, I'll repeat here.:


Here is what we do. Use a slant tip applicator bottle, if convenient.

My neem comes with a dropper cap. I use two droppers full of neem oil in the bottle, I add about two ounces of conditioner. I add about one ounce of water to make my conditioner runnier.
Shake Shake Shake to mix it up.

I start on dry hair before I am gonna shower in about a half hour. I use the slant tip applicator bottle to squirt the mixture all over the scalp. Massage in with fingertips. Clip hair up and wait a bit.
(Most of the hair length remains dry this way)
Get into the shower, kinda CO the neem through the lengths with a little more water. And squirt on anything left in the applicator bottle onto lengths. After COing (massaging) lengths, wait a minute or so. Wash out hair as normal.

Once a week treatment.

I'm so glad I didn't need to use a nit comb to solve this problem.



Bumping this thread for recent forum lice interest and quoting myself with the method that worked best for us, and that I credit with our success on three heads here.

[diewassermelone]

This may have already been mentioned here but mayonnaise. Slather that on aaaaallllll over your hair, especially the scalp. Bag it and try not to hate yourself as you try and sleep while dreaming of egg salad. I used to work with some children who kept getting lice, as in every other week, one of them was scratching hard core. I was a nervous wreck and kept my hair under a beanie the whole time I was at their house until finally after about two months of this I couldn't stand it anymore. All of their bed sheets went into the freezer, they each got a wash with louse shampoo and combing, plus the mayo treatment. The parents were a bit dismayed when they came home and say three kids running around with plastic bags on their heads and all their stuff in the freezer, but it made a HUGE difference. Their infestation was pretty bad, I believe the mom told me that they did the mayo treatment several nights in a row in addition to washing/freezing everything that couldn't be washed before it went away. This is what my mom did for me when I got them as a kid, and it seems to have worked for this family as well.

[Wildcat Diva]

I never did any extra cleaning or bed laundry, other than combs and pillowcases. I gauged that then (last year) to be wasted energy that could be better focused on heads, and I stand by that assessment.

[diewassermelone]

I never did any extra cleaning or bed laundry, other than combs and pillowcases. I gauged that then (last year) to be wasted energy that could be better focused on heads, and I stand by that assessment.

Oh I agree. My mom was terrified of them, hence her washing or freezing practically every piece of fabric in the house. In the case of the family I was working for, because the kids had been passing them around for about two months, I figured I had to do everything I could to stop the problem, if only for my sanity lol.

[queenbee1]

This may have already been mentioned here but mayonnaise. Slather that on aaaaallllll over your hair, especially the scalp. Bag it and try not to hate yourself as you try and sleep while dreaming of egg salad. I used to work with some children who kept getting lice, as in every other week, one of them was scratching hard core. I was a nervous wreck and kept my hair under a beanie the whole time I was at their house until finally after about two months of this I couldn't stand it anymore. All of their bed sheets went into the freezer, they each got a wash with louse shampoo and combing, plus the mayo treatment. The parents were a bit dismayed when they came home and say three kids running around with plastic bags on their heads and all their stuff in the freezer, but it made a HUGE difference. Their infestation was pretty bad, I believe the mom told me that they did the mayo treatment several nights in a row in addition to washing/freezing everything that couldn't be washed before it went away. This is what my mom did for me when I got them as a kid, and it seems to have worked for this family as well.


I agree with you!

[queenbee1]

This may have already been mentioned here but mayonnaise. Slather that on aaaaallllll over your hair, especially the scalp. Bag it and try not to hate yourself as you try and sleep while dreaming of egg salad. I used to work with some children who kept getting lice, as in every other week, one of them was scratching hard core. I was a nervous wreck and kept my hair under a beanie the whole time I was at their house until finally after about two months of this I couldn't stand it anymore. All of their bed sheets went into the freezer, they each got a wash with louse shampoo and combing, plus the mayo treatment. The parents were a bit dismayed when they came home and say three kids running around with plastic bags on their heads and all their stuff in the freezer, but it made a HUGE difference. Their infestation was pretty bad, I believe the mom told me that they did the mayo treatment several nights in a row in addition to washing/freezing everything that couldn't be washed before it went away. This is what my mom did for me when I got them as a kid, and it seems to have worked for this family as well.


I agree with you!

[Ellethwyn]

My 7 year old niece just stayed with my family and I for 3 days. On day 3 I was helping her tie her bathing suit and saw a few nits on her head. I quickly and calmly asked her to let me look at her hair and as soon as she tilted her head down and her hair fell forward, more than a dozen nits were exposed. Her parents were called and luckily they were able to make the 3 hour drive to come get her. They said they treated her awhile ago for lice. I didn't do too much inspecting of her hair, since it was obvious that she had or has quite an infestation. I saw a lot of nits an inch or so down, so i'm not sure if they just didn't pick all the nits out from before, but managed to clear the infestation ??? I kind of feel bad for sending her home so abruptly, but I just wanted to get all the clothes, towels, and bedding washed asap and vacuum and bag up toys, because she was all over the place and worst of all she kept putting her head on our heads (that's how she gave hugs). We soaked our heads with olive oil overnight and i keep looking at everyone's heads. We are going to a lice specialist on Friday to get checked, too, especially because my husband has horrible eyesight and is not much help going through my hair. I attempted to use a fine tooth comb on my hair and it did not work. I've never had lice before and I am really hoping we somehow are really, really lucky and dodged it this time. Of course our heads are itchy just thinking about it!

[Wildcat Diva]

That's rough! I'm pretty sure when we dealt with it the boys had nits that were four to six inches down the hair shaft. Those things don't go away until you pluck them off. I spent hours in the sunlight scouring the hair for them. But it's estimated that nits further than a couple of cm (don't quote me exactly) aren't viable. I liked to get them plucked off anyway, but I wasn't going to have a conniption about it with a ton of long haired people in my house to fuss over.

Good luck and please let us know what the specialist says.

[lithostoic]

Time to be extra careful about lice now that school is back in. My boyfriend's cousins started 6th and 7th grade, and you know how middle school girls are always touching each other lol. Plus I live with a 4th grade boy. About to break out the tto just in case. I'll be wearing a lot of high buns.

[Agnieszka]

Oh we got it too recently! I slathered my son's hair in conditioner and used nitty gritty comb (UK bought in Boots) every other day for a week. Not one single egg left. That comb is a must have for kids but it was too rough for my collarbone fine hair. I'm happy though as I avoided using pesticides on them and myself. It works but it is not for long hair at all.

[vpatt]

I used tto first then I used equal parts salt and vinegar (I did add some water also so not really equal parts as it called for). I did the salt and vinegar 2 or 3 times.....I think if I ever did it again I would add more water to avoid possible damage. I could not use the comb because it pulled my hair out. I washed my sheets and pillow cases, but I read that it was not needed. Oh I let the salt dry and then washed my hair. It got rid of them.

I don't know if salt and vinegar would damage hair....what do you think? I didn't notice it looking damaged. I do have some splits now, but my hair has gotten longer and rubs on things more so it could be from that.

[Wildcat Diva]

Based on the research I read, I would not risk my hair to strong salt solution or vinegar solution hoping to kill lice or remove nits.

I also have no confidence in tea tree oil to deter lice.

I trust neem oil, so far.

[vpatt]

It could have caused some of my splits but I don't know for sure. Hopefully I won't get them again....my husband just happened to be away when my granddaughter visited and she slept with me. I had never never had them before. But I would probably try the oil if I did.

[Wildcat Diva]

For me, I like to look at studies when I can. Word of mouth is interesting to me, but I like to know the hard data when it's there and I can put info all together to try to figure it out. That's my process.

[Ellethwyn]

Update:

My family and I went to the lice specialist today and everyone but my daughter was clear of lice. They found 6 nits on her and treated her. They did a "heat" treatment with the AirAlle, thorough combing, and an oil treatment with dimethicone. Since we were just exposed to lice a few days ago, I'm still a little worried that I could have it, even though she did a thorough check and combing on me, so they sold me some dimethicone to use at home and I will attempt to use the lice comb on myself again (maybe). The lady who combed my hair did a really good job. A little bit of hair got pulled, but not as much as i was expecting. I may go back in 4 weeks for another check. I just spent the evening vacuuming the house (again) and washing my daughters bedding (again). The place we went to is FDA approved and have a 30 day guarantee and claim to be over 99% effective. So, i'm hoping we are done!


ETA: At the lice clinic they had some lice and nits on display. What i thought were nits on my nieces hair was actually lice, now that i have had a look in person at the two. she was riddled. poor girl! I wanted to take her with us to be treated but she has 3 other siblings at home who probably have it too.


I can't believe how small nits are! In the pic they look larger than they are. I saw the ones from my daughters hair and they were a lot smaller than what i thought i was looking for!
Nits display and Lice display:

https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4434/35679561764_cfd8a71b1f_h.jpg

https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4419/35705621263_5d4f4c460a_h.jpg

[littlestarface]

Oh my god so gross. Imagine those little monsters living on your head and beautiful hair?! goodness. Now my scalp itches.

My nieces have or had lice not sure but I never let them near my head just to be safe. :shudder:

[vpatt]

If I had short hair I wouldn't hesitate to use the salt and vinegar because it definitely killed them. I had them pretty bad because I didn't realise I had them. I never had them before so I thought the itching was just itchy scalp for long time. But since I'm not certain if some of my splits could have been caused by the concoction I would try the neem oil first. Hopefully I will never need it again. :disbelief

Oh I meant to say that I saw a commercial product that was salt water and I don't remember what else was in it.

[lapushka]

I think, because of my disability being so hard to deal with... I would go get clippers and shave most of my hair off, or else cut it very short so a lice comb can go through it rather quickly and smoothly. I don't think I'd know what to do. :shocked:

I hope you're in the clear, Ellethwyn!

[vpatt]

I understand Lapushka, how you would feel. And Ellethwynn, I also hope you are clear now.

Wildcat Diva, do you order neem oil online or buy it locally? That is one oil I have never tried tho I have heard of it being used against insects with great results. I appreciate your knowledge and like I said I will try your suggestion if I ever need it again....but oh my, I hope I never do!

[Wildcat Diva]

I get my neem oil from Amazon online.

The professional treatment sounds really good. I thought about making my own hedrin like solution too if I had needed it.

[Ellethwyn]

I get my neem oil from Amazon online.

The professional treatment sounds really good. I thought about making my own hedrin like solution too if I had needed it.

It was the best $180 i've ever spent... To be lice free within an hour.

I used the dimethicone oil on myself last night just to be on the safe side and i will use it again in 10 days. I used the lice comb on my two kids today and didnt get anything.

[Upside Down]

WCD. I am sorry if you already described the process, but would you mind linking or just briefly doing it again, with neem oil?

My son is clear atm, I check every day, but apparently lice have been spotted at the kindergarten, and I believe it is a matter of time...
I would be prepared, and maybe even use neem as prevention...I am unsure of it's repellent properties.

They have announced regular unannounced checkups at the kindergarten, and I am all for it, but it says to me, between the lines, that the parents are being a bit irresponsible about lice.

[CreatureBailey]

Don't worry, I'm sure there is plenty of working treatments out there :grouphug:

I understand that it sucks though. A few years ago when me and my best friend (who were already both hair growers) were in high school and somebody got lices. It was not an epidemic, just one case, but the parents were still asked to check their kids head. I told my father ''Bailey is fine!!'' he checked and there was nothing.

Still it sucked the idea to have to go in a place everyday where there was a threat to our hair when we happen to both have this as a goal and hobby. It's like c'mon!! :doh:

[Upside Down]

Ah it is a sucky thing to worry about lice.

I am more concerned about myself honestly. I can cut my son's hair short, he is 3 and I hasn't expressed any preferences about his hairstyle yet. And short is a lot easier for a very energetic kid that spends most of his day playing outside.

Me, otoh I have no idea what I'd do if I got lice... cut short? Henna? Lice shampoos? I panick a bit just thinking about it.

[Wildcat Diva]

WCD. I am sorry if you already described the process, but would you mind linking or just briefly doing it again, with neem oil?

My son is clear atm, I check every day, but apparently lice have been spotted at the kindergarten, and I believe it is a matter of time...
I would be prepared, and maybe even use neem as prevention...I am unsure of it's repellent properties.

They have announced regular unannounced checkups at the kindergarten, and I am all for it, but it says to me, between the lines, that the parents are being a bit irresponsible about lice.

Sorry l just saw this. I’ll find the post number.
But basically it’s add a lot of neem (and eucalyptus oil too if you have it) to conditioner. I don’t really measure. Apply to scalp and hair (applicator bottle is a good way to get at the scalp) and comb through, add more water as needed to reach all the hair. Massage in, clip up and cover. Wait a few minutes, maybe 30. Then go the shower, add more water and lather it up and co-wash it out. I would do once a week for prevention.

[lapushka]

I just saw this video saying peppermint + eucalyptus are great. Wait, I'll look it up, it's a general oil video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIh3BCi84xE&t=0s

[Wildcat Diva]

Reposting:
Looking for actual studies on neem. Found this abstract of a study.
http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/ar...ficacy-studies




Found this too. Neem fared better than the chemical used in many OTC treatments.
http://link.springer.com/article/10....436-006-0146-7

Another study.
http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00436-011-2374-8

[Upside Down]

Thank you both for taking the time. I am looking into neem and eucalyptus atm.

Hope it will be effective as just oil applied on hair, due to child-management issues with not rinsing shampoo immediately :lol:

Maybe if I mix with conditioner and apply to dry hair, not relating it to the shower, maybe we'll be able to do that.

[Wildcat Diva]

Try conditioner mix. That can be left in.

[Upside Down]

I just edited to add that ;)

In my head condish was in the tub thing, but it doesn't have to be!

[GRU]

I don't know if this has been mentioned before or not, but I just came across this EASY lice fix that doesn't even require nit removal and is over 90% effective with NO dangerous chemicals and I knew I had to share it here!

Nontoxic Head Lice Treatment -- Nuvo Method for Head Lice (http://nuvoforheadlice.com/method_explained.htm/)

It was even written up in a medical journal (http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/114/3/e275) more than a dozen years ago, as it was performed as a clinical trial... I have no idea why this cheap and easy fix isn't more popular!!!

[littlestarface]

I don't know if this has been mentioned before or not, but I just came across this EASY lice fix that doesn't even require nit removal and is over 90% effective with NO dangerous chemicals and I knew I had to share it here!

Nontoxic Head Lice Treatment -- Nuvo Method for Head Lice (http://nuvoforheadlice.com/method_explained.htm/)

It was even written up in a medical journal (http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/114/3/e275) more than a dozen years ago, as it was performed as a clinical trial... I have no idea why this cheap and easy fix isn't more popular!!!

