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ALYSSA
July 31st, 2011, 05:36 PM
I have been staying with my cousin at her house for the past week. I noticed something in her hair but I assumed dandruff. nope, it was lice. i slept on her pillowes.I also used her brush,towels.clothes,blankets. I have! i am so ashamed :( I dont want to shave my head i have worked so hard to get to where i am. I purchased a lice comb but the teeth are ine n metal it is so damaging to my hair. It makes my hair tangle badly. I am so itchy nd i feel ashamed and gross :'( i dont know what to do i have ben washing my hair more often than my hair would like. Has any one had lice? any sugestions on how to kill these suckers? i apologize if this is too much informatiom. thank you in advanced i hope to hear from you all soon.:(

HairFaerie
July 31st, 2011, 05:49 PM
I have heard that rubbing pure 100% neem oil on your scalp will help get rid of them, along with the nit comb. There are several threads about this. There's nothing to be ashamed if, apparently, it's very common and it has nothing to do with cleanliness, etc.

Hopefully people here who have had them can offer more advice/help on how to get rid rid of them.

In the meantime, I can offer you support....:flower:

From what I have read on the other threads....there is no need to cut or shave! Hang in there!

mrs_coffee
July 31st, 2011, 05:51 PM
Yes to neem oil and nit combing. It takes a lot of work and religious combing but you don't have to shave your head. And don't feel ashamed. I was told by a school nurse that lice prefer clean hair.

AnqeIicDemise
July 31st, 2011, 06:04 PM
Buy Rit or another brand of lice pesticide if you don't mind chemicals for a bit. Repeat this the process again in two weeks.

Every day or every other day for three weeks, I would advice to comb out your hair with the nit comb. I would use oil and CO washes as a last resort, and then comb those suckers out. If you have a SO or a friend of confidence, have them help you. It is extremely hard work, especially on thick hair.

At home, wash *all* of your bedding in the hottest setting possible, put in a plastic bag and let it sit for two weeks. VACCUMM. Hoover the crap out of your house, couches and bed. Normally I clean the carpets twice a week, but when you have a lice infestation every other day would work great. If you have a steam cleaner, do this too. Not every day but maybe once a week until it is all over It sounds excessive but I've had some of the worst infestations one could ever imagine.

Twice. Once in 96. This infestation lasted about two and a half months. And again in 2007-2008, since a close friend at the time kept re-introducing those P-o-S bugs in my house. And Lice LOVE my hair.

PS: the more you wash your hair, the worse its going to get. That's part of the reason the '96 infestation was so bad. I made the mistake of washing my hair, every day, two or three times a day with super hot water. This actually gave those suckers a prime living condition; it was clean. It was hot. The eggs hatched faster than their normal 2 week period. Lord in heaven, that was terrible.

And if you don't believe me on this, let me tell you-- there were three of us close at the hip. We were called 3 peas by everyone. Two of us got lice (D from her little brother and I from D). E NEVER got it, even though she spent a lot of time, and a lot of nights at mine or D's house. E didn't know how to wash or take care of her hair at all and a month after this whole incident, I had to have the embarrassing conversation of having to teach her how to do so. D and I had gotten used to the smell of rancid sebum and the wild hair. Our teacher didn't feel comfortable talking to E about these things so she pulled D and I aside -- a coin toss later, I was in charge of teaching that wild child things about hygiene and manners.

brickworld13
July 31st, 2011, 06:07 PM
I had lice a couple times in elementary school. The specialized lice killing shampoos work, but they are really harsh. Immediately post wash, heavily oil your hair. My mom used olive and left it in for 8+ hours. Then, she used the metal knit comb. It worked better with all the oil. It took forever. She was working on my hair for hours. It would be difficult to comb your own hair out. Get someone to help you and have them using an extremely bright light. It helps to see the little suckers.

If you need any more info just ask, and there is no need to shave your hair off. :grouphug:

CurlyMopTop
July 31st, 2011, 06:11 PM
Smother your hair in Olive oil or some other type of oil. Put a shower cap on and leave in overnight. If you're worried about dripping, cover your pillow with a hand towel. Wash and condition as usual in the morning then comb through your hair with a very fine toothed comb. Repeat the treatment every 3 days for 3 or 4 treatments. The oil will smother the bugs but will not kill the eggs (hence the repeated treatments and combing). Wash all bedding, headwear, brushes and combs. Vaccuum everything (carpet, couches, ect.). Repeat vaccumming a couple of times over the first few days. Bag stuffed animals in a garbage bag for at least 10 days. Throw pillows in the dryer on hot setting for at least 30 to 40 min. This is the safest method of ridding yourself of these nasty pets. It will only work though if everyone that has lice in the home get treated as well. Otherwise you risk reinfestation. I hope this helps. :)

gretchen_hair
July 31st, 2011, 06:15 PM
First of all, do not be ashamed. It's something that happens, it doesn't make you dirty or nasty. It's a pest, it's no ones fault.

I have heard that t ea tree oil helps. Put some in your shampoo and conditioner. Have someone help you comb the nits out.

(((hugs))) I am sorry this happened to you.

Vlientje
July 31st, 2011, 06:15 PM
A few years ago I had it too. There's no need to be ashamed about it, I heard lice choose healthy and clean hair ;)

I tried everything then, shampoos and combs..
But what worked was an electric comb! It kills the lice when they are touched by it cause they get a shock.. So I was SO FED UP with them cause I've had them for MONTHS!! So I started combing and combing and combing, for 2 or 3 hours, and they were all gone !!! :D

Tea Lady
July 31st, 2011, 06:21 PM
There is a good procedue here for killing the lice:
http://headlicecenter.com/head-lice-olive-oil-treatment/
(http://headlicecenter.com/head-lice-olive-oil-treatment/)

Then you need to click on the blue link in the middle of that page for the vinegar to kill the nits. But is is a natural ingredient way to do it that won't harm your hair.

Tea Lady

Automne
July 31st, 2011, 06:23 PM
Aww You don't need to shave your head because of that!! Last time i had lice was 2 or 3 years ago, i caught it when I cheek kissed a gir to say hello!! grrr I felt ashamed too, but then I dyed my hair and it disappeared!(not good advice i guess) It's here on LHC that I have heard of olive oil to get rid of lice, I never tried it but I will probably try when I will have daughters!

CurlyMopTop
July 31st, 2011, 06:24 PM
Smother your hair in Olive oil or some other type of oil. Put a shower cap on and leave in overnight. If you're worried about dripping, cover your pillow with a hand towel. Wash and condition as usual in the morning then comb through your hair with a very fine toothed comb. Repeat the treatment every 3 days for 3 or 4 treatments. The oil will smother the bugs but will not kill the eggs (hence the repeated treatments and combing). Wash all bedding, headwear, brushes and combs. Vaccuum everything (carpet, couches, ect.). Repeat vaccumming a couple of times over the first few days. Bag stuffed animals in a garbage bag for at least 10 days. Throw pillows in the dryer on hot setting for at least 30 to 40 min. This is the safest method of ridding yourself of these nasty pets. It will only work though if everyone that has lice in the home get treated as well. Otherwise you risk reinfestation. I hope this helps. :)

P.S. I ran a daycare out of my home for several years and had special training on the topic through the local health department. A lot of these critters have become immune to the medicated shampoos and other treatments offered. They can not live for more than a day or two without food. Water will not kill them, they have gills. They love clean hair! Eggs hatch in 7 to 10 days. So chin up, I know it's a pain, but you can get rid of them safely without ruinning your hair. :D Sorry for the book. Lol.

twopoints
July 31st, 2011, 06:31 PM
Didn't your cousin warn you about her lice?

I've read that using the nit comb is as effective, and if not more effective, as commercial treatments for lice. Also, make sure to pay attention to clean other places where lice can harbor such as sheets, clothing, furniture, etc. Be careful not to transmit it to other people.

Cutting your hair is not necessary, but shorter hair makes it easier to comb all your hair for nits.

CurlyMopTop
July 31st, 2011, 06:37 PM
Buy Rit or another brand of lice pesticide if you don't mind chemicals for a bit. Repeat this the process again in two weeks.

Every day or every other day for three weeks, I would advice to comb out your hair with the nit comb. I would use oil and CO washes as a last resort, and then comb those suckers out. If you have a SO or a friend of confidence, have them help you. It is extremely hard work, especially on thick hair.

At home, wash *all* of your bedding in the hottest setting possible, put in a plastic bag and let it sit for two weeks. VACCUMM. Hoover the crap out of your house, couches and bed. Normally I clean the carpets twice a week, but when you have a lice infestation every other day would work great. If you have a steam cleaner, do this too. Not every day but maybe once a week until it is all over It sounds excessive but I've had some of the worst infestations one could ever imagine.

Twice. Once in 96. This infestation lasted about two and a half months. And again in 2007-2008, since a close friend at the time kept re-introducing those P-o-S bugs in my house. And Lice LOVE my hair.

PS: the more you wash your hair, the worse its going to get. That's part of the reason the '96 infestation was so bad. I made the mistake of washing my hair, every day, two or three times a day with super hot water. This actually gave those suckers a prime living condition; it was clean. It was hot. The eggs hatched faster than their normal 2 week period. Lord in heaven, that was terrible.

And if you don't believe me on this, let me tell you-- there were three of us close at the hip. We were called 3 peas by everyone. Two of us got lice (D from her little brother and I from D). E NEVER got it, even though she spent a lot of time, and a lot of nights at mine or D's house. E didn't know how to wash or take care of her hair at all and a month after this whole incident, I had to have the embarrassing conversation of having to teach her how to do so. D and I had gotten used to the smell of rancid sebum and the wild hair. Our teacher didn't feel comfortable talking to E about these things so she pulled D and I aside -- a coin toss later, I was in charge of teaching that wild child things about hygiene and manners.


If your hair or someone elses hair in the home is infested, I too would strongly reccommend repeated the treatment two weeks after your last treatment just to be on the safe side. Do regular hair checks for a while. Use nice bright lighting. A couple of prevention tips that I picked up as well: They do not like hair that isn't clean, hairspray, or hair gell. :eyebrows:

Copasetic
July 31st, 2011, 06:45 PM
Lice is nothing to be ashamed of. It happens.

When I was in elementary school, my mom used a combination of club soda and vinegar on my hair. After she soaked it, she would wrap my heard with saran wrap for 30 minutes. Then then she would rinse it and used a knit comb.

Miss Maisie
July 31st, 2011, 06:58 PM
Ugh, my complete and total sympathies. I had lice probably half a dozen times as a kid. Those suckers loved my hair. I remember my mom using lice shampoo on me and then going through my hair in the most thorough manner of ALL TIME to pluck every hair on my head that had an egg on it. She did not mess around. At that time my hair was thigh length, so I can hardly say as I blame her. Luckily I had thick, thick hair!

You'll get through this! And I remember my mom commenting on how nice the lice shampoo made my hair! Good luck!

Miss Maisie
July 31st, 2011, 07:03 PM
Oh, and an example of what a...spirited...child I was - after going through a cycle of catching lice/getting rid of them/catching them/getting rid of them, I came up with the idea to pull an "awesome" April Fool's Day joke on my long-suffering mother. I got up in the morning and went up to her, scratching, and said, "Mooooom! My head is itchy!" She turned white as a sheet and started looking at my scalp. I let it go on for a few minutes and finally said, "APRIL FOOLS!"

She did NOT appreciate my little joke. 25 years later and I'm not sure she's quite forgiven me :)

McFearless
July 31st, 2011, 07:07 PM
Aw no don't be ashamed. Lice is extremely common and so easily transfered. You did nothing wrong. Lice thrive on clean scalps, it has nothing to do with "being dirty". You do not have to cut your hair!

Detangle your hair with a wide toothed comb before you use the metal lice comb.

There are some tips in these threads:
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=74205&highlight=lice
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=73502&highlight=lice
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=72891&highlight=lice
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=72361&highlight=lice

You have many options and one of them will work for you. :)

pixi_stix
July 31st, 2011, 07:17 PM
I echo the sentiment that you have nothing to be ashamed of. The last time I was invaded by the nasty critters, I used tea tree conditioner and a nit comb every day. Thankfully I managed to get rid of them a week before my wedding. (Shame they didn't stay then I may have cancelled the wedding -for good. lol). I thought I had caught them again a couple of years ago, so I smothered my hair in coconut oil and used a wide toothed comb to get rid of tangles and then used the nit comb. Thankfully I hadn't been invaded again. Though everytime I visit my friends daughter who is always getting them. I make sure my hair is covered in conditioner and tied back

Yame
July 31st, 2011, 08:03 PM
You'll be fine! Don't freak out... it's just lice. You won't need to shave your head!
I got lice multiple times as a child. It was a real PITA, yes. But not the end of the world. Granted, I had short hair then, so it was easier to get rid of. But still, it's not impossible with long hair.

Other posts above already contain great advice so I won't bother! I just wanted to let you know that you will be fine, this is perfectly normal, it happens to most of us!

allycat
July 31st, 2011, 08:25 PM
Doctors are leaning against the pesticide types (such as Nix) because the lice are just getting resistant.

My doctor said this is the newest, most effective treatment. Not a pesticide, and works on the smothering principle. Except you only leave it on for 10 minutes (yay!!). Then repeat one week later to kill any nits that hatch out.

http://children.webmd.com/news/20100225/new-treatment-effective-in-killing-lice

The WebMD article desribes how lice can survive most smothering treatments by shutting down their breathing apparatus and waiting it out, but this new lotion containing benzyl alcohol prevents them from doing that.

I bookmarked it and was so grateful I did last year when my family got lice brought home from school. All of us have long hair and found it so easy to use. It's quite drying but my hair was fine after some heavy conditioning afterwards.

Don't cut your hair! Good luck!

AnqeIicDemise
July 31st, 2011, 08:35 PM
Doctors are leaning against the pesticide types (such as Nix) because the lice are just getting resistant.

My doctor said this is the newest, most effective treatment. Not a pesticide, and works on the smothering principle. Except you only leave it on for 10 minutes (yay!!). Then repeat one week later to kill any nits that hatch out.

http://children.webmd.com/news/20100225/new-treatment-effective-in-killing-lice

The WebMD article desribes how lice can survive most smothering treatments by shutting down their breathing apparatus and waiting it out, but this new lotion containing benzyl alcohol prevents them from doing that.

I bookmarked it and was so grateful I did last year when my family got lice brought home from school. All of us have long hair and found it so easy to use. It's quite drying but my hair was fine after some heavy conditioning afterwards.

Don't cut your hair! Good luck!

It explains why I couldn't get rid of them with the pesticide shampoo. I did get frustrated enough to cut my hair to a more manageable length and combed my hair every day with the nit comb. That did the trick...

As well as having my hair pulled back and conditioned when visiting the infested friend. After a year of on-and-off infestations, and me gently letting this person know she had the bugs in her place (she swore it was dandruff!) I finally had to show her and then clean her out myself.

I think that may have been the reason she broke up with me, now that I think about it. O.o; Oh well. I've been lice free since then. WOoOT!

fandango
July 31st, 2011, 09:23 PM
Man, this thread made me itchy!
I went to a primary school that had huge issues with headlice. I can remember one day when the school had the teachers go through each of their students hair looking for the little critters. My teacher found something in my hair and sent me down to the nurses' office where they went through my hair again, but found nothing. I was sent back to class, where every student proceeded to avoid me like the plague. I remember sitting down on the floor and all the other students made shuffled so I had a 1m radius of blank carpet around me. Only my best-friend breached the circle.
I got headlice so much in primary school that my dad invested in an electric nit comb, which I think was pretty pricey back then. Also we used to put my mattress out in the sun and put pillows and sheets in black bags and leave them in the sun too. I think oiling your hair is probably the best bet, those headlice shampoos never really worked for me, but I think that is because I kept getting re-infested at school. It was that bad that the school even had one weekend in which they urged all parents to treat their children for headlice, regardless of whether they had the critters or not.
Oh dear, sorry for the life story. Just wanted to show my support. Good luck ridding yourself of the creatures! Don't be ashamed, just take it as a compliment, they like clean hair, right?

sarahbrownie
July 31st, 2011, 09:30 PM
My father smothered my hair in mayo. Yes. Mayo! It worked and didn't have to use to harmful chemicals in the lice shampoos and treatments. My older brother used them and had a severe allergic reaction so we went with natural lice removing methods instead. I would try those before going to the chemicals, I heard they do wicked things to the hair.

PixxieStix
July 31st, 2011, 09:47 PM
I thankfully have never had the experience of having lice in my hair, but I had plenty of friends who did. Most notably, when I was in middle school, a friend from my class and her two little sisters came and stayed with us for a week while their mother was out of town. The morning after their first night I was helping the littlest one get ready for a bath and called her big sister in to ask what on earth was in her hair, then realized she had it too, and she seemed scared to death when she told me that they all had lice and their mother put the stuff in their hair right before she sent them to our house! UGH! So I go tell my mother and she goes out to get the medicated shampoo and combs, and we spend the week relentlessly going through these three girls hair, medicating, combing, washing EVERYTHING, vacuuming the house, putting all my pillows, stuffed animals, comforters, etc. into plastic bags.

I didn't mind helping them, it sucked and we were gonna deal with it and I never thought less of them for it, but I did think way less of the mother and likely will for the rest of my life. When she came to pick them up we told her about the lice, what the girls told us, etc., and she blatantly said to our face that she had taken them to the doctor and he said "with his magnifying glass out" that he couldn't find any and they were fine. Um... okay... then why did you have lice treatment in their hair?! And the best part was when she whipped out her checkbook and wrote my mother a hundred dollar check, ONLY a hundred dollars (this was by the way, not us doing a favor for them, we had previously arranged this as a paid babysitting venture) and said she "threw in extra for the lice treatment." That didn't even cover the treatments for three girls, plus all the extra detergent etc. for laundry, and not to mention feeding three extra mouths for a week in a house of already five.

Anyway, I guess now I know how to deal with the problem if it ever does crop up for me and mine. I'm keeping my fingers crossed though to never get them, but I certainly have never thought less of someone who did. It's like fleas. Sucks, happens to the best and the worst. You just have to deal with it.

GabrielleRose
July 31st, 2011, 09:57 PM
Oh my goodness, I am sorry this is happening to you! But you do not need to cut your hair nor do you need to feel ashamed. Just be diligent with the combing, I too believe that the lice shampoo doesn't work. I was always getting lice in elementary, and a few times in high school due to an old friend's little sister having them. What I used and what a stylist told my mom to use while I had them was the White Rain coconut shampoo and conditioner. I also second putting Mayo on your hair. It didn't work for me, but that's because I couldn't stand the smell so I made my mom wash my hair out. But if you use the mayo it will sure make your hair SHINY! :D I have heard coconut oil suffocates them, so try that as well. My mom used baby oil on my hair and a nit comb, and made me keep my hair oiled during the infestation.

neko_kawaii
July 31st, 2011, 10:23 PM
Don't forget about the upholstery in the car!

My step sister and her friends were always passing around lice. I had an itchy scalp until I moved away from home, lol. I was always paranoid it was lice but a year of living by myself cured that. I remember one episode when I was in elementary school and my whole class had them. My hair was too fine for the nit comb and my mother had to pull each egg off the hair with her fingernails one by one. I fell asleep with my head in her lap.

Good luck!

Áine
July 31st, 2011, 10:27 PM
Smother your scalp in heavy coatings of oil at night, cover with shower cap. Moderate scalp oilings during the day. Then use that nit comb. Everyone is right about the oil.

Also, since the eggs tend to be laid close to the scalp on the hair shaft, a flat iron or curling iron can cook and kill them very easily at the roots without you having to spend too much time ironing your whole mane of hair.

ButterflyKissx
July 31st, 2011, 11:42 PM
Do not feel ashamed at all!*HUGS* When, I was was a child, I got head lice so many times during the school year that was one of the reasons why we moved to another town. We went thru one of our first lice infestations just last year. ;)

The kids, husband and I got the prescription head lice shampoo from the dr. I also soaked our hair in white vinegar for 30 minutes and rinsed. Combed and all eggs were dead. Repeated and none more.

I also feel your frustration.;) My kids were playing with another and their mom goes on to tell me her daughter is with lice. Clothes came off at the door and heads were treated with olive oil. Not infestation. thank god.

Barniie
August 1st, 2011, 12:04 AM
I have NEVER ever heard of shaving (!) as a treatment for head lice. Try the good ol' rub some tea tree oil on the roots, soak your hair in conditioner, then comb it out. repeat daily for two weeks!

Raqdoll
August 1st, 2011, 03:36 AM
There is a good procedue here for killing the lice:
http://headlicecenter.com/head-lice-olive-oil-treatment/
(http://headlicecenter.com/head-lice-olive-oil-treatment/)

Then you need to click on the blue link in the middle of that page for the vinegar to kill the nits. But is is a natural ingredient way to do it that won't harm your hair.

Tea Lady


THIS. It works - I used on my daughter. Worked like a charm. Don't waste your money on the chemical stuff.

katsrevenge
August 1st, 2011, 03:44 AM
We used hair dye and skip-flea dog shampoo. Both worked very well!

Mesmerise
August 1st, 2011, 05:33 AM
Ah, don't feel ashamed. I had lice the other week (well... not too many lice...I find them long before they take hold...I am a bit too obsessive!!)

I caught them from my daughter. In fact, I've only ever had lice in my 30s as I never caught them as a kid!

What I do, is I make my own lice treatment. It's cheaper and works better than the commercial ones. I basically use cheap conditioner and add in fairly large quantities of tea tree oil and lavender oil. Slater it in the hair, put on a shower cap or cling wrap, and leave it 4 or so hours. Then go through the hair with a nit comb. You won't get all the lice and nits, but I find that one dose tends to kill them all. To be on the safe side, though, repeat this again.

I had a friend come over from Germany a couple of years ago, and he managed to catch lice from my kids :o. He only found out once he was back home. He tried expensive commercial treatments, and even left one on for 48 HOURS and the lice didn't die! I told him my recipe...he used it just once and the lice were history!!

Anyway, the thing to remember with lice is that anyone can catch them, and they love clean hair, so whether you catch them or not has no bearing on your hygiene!

Celtic Morla
August 1st, 2011, 06:18 AM
spray bottle with water and about 15-20 drops of tea tree oil. Spray onto hair thouroughly, I find using fingernails to pull nits out much better than the combs. Add tea tree oil to you shampoo. Use the spray several times a day. Condition rinse with vinegar rinse with lavendar, rosemary Eo added(your preference or both)
Lice prefer long clean hair it is not about being dirty! My youngest DD has had them several times TY to friends of ehrs and this combination worked. It also kept me from getting them as well despite all of us camping in a tent when we found the last infestation!

knittingyogini
August 1st, 2011, 06:41 AM
Ugh, I agree with others this is nothing to be ashamed of. My son's school is plagued with lice and I suspect they are the pesticide resistant ones. It seems like every year he gets them and it takes forever to get rid of theme. I'm convinced he brings them home over and over and over..... So, I've been reading the threads for tips.

For my short haired little boys, there is a non-pesticide treatment that is basically silicone. You put it on, leave it for about 10 minutes and then comb out the nits before washing. It is very hard to wash out though. Its fine for them---they look a bit greasy, but its supposed to make it easier to comb out the lice because the hair is so slippery.

For me, I've tried various things, and have settled on something very similar to what Mesmerise does. I think finding the least damaging way to comb them out is really the trick. Plus, I dye with henna which I've also heard can be an effective treatment. So, I dye a little more frequently during the school year.

Good luck!

MasCat
August 1st, 2011, 07:15 AM
I had lice about 5-6 years ago. I remember I was furious, because I didn't notice the lice eggs at firs, thought it was dandruff. But I got a really itchy scalp, and I went to a dermatologist.

The doctor didn't even look in my hair, she just asked a couple of question and told me it was a shampoo allergy. Thanks to her I started my fight with lice two weeks later, when my best friend told me she had lice and I should check too. Fortunately my lice weren't resistant to chemicals, so three bottles of shampoo later (oh, my brother ant mum had them too) and a lot of combing out dead egg it was over...

My hair was waist length then so it was a major paint to comb them. but aaah, the itching ceased immediately! :)

Sweet Beat
August 1st, 2011, 07:15 AM
Maybe you can wash all the stuff you have used and get a lice shampoo at the drugstore? Hope you get rid of it soon:o

Peggy E.
August 1st, 2011, 07:21 AM
Don't really need to add this, but just as an additional sign of support, there's no reason to be embarrassed or ashamed - we're living in a world where lice and bed bugs have become epidemic, regardless how clean you are!

Happily we are also living in a time where you need not shave your head and anoint the scalp with kerosene (something my great-grandma did to my grandmother once, I guess - yikes!). So you do not need to lose the lovely hair and all the work gone into growing it to be so.

Lesson: Do NOT use other people's brushes/combs/pillows/towels/bedding unless you have freshly laundered the washables yourself, and even then, the little buggers are in the mattress and pillows.

The entire house really needs to be fumigated if the lice are ever to be completely eradicated.

So sorry you are going through this and hope it will soon just be a nasty memory.

wandlimb
August 1st, 2011, 12:38 PM
I used neem when I got lice a few years ago. It really does work. It was pretty gross actually because it unsticks the nits (as well as putting the adults off mating) and I nearly threw up when I saw what had come out of my hair! Yuck.

You can get treatment packs (what I used) as well as just the oil and you can add the oil to your normal shampoo or get neem shampoo. My mum uses the oil in her shampoo all the time, apparently it helps her hair too!

Anje
August 1st, 2011, 12:41 PM
http://www.headlice.org/ has some great information.

Many lice are pesticide-resistant, and combing after those nasty shampoos is an awful experience. So I'd suggest you go the smother-and-comb route.

Smother them with something nice and lubricating. Conditioner, mayonnaise, olive oil. Leave it on for an hour or two. Detangle with a comb you can sterilize, then nit comb. This should kill most of the adults and juveniles, but not the nits (eggs). You need to therefore repeat the procedure in 7-10 days when any nits present have hatched but before they lay eggs. Smothering is really secondary to combing.


The entire house really needs to be fumigated if the lice are ever to be completely eradicated.
Sorry Peggy, but I've got to contradict you on this. A head louse won't live more than a day or two away from a human head, and a nit won't hatch without the warmth. Washing/hot tumble drying pillowcases and the like daily for a short period should be sufficient. Actually, so would leaving for a short vacation.

Raqdoll
August 1st, 2011, 10:49 PM
FYI: Certain oils (lavender, I'm positive about) will turn the lice white instead of their normal honey color. I used to blend a mixture of Olive oil, calendula, rosemary, anise and lavender for whenever my daughter would bring it home. Worked great, but oddly turned the critters white.

GreenEyedKat
August 1st, 2011, 10:58 PM
I just spent a month getting rid of lice on my son and daughter and they both have right around waist length hair. We got RID and I took my time with separating the strands of hair. Seriously I rook all day to go through one kid's head. I would take one little strand and look through then pin it up with a hair pin. The nit combs did NOT work of their hair so I just picked every single nit out by hand. Prolly why it took so long, but no way was I cutting their hair!

AnqeIicDemise
August 1st, 2011, 11:01 PM
I just spent a month getting rid of lice on my son and daughter and they both have right around waist length hair. We got RID and I took my time with separating the strands of hair. Seriously I rook all day to go through one kid's head. I would take one little strand and look through then pin it up with a hair pin. The nit combs did NOT work of their hair so I just picked every single nit out by hand. Prolly why it took so long, but no way was I cutting their hair!

The lice combs are pieces of overpriced crap.

I used a flea comb instead, large dog size. It helped even more considering it had a large handle.

Redheadedweirdo
August 15th, 2011, 01:18 AM
I am wondering if tea tree oil and light body sesame seed oil would work? DD found lice in her hair last night and then in mine today. We washed with extra medicated Denorex with the coal tar in it and then i took tea tree oil and dumped some into a bottle with cetaphil in it and have been sitting here. should i rinse and sleep with the sesame oil and tea tree mix? what now????

Cupofmilk
August 15th, 2011, 02:40 AM
I hav erecently had lice. I smothered my head in oil - I mean until it was dripping and used the lice comb. It got rid of them all.

Pierre
August 15th, 2011, 04:04 AM
If you can't stand the smell of neem, try andiroba. They're in the same family, and both are good for keeping insects away.

jasper
August 15th, 2011, 05:03 AM
Have you got the message yet that it is no shame?

I got lice working when at camp. We used the Rid or the other brand, I forget now, and that worked. We put all our laundry through hot wash and dry cycles.

But if and when I get them again, I will go the olive oil route. Smother the adults with oil and comb out the nits. I would have to enlist a patient friend to help because they tend to be at the back where you can't see. I will not put my laundry through the hot cycle, but bag it in plastic for several days, long enough to let any lice walking around there starve.

Charybdis
August 15th, 2011, 05:16 AM
You can also use Cetaphil (a mild, non-detergent facial cleanser) to smother the lice, and it is much easier to rinse out than oil. I've never had to deal with lice myself, thank goodness, but my friends with kids have reported excellent success with this method - much better than with chemical shampoos.

Redheadedweirdo
August 17th, 2011, 05:56 PM
I Found another thing that works, it has neem in it and it is called Thereneem Organix from organixsouth.com. I got a 12 oz (360ml) bottle from Wild Oats here in Salt Lake. I put it in my hair after only misting my hair and then put in in my daughter's real thick hair, mine is way thinner. I waited about 4 hours and took a shower. My head is still a bit irritated a day later. My daughter took her shower and she was grossed out by the bugs and stuff falling out of her hair in the shower. I checked her hair and the eggs i did see slid easily with my fingers. I didn't even need to use my nails. I have found what works with us. The bottle was about 12.99 usd, ugh. not working and a week before school too. but so far it works and my hair feels good. i am a CO so I was a but surprised my daughter found a bug and a few eggs.

jayhawkmama
August 21st, 2011, 08:36 PM
I hope you were able to get rid of the lice. My daughter brought those annoying creatures a few weeks ago. She's been free of them for a week but the hubby found them on me last night. :( He "tried" to comb through my hair today but got frustrated and made quite a tangly mess. Does anyone have any links for the right kind of neem oil or neem shampoo to buy that will help with the problem? I searched products on google but there were so many and most of them said they were used for gardening. Thanks for the advice.

Beatrix_Kiddo
August 21st, 2011, 09:12 PM
Red vinegar kills both: lices and eggs. Trust me. My sister and I got them 5 years ago and vinegar was the only thing it worked perfectly. You have to make like a vinegar rinse (undilited), make a bun, and wait for as long as you can. Then, rinse well. You will see the dead floating on water!

CurlAhead
August 22nd, 2011, 12:35 AM
Don't be ashamed, it can happen to everyone. I have have had it a lot, stupid lice. However, does anyone know where the lice come from from the first place? If you're not near anyone with lice but still gets it?