Head lice help me

[jacqueline101]

I went to get my hair done at the beauty shop and my hair stylist tells me I have head lice. One of them jumped at her and I'm loaded with eggs. I went home and done my hair with rid which is what she recommended. My hair is damaged from the rid but the strange thing is my head never did itch. I'm wanting to know what I can put on my head to kill them without wrecking my hair and to repel them.

[Alvrodul]

Drown your hair in coney conditioner, and leave it on! That is actually one of the best methods to get rid of the little buggers. To get rid of the eggs, you should comb your hair with a nit comb, with your hair loaded with the conditioner.
I am fortunate in that I have never had this problem myself, but my nieces have had lice infestations several times. Perhaps someone with experience can tell you how long to leave the conditioner on.
Tea tree oil is also supposed to work, I think, but I haven't a clue about using it for this.

[Charybdis]

I don't know about repelling them, but you can smother them using Cetaphil (http://www.ehow.com/how_2123367_treat-head-lice-cetaphil.html) (click the link for full instructions). Many lice are developing resistance to pesticides, so the smothering technique is a useful adjunct to what you've already done.

The other big part is laundering ALL of your exposed clothes, towels, and bedding in hot water, as well as a thorough cleaning of all brushes and combs (http://lancaster.unl.edu/pest/lice/headlice030.shtml). You should not need to spray soft furnishings (http://www.headlice.org/faq/treatments/spray.htm), but you will need to be vigilant for several weeks to ensure that any newly hatched lice are detected and smothered/laundered out of existence so that they cannot start the cycle again.

Good luck! Dealing with lice is a PITA.

[seven77]

My kids had head lice a few years ago, Rid and Nix did NOT work.. this was the only thing that worked and there's NO chemicals- it won't damage your hair!
LiceMD
http://www.licemd.com/

Good luck! Wash your bedding on hot, anything that they could live on that can't be washed store in a plastic bag put away for 2 weeks.

[leilasahhar]

Ive been drinking Diatomaceous Earth and while researching it, it says that if sprinkled on insects it will kill insects..don't know if this will work on lice but its worth a try. I don't think it would hurt. The DE is a powder its just important not to breath it in.

[bunzfan]

My kids have had them regularly and i have found anything with tea tree oil works wonders, they hate the stuff. Also another thing that works in slathering your hair in any oil and putting a hat on and leave it on over night it kills them by drowning them, this really works.

[Rivanariko]

You can smother them in mayonnaise and leave it on for a few hours, if you look it up it should tell you how exactly to do it.

But the biggest thing for getting rid of them is to have someone check your head and comb out any nits with a nit comb at least every day, if not twice a day until there have been several days where they can't find any. Try to find someone who knows what they look like and what to look for, as they can be hard to spot. None of the treatments will kill the eggs completely, that's why it is really important to remove them manually.

[seven77]

You can smother them in mayonnaise and leave it on for a few hours, if you look it up it should tell you how exactly to do it.

But the biggest thing for getting rid of them is to have someone check your head and comb out any nits with a nit comb at least every day, if not twice a day until there have been several days where they can't find any. Try to find someone who knows what they look like and what to look for, as they can be hard to spot. None of the treatments will kill the eggs completely, that's why it is really important to remove them manually.

^ this is true. Do you have someone to comb them out of your hair? It's really hard to do on your own.

[WaitingSoLong]

Getting rid of lice takes total commitment and some sacrifices.

First, if you are itching from lice, it is usually because the infestation is severely advanced. So the fact you were not itching means maybe you caught it early. Remember, it doesn't take long for one louse to lay a mess of eggs, so don't despair.

Second, whatever you choose to kill the lice with, be faithful with it. And you definitely need someone who will pick the nits (eggs) from your hair twice a day THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART. The eggs are cemented onto your hair and look like tiny whitish teardrops (I used a handheld microscope to identify them at first but eventually was able to spot a louse egg right away at first glance). Usually the hair will come out with the egg as it is very difficult to actually remove the eggs from the hairshaft. I have heard vinegar will do it, but it never worked when my kids had lice. Plucking the hair was the only option. Nit combs were a waste of time.

Bedsheets need to be washed almost daily. Couches that are covered in cloth (as opposed to vinyl or leather) can harbor lice. They need to be sprayed daily. Vaccumed daily. Just like if you had fleas. Put stuff that cannot be washed in a plastic bag for 2 weeks. Like: couch pillows, stuffed animals. We removed every unnecessary blanket and rug from the house (to attic) and we waited a whole month. My kids were nit free in just a few days and we never had a re-infestation. Only 2 of my kids had lice, I just shaved my one son's head becuase he didn't care and it was easier. Thank God I never got them because no one seemed to be able to identify nits but me!

Just be very thorough and super-clean everything, buy powders or sprays for couches and carpets and don't forget the head rests in your car!

[spidermom]

A strong vinegar rinse makes it a lot easier to comb the nits out. We had such an outrageous infestation of the little buggers years ago that we were using vinegar straight out of the bottle.