This sounds amazing and I bookmarked it if ever god forbid needed in the future. Thank you GRU

[lapushka]

That almost seems too good to be true. It lists a 96% success rate though; they do say you need additional treatment (which one, who knows) for the remaining 4%. But if it helps that much, it's good to know!!! Thanks for posting, GRU!

[ravenskey]

This sounds really good - I remember when I was about 7/8 and there was an outbreak at my school, trying to rake a lice comb though my then HL hair was a nightmare and it was a stick straight and slippery 1a then - getting a lice comb through my super coarse waves now would be horrible.

[Wildcat Diva]

My neem oil/ conditioner fix worked with no lice nit combs. We did use a fine tooth comb on conditionered hair though.

[Wildcat Diva]

I did try the cetaphil method. I found it a bit labor intensive even on my kid that had a Mohawk cut. I was a bit discouraged to find an adult bug the next day that had obviously survived the treatment. I wouldn’t count this method out though.

[Wildcat Diva]

As someone who works with kids, I have to keep neem oil on hand. I have a kid coming in tomorrow that had lice earlier this this week, according to the parent. I’m quite sure they have started treating her, but still.

I also got a spray bottle and put neem and water in it and preemptively misted my hair, and will do again tomorrow. Smell doesn’t bother me.

[desisparkles]

I haven't read this thread but last summer everybody in my fam (except me) caught lice while on vacation. I found this vid and followed her advice. slathered heads in olive oil and cyran wrap every single night and used the robi comb and metal nit comb daily.

I drowned those suckers. I had to bag up every stuffed animal (for 2 months to be sure) and wash every sheet, pillow in HOT every few days.

It worked. It took a month before I stopped bc I wasn't taking a chance.
I was so upset (we caught it from family who KNEW they had it but didn't bother to mention it because they didn't want to be bothered to treat it themselves and were maybe embarrased).

https://youtu.be/A_1kf6dLlrA

[Tinyponies]

I’m just really glad to know this thread exists, thanks everyone who has contributed

[MusicalSpoons]

That almost seems too good to be true. It lists a 96% success rate though; they do say you need additional treatment (which one, who knows) for the remaining 4%. But if it helps that much, it's good to know!!! Thanks for posting, GRU!

I too wondered, then found this from the FAQs on that site:

You say the treatment is 96% effective. What does that mean?

Answer: In Dr. Pearlman’s research study, 96% of patients had no more head lice after three treatments. The remaining 4% of patients were cured by one more application of lotion.

Interesting that he explains lice won't hatch or reproduce elsewhere, only on the human scalp.

I haven't had lice since childhood and managed to avoid it when I worked in a school, but it's good to know different options to deal with if ever I need to!

[GRU]

Interesting that he explains lice won't hatch or reproduce elsewhere, only on the human scalp.

I haven't had lice since childhood and managed to avoid it when I worked in a school, but it's good to know different options to deal with if ever I need to!

Yes, without a host, lice die in a day or two, and lice don't live on pets at all like fleas do. Lice are very particular about wanting HUMAN blood only.

Since the eggs hatch in about a week (6-9 days) and die within a day or two of not eating, putting unwashable items like stuffed animals in a sealed bag for two weeks is more than sufficient to kill off all eggs, nymphs, and adults.

[Salwety]

This is the second time to have lice in our home. I am a lot calm this time. I have a plan and know what to do, as opposed to last time. Olive oil, conditioner and the fine comb a couple of times a day. I have 2 boys and the job is easy on them. But for my super curly hip length hair it is very hard especially that i do it myself.

[0xalis]

Needed a thread like this back in 2014. I ended up cutting my hair from APL+ that I worked so hard for, and then ended up giving up and shaving it all off NOTHING ELSE WORKED!!!
No Rid, no tea tree oil, no mayonnaise, N O T H I N G would get those f*****s out of my hair. Luckily they haven't been back since.
But I want to have a kid eventually, and we also plan on homeschooling, but we don't want to isolate them either...
I'm so paranoid by the prospect of catching lice again. I keep my hair covered in places like movie theaters because I've heard of people catching them off the seats.

[littlestarface]

Needed a thread like this back in 2014. I ended up cutting my hair from APL+ that I worked so hard for, and then ended up giving up and shaving it all off NOTHING ELSE WORKED!!!
No Rid, no tea tree oil, no mayonnaise, N O T H I N G would get those f*****s out of my hair. Luckily they haven't been back since.
But I want to have a kid eventually, and we also plan on homeschooling, but we don't want to isolate them either...
I'm so paranoid by the prospect of catching lice again. I keep my hair covered in places like movie theaters because I've heard of people catching them off the seats.

I am terrified of lice as well, My hair is always up and I wear scarf outside so I make sure I aint getting those little bastards. My nieces used to get them all the time and would try n hug me but I always just half hugged or tried not to get close. I cannot afford to get those monsters and never put my head on things other people do. And always wash clothes after coming in from outside.

[Salwety]

2 days in the battle. I am about to loose it. I am having a hard time differentiating between nits, lint, dirt, dandruff and glitter - yes glitter. After using the Oil and conditioner treatment few times, there are no big or small lice in the kids hair - at least they won't infect soneone. I have used one heat treatment too. So far so good. But the young one is still itching. May be it is an adverse reaction to coney conditioner, or damage to the scalp from the plastic nit comb or using heat ..... i want him to stop itching. For me it is a totally different story. I can't get the comb to move beyond my chin. And while using the blow dreyer i suspected seeing nits. So i think I am infected too.

[littlestarface]

2 days in the battle. I am about to loose it. I am having a hard time differentiating between nits, lint, dirt, dandruff and glitter - yes glitter. After using the Oil and conditioner treatment few times, there are no big or small lice in the kids hair - at least they won't infect soneone. I have used one heat treatment too. So far so good. But the young one is still itching. May be it is an adverse reaction to coney conditioner, or damage to the scalp from the plastic nit comb or using heat ..... i want him to stop itching. For me it is a totally different story. I can't get the comb to move beyond my chin. And while using the blow dreyer i suspected seeing nits. So i think I am infected too.

Ohmygosh this is terrible for you and your pretty curly hair oh noooo. I hate these monsters, they ruin everything. I wish you the best, I hope you can get rid of them fast. Can you do henna? That will help to kill the lice. The eggs tho thats a tough one.

[Wildcat Diva]

I’m just gonna say it: neem oil saved the day. After what we went through, I stand by it. Details in my posts upthread.

[ccsdg]

I'd been wondering if a thread like this exists! One knee-length, one waist and one classic length in our family. We homeschool, but apparently that doesn't prevent us getting headlice. I only found eggs in one child's hair but I'm not taking chances and have been combing everyone including the baby (shoulder-length). Since I don't want to comb long hair from top to bottom so frequently, I'm just combing or pulling down eggs to at least halfway down, and keeping our hair down in a braid instead of up in a bun, so if eggs do hatch they won't immediately be able to get right onto the scalp.

Is combing every couple of days okay? Does anyone know the life cycle of headlice?

[Jools69]

I'd been wondering if a thread like this exists! One knee-length, one waist and one classic length in our family. We homeschool, but apparently that doesn't prevent us getting headlice. I only found eggs in one child's hair but I'm not taking chances and have been combing everyone including the baby (shoulder-length). Since I don't want to comb long hair from top to bottom so frequently, I'm just combing or pulling down eggs to at least halfway down, and keeping our hair down in a braid instead of up in a bun, so if eggs do hatch they won't immediately be able to get right onto the scalp.

Is combing every couple of days okay? Does anyone know the life cycle of headlice?
The general advice when avoiding harsh chemicals is every 2-3 days for 2 weeks, apply conditioner and comb through with a fine tooth comb. By repeating this, you will catch any lice you’ve missed and catch the newly hatched ones, before they’ve had a chance to mature. Every one in the household should also do this. This is how I cured my 2 sons - admittedly, with short hair. Also, wash bedding and towels in a hot wash

[lapushka]

I'd been wondering if a thread like this exists! One knee-length, one waist and one classic length in our family. We homeschool, but apparently that doesn't prevent us getting headlice. I only found eggs in one child's hair but I'm not taking chances and have been combing everyone including the baby (shoulder-length). Since I don't want to comb long hair from top to bottom so frequently, I'm just combing or pulling down eggs to at least halfway down, and keeping our hair down in a braid instead of up in a bun, so if eggs do hatch they won't immediately be able to get right onto the scalp.

Is combing every couple of days okay? Does anyone know the life cycle of headlice?

Somehow I don't think combing them down "low enough" is... enough. You have to get them gone. Out of there, totally. They can and will spread to others if you just leave them there, and you'll never be rid of them. Imagine the kids playing, they will be very close to each other, and that's how that happens.

Maybe read through the thread as there is a wealth of info in these pages already.

Slathering in oil, bagging the head for the night and combing them out in the morning, might help, before you wash, and comb again. At least that is what I would do. Clean the combs well as well!

[Finda]

I had lice once as a grown up. I caught them at work. I used an anti-lice spray that basically consisted of dimeticon and worked like a charm. Only the combing was a real hassle and no fun at all. I have a lot of hair and it always tangles at the roots. So I detangled with a brush first, then put lots of coney conditioner on, clipped everything away and did strand after strand every other day for two weeks to be sure. Since then we have had several outbreaks, some of them very persistent, but so far I have never caught them again. I mainly wear buns now at work, maybe that's the reason.

As far as I know hair needs to touch for lice to move from host to host. They cannot jump. And transmission via toys, stuffed animals, brushes or hats are super uncommon. I think that's important to know. I see so many people desinfecting their home top to bottom instead of focusing on combing out the hair or using the anti lice-shampoo a second time after eight days.

[ccsdg]

Somehow I don't think combing them down "low enough" is... enough. You have to get them gone. Out of there, totally. They can and will spread to others if you just leave them there, and you'll never be rid of them. Imagine the kids playing, they will be very close to each other, and that's how that happens.

Maybe read through the thread as there is a wealth of info in these pages already.

Slathering in oil, bagging the head for the night and combing them out in the morning, might help, before you wash, and comb again. At least that is what I would do. Clean the combs well as well!

Haha yes, sorry, I could have read through the thread... it's just that it's 21 pages' worth and I'm very time poor as a homeschooling mum of 4. Thank you for your suggestion - but unfortunately I'm rather reluctant to try the covering with oil under bags and combing in the morning :(. It just seems messy, and we have lots of mess already. We've got toilet training kids stumbling around the house at night, a baby still waking and one child in a hammock! I might just keep combing for now. I'd also have to do it to my own hair (knee-length) which is challenging to reach thoroughly, but I'll try to do it to the ends.

EDIT: Oh did I mention that only one child had eggs in their hair? No one, including that child, has had scratching or itchiness or redness around the neck or behind the ears. So potentially it's just that one child, and potentially only the beginning of an infestation because no itchiness. So really I'm only combing everyone in the house for prophylactic reasons.

[lapushka]

Haha yes, sorry, I could have read through the thread... it's just that it's 21 pages' worth and I'm very time poor as a homeschooling mum of 4. Thank you for your suggestion - but unfortunately I'm rather reluctant to try the covering with oil under bags and combing in the morning :(. It just seems messy, and we have lots of mess already. We've got toilet training kids stumbling around the house at night, a baby still waking and one child in a hammock! I might just keep combing for now. I'd also have to do it to my own hair (knee-length) which is challenging to reach thoroughly, but I'll try to do it to the ends.

EDIT: Oh did I mention that only one child had eggs in their hair? No one, including that child, has had scratching or itchiness or redness around the neck or behind the ears. So potentially it's just that one child, and potentially only the beginning of an infestation because no itchiness. So really I'm only combing everyone in the house for prophylactic reasons.

If it's really that bad, and almost a question of kids over hair, I would cut their hair shorter. They are small, it's not that big of a deal and you will considerably shorten the time you have with this issue. You need to be either killing it all with chemicals and if not wanting to do that, combing and combing and combing and needing to do the messy part or you'll make it worse.

You don't want to make it spread to the whole household.

And if it is too much work, shave their heads short. If they are potty training, and that small, hair is not that big a deal, especially if you can't put in the effort (and it needs to be done).

ETA/ And about it being 21 pages. How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. I would go through it slowly, if you have time, because I might tell you something others have better suggestions for in the thread (way better).

I only had lice as a child, for a brief stint, but my mom was on top of it and did do the messy bit and it went like that!

[Jools69]

Haha yes, sorry, I could have read through the thread... it's just that it's 21 pages' worth and I'm very time poor as a homeschooling mum of 4. Thank you for your suggestion - but unfortunately I'm rather reluctant to try the covering with oil under bags and combing in the morning :(. It just seems messy, and we have lots of mess already. We've got toilet training kids stumbling around the house at night, a baby still waking and one child in a hammock! I might just keep combing for now. I'd also have to do it to my own hair (knee-length) which is challenging to reach thoroughly, but I'll try to do it to the ends.

EDIT: Oh did I mention that only one child had eggs in their hair? No one, including that child, has had scratching or itchiness or redness around the neck or behind the ears. So potentially it's just that one child, and potentially only the beginning of an infestation because no itchiness. So really I'm only combing everyone in the house for prophylactic reasons.
I think Lupushka’s suggestions above are very wise. But if you’re going to find combing through with conditioner - even at night time - will be difficult, perhaps use the chemicals that you only need to apply once or twice, with all 4 children - even if one only has it. All should be treated as if they have it. Otherwise, you would be at risk of reinfection.

Here’s a good informative website: https://www.nhsinform.scot/illnesses-and-conditions/skin-hair-and-nails/head-lice-and-nits#about-head-lice-and-nits

[Alexandrina]

I'd been wondering if a thread like this exists! One knee-length, one waist and one classic length in our family. We homeschool, but apparently that doesn't prevent us getting headlice. I only found eggs in one child's hair but I'm not taking chances and have been combing everyone including the baby (shoulder-length). Since I don't want to comb long hair from top to bottom so frequently, I'm just combing or pulling down eggs to at least halfway down, and keeping our hair down in a braid instead of up in a bun, so if eggs do hatch they won't immediately be able to get right onto the scalp.

Is combing every couple of days okay? Does anyone know the life cycle of headlice?


I'm sorry you are going through this! Sucks.
But, I'm sorry, I read you're purposefully not even bothering removing the eggs from the infected child? Just "pulling them halfway down their hair"....

That is not effective at all.

[ccsdg]

I'm sorry you are going through this! Sucks.
But, I'm sorry, I read you're purposefully not even bothering removing the eggs from the infected child? Just "pulling them halfway down their hair"....

That is not effective at all.

Eggs require the humidity and warmth of a human scalp in order to hatch. https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/lice/head/gen_info/faqs_treat.html

[ccsdg]

If it's really that bad, and almost a question of kids over hair, I would cut their hair shorter. They are small, it's not that big of a deal and you will considerably shorten the time you have with this issue. You need to be either killing it all with chemicals and if not wanting to do that, combing and combing and combing and needing to do the messy part or you'll make it worse.

You don't want to make it spread to the whole household.

And if it is too much work, shave their heads short. If they are potty training, and that small, hair is not that big a deal, especially if you can't put in the effort (and it needs to be done).

ETA/ And about it being 21 pages. How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. I would go through it slowly, if you have time, because I might tell you something others have better suggestions for in the thread (way better).

I only had lice as a child, for a brief stint, but my mom was on top of it and did do the messy bit and it went like that!

Wait... how did I manage to communicate that it was "that bad"? I was trying to say that "it is not a very bad situation". Perhaps I have not been clear. We have no itching. We have only one person with nits - or had, a week or so ago. For the last two days we have had zero people with detected nits, and have never detected any actual lice despite much, much combing. I'm not sure how much clearer I can be. But perhaps you may still believe we have a catastrophic lice infestation. Oh well. I have other battles to fight.

As for shaving my kids' heads, the girls with long hair are 7 and 9. The 7 year old is one of the children potty training (that is, she sometimes wanders into the wrong room when she goes to the toilet in the middle of the night). I don't know how you would have felt if you were 9 years old and your mum shaved your head because your sister had nits a week ago. Perhaps you would not have minded. I'm sure my daughters would.

If you don't mind, I might step out of this "support" thread now. Thanks for trying to be supportive. But perhaps I was hoping less for support and more for science. I've found my answers about lice life cycle elsewhere.

[paulownia]

Lavender essential oil is a good lice deterrent.
My mom got me through my childhood basically 100% lice-free, I never had this stuff ( luckily ;)).
She would apply petroleum on my scalp a few times a week saying it will prevent the infestation. I guess it did:D

[GordonMurphella]

I'm with Jools and Lapushka.

OP, in my experience, those little creepy crawlies are the gift that keeps on giving. If they've taken up residence, they're there until you do some serious anti-creepy-crawly warfare, the combing halfway down on one kiddo isn't going to cut it.

Former teacher, so .. yeah :) I know from whence I speak.

[lapushka]

Well, you said you weren't taking chances and were combing *everybody's* head, which means you could possibly even carry it from one to the next if you don't clean your tools properly. If it is in a home, and you have kids, it is automatically bad.

I don't know why you are so mad at me, but hey... you know. I tried to help as best I could. Pity you don't give people here another chance and just go off into the sunset.

[Wildcat Diva]

Weirdly, I had a thought about lice and lice prevention randomly, this morning. Unbelievably, the youngest son (comes out of his bedroom and says, “Mom, I think I have lice. My scalp is itching.”

Big sigh, and I don’t know what to think about the premonition.

I DID use some neem in a deep conditioner on Monday, but I do that occasionally as preventative.

I took a look with a flashlight to spot. Yep. A few. Big dark ones and the younger, tan ones. I probably nabbed about 15 with a long search of about 30 minutes. His hair is not too thick, and is blonde.

So I mixed up the treatment of conditioner and heavy added neem and eucalyptus oil. Combed that through with a fine tooth comb and bagged his scalp and put him under a heat cap. Then ran off to work.

He’s washing his bedding. He has caps to deal with, also.

[Lady Stardust]

Weirdly, I had a thought about lice and lice prevention randomly, this morning. Unbelievably, the youngest son (comes out of his bedroom and says, “Mom, I think I have lice. My scalp is itching.”

Big sigh, and I don’t know what to think about the premonition.

I DID use some neem in a deep conditioner on Monday, but I do that occasionally as preventative.

I took a look with a flashlight to spot. Yep. A few. Big dark ones and the younger, tan ones. I probably nabbed about 15 with a long search of about 30 minutes. His hair is not too thick, and is blonde.

So I mixed up the treatment of conditioner and heavy added neem and eucalyptus oil. Combed that through with a fine tooth comb and bagged his scalp and put him under a heat cap. Then ran off to work.

He’s washing his bedding. He has caps to deal with, also.

Oh goodness Wildcat Diva, as if there wasn’t enough going on to deal with! Maybe stick some lavender in there as well (re the other thread), multitask!

[Wildcat Diva]

Oh goodness Wildcat Diva, as if there wasn’t enough going on to deal with! Maybe stick some lavender in there as well (re the other thread), multitask!

Yes, yes! I’m agreeing with you on that one. My nebulizing diffuser was whirring with lavender oil mist as you posted.

[Wildcat Diva]

Looks like I am now able to get Hedrin, when I couldn’t before.

On Amazon, a bottle will cost $14 and will get here JAN 19 -FEB 3. Well. That’s particularly unhelpful.

I’ll go ahead and order it. 2 bottles. Will add it to the routine when it can get here. Until then, I am sure I will be spending weeks fighting and assessing, like the last time.

I will plan on oiling my hair and treating, and misting with essential oils to deter.

I read some newer, shill-y information on neem talking trash as they try to sell THEIR method or products. Sigh.

And I read some studies where they studied 1 percent neem that didn’t work. Well, I’ve used like 10 percent so…MUCH stronger. I want to re-read the articles I found before that address theory of neem interference with the digestion system of the bugs. I need to try to revisit that. Some articles from before now have broken links.

Edit: this article referenced a LOT of studies about lice treatment and findings that one could research:
https://peerj.com/preprints/27412.pdf

[Lady Stardust]

I have a bottle of Hedrin in the cupboard just in case my daughter comes home from school with lice. I bought it when the school sent out a couple of emails a day apart - the first said there was a Covid case in another year group, the second said a child in my daughter’s year had lice.

I read up a lot at the time and Hedrin seemed like a good option. I won’t read more at the moment because the thought makes me itch but thank you for posting the information!

I haven’t had the pleasure of smelling neem but from what I’ve read, I would be inclined to leave if it was in my vicinity so it seems like a reasonable choice to get rid of unwanted creatures :)

ETA: I forgot to say good luck and I hope it’s not too bad for all of you!

[Wildcat Diva]

Thanks for the well wishes and encouragement!

I checked the son’s head again. Honestly, I’m starting to think that consistent and thorough manual removal of bugs and nits, if possible, is the way to success. Son’s hair was clean, and I used a bright flashlight again to spot while I moved his hair around and scanned each inch of scalp in a painstaking manner.

I don’t honestly see how a comb can remove nits, they are too small. I just picked the few I found between my fingernails and pulled them down the single hair strand and off.

Found two bugs and got them off. Two is better than 15.
Obviously the neem treatment was not perfect, but I am convinced that nothing is. I am not unhappy with the results.

I will check again in a few days, if not tomorrow. This check on dry, blond hair took me about 20-30 minutes. I was very thorough. He’s changing his pillowcase regularly.

[Lady Stardust]

Thanks for the well wishes and encouragement!

I checked the son’s head again. Honestly, I’m starting to think that consistent and thorough manual removal of bugs and nits, if possible, is the way to success. Son’s hair was clean, and I used a bright flashlight again to spot while I moved his hair around and scanned each inch of scalp in a painstaking manner.

I don’t honestly see how a comb can remove nits, they are too small. I just picked the few I found between my fingernails and pulled them down the single hair strand and off.

Found two bugs and got them off. Two is better than 15.
Obviously the neem treatment was not perfect, but I am convinced that nothing is. I am not unhappy with the results.

I will check again in a few days, if not tomorrow. This check on dry, blond hair took me about 20-30 minutes. I was very thorough. He’s changing his pillowcase regularly.

I think you’re right, nit combs are pretty useless as far as I remember. My friend’s daughter has very thick hair and I remember her telling me they had to go through it all by hand.

Conditioner with oils or Hedrin should be some help, because it will suffocate them or make them move out! But it’s not the only way.

Hang in there!

[lapushka]

Thanks for the well wishes and encouragement!

I checked the son’s head again. Honestly, I’m starting to think that consistent and thorough manual removal of bugs and nits, if possible, is the way to success. Son’s hair was clean, and I used a bright flashlight again to spot while I moved his hair around and scanned each inch of scalp in a painstaking manner.

I don’t honestly see how a comb can remove nits, they are too small. I just picked the few I found between my fingernails and pulled them down the single hair strand and off.

Found two bugs and got them off. Two is better than 15.
Obviously the neem treatment was not perfect, but I am convinced that nothing is. I am not unhappy with the results.

I will check again in a few days, if not tomorrow. This check on dry, blond hair took me about 20-30 minutes. I was very thorough. He’s changing his pillowcase regularly.

You have to *have* fingernails. ;)

[Wildcat Diva]

I think you’re right, nit combs are pretty useless as far as I remember. My friend’s daughter has very thick hair and I remember her telling me they had to go through it all by hand.

Conditioner with oils or Hedrin should be some help, because it will suffocate them or make them move out! But it’s not the only way.

Hang in there!

Yep, persistence should continue to yield good results. I know from my success years ago. I have to explain to people often that live in my area that lice here have really become rampant. Chance of 3 percent to catch them (for a kid) in a year when I was a child here and now several decades later and it’s a 30 percent chance for a kid to catch them in a given year. So I don’t run around thinking that I’ve done something wrong that they would catch them so easily. Sadly, they are so common here, now. I hate that.


You have to *have* fingernails. ;) yes, that’s true, just a small trace of them at least.

[Wildcat Diva]

So… so far I have only done the kid’s neem treatment once. Wanted to do it again, but time got away from us.

I HAVE checked his head a few times, usually every three days or so. The last three times I checked, I have been pretty impressed with the result. Each time, I wear my magnifying reading glasses and use a very bright flashlight to increase the light where I am looking. I just use my fingers to move the hair around, a few strands at a time, back and forth, back and forth, scanning.

I found one adult louse each time I checked last week (twice). Found a very few nits which mostly looked clear. Just plucked those down and off each single hair strand with my fingernails.

I checked today and didn’t find any lice. So that was good.

He checked me last week the best he could for several minutes and said he didn’t see anything.
We will keep going.

[Lady Stardust]

That sounds positive!

[lapushka]

You seem to have gotten it pretty mild, WD, so that's good.