[red-again]

Just had the same in my house - dd no.3...the lice seem to love her! I use hedrin it is basically dimethicone but it contains a penetrating agent too and between the two it gets into their outer hard skeleton and then results in them being dehydrated. It kills eggs too. And they are NOT /will not become resistant to it as it is not a pesticide,
Yes it is a 'cone' but just clarify afterwards if you find it doest look good, i avoid cones tho and have never had a prob, on rinsing the hedrin out, use neat shampoo on your hair, then rinse with water and re shampoo and finally condition.

I can't nit comb my own hair as it is hard. To do a perfect job and I shed LOADS.

oh and HEAD lice unlike other body lice or mites will only move head to head and not go on your pillow etc. they can't jump either. I did a paper on various biting licein m y vet nursing days which was a very itchy sybjest, but gives me fab knowledge to spout off at dinner paties, forums etc!!

Oh and the reason you may not have been itchy - you do ot as yet have an intolerance / allergy to the saliva from them biting. Maybe in future you will ( fingers crossed you'll never get them agin!!)

[dwell_in_safety]

I got lice November 2010, for the first time. At the time, I wasn't taking very good care of my hair, but it was of course still very thick and was at that point nearly waist length. My now girlfriend had them as well, and I think what worked the best to get rid of them was taking the time to daily comb out lice and hand pick the nits out. For me to do it to her was roughly one hour, and for her to do it to me took 2-4 hours depending on how thorough we had the patience to be on particular days. We did this for a week just to be safe, but after the second or third day very little to no evidence of lice was found. The first night, we spent ten hours overall doing all of this to both of us. It was insanity.

I also bought some tea tree shampoo and a chemical lice treatment, which both of us used twice. At the time I was scared that I would have to cut my hair short to get rid of them because my hair is so thick, but that ended up not being possible. That is why I tried everything including chemical treatments. Other methods may work just as well. Overall, I think the careful combing through and destroying all evidence of lice every evening is what works best.

[Bunnysaur]

Tea tree and neem oils. They'll kill the little turds posthaste.

[Olafwa]

When i was around 11, me and my sisters got lice. We battled them for a long time. We washed everything, and all the other stuff. (Though, we didn't try vinegar...) The rid chemical stuff didn't help at all. (I've had dandruff ever since. I don't know if that was the lice, or that god awful rid.) Eventually, we cut all our hair to around chin length. After that it was much easier to get the eggs out. You really have to wash everything everyday. Once we cracked down we finally got rid of them.

It itched bad, so it was probably a really bad infestation. Ever since, just hearing the word makes my head itch. I almost had to go check my head reading this thread. Dx Bottom line, lice are evil and you can't slide at all. (My sister has even had nightmares!)

[Annibelle]

I had lice in high school. It took me THREE weeks to get rid of it using Rid. I broke all of the rules on the box and used it much more than it said to because it wasn't working. Luckily, I had a pixie to begin with, so it was easier than other people probably deal with... but all of the chemicals made my hair fall out. I didn't care. I didn't want those things on me!

If I could go back, I would try smothering my head in oils, like others suggested. I've heard great things about this, especially using olive oil. Maybe mix tea tree with olive to smother them?

Good luck, and tell us how it goes! :flower:

[MonaLisa]

As spidermom said, ACV rinse will kill the eggs..Keep it on for a few minutes before rinsing..As for lice - olive oil or mineral oil...soak it, put a plastic bag over it so they suffocate :)
I'm sad that you used the product she recommended, hope it wasn't too toxic, and yeah, some of those are quite bad and damaging..

I had lice problem last summer, and the treatments I did actually improved condition of my hair a lot!

[vatikagirl]

Neem oil is the most basic Indian technique of lice removal. In olden days whenever there was lice problem with my mom, my grandmother used to douse her hair in plenty of neem oil and give her hair neem leaves smoke the next day (I dont exactly know how did she manage to smoke her hair, but this is what my mom told me.) good luck.

[faellen]

One of them jumped at her .

Funny. Contrary to popular belief, head lice can't jump.

[jessa]

sorry to hear of your situation.
firstly, the whole thing about headlice jumping is a massive misconception! lice cant jump. ive seen one under a microscope and you can have a look yourself im sure by googling: not anywhere do i see where they have legs that would allow them to 'jump.' the only way you can actually get headlice is head to head contact, they cannot live off of a head for more than 24 hours. ive had headlice a few times when i was younger. this will sound outrageous but it got so bad that my mum cut my hair short and then actually coated my hair in kerosene to kill them. yes it killed them but my hair stank for over a week and i was about 10 and i would never ever reccomend that. anyway tea tree oil is a great preventative. when you are done ridding of them, apply to your hair to ensure you wont get them again. i used to put water and a couple of drops tee tree oil into a squirty bottle and just spritz that on my hair before school after putting it up. this deters them. now to actually get rid of the eggs, i had one of those metal combs that has no spaces that is made for lice and just completely coated my hair in conditioner and then used this comb to rid of the eggs and lice. the conditioner actually stuns them for about 20 minutes and allows you to pull the comb through the hair. the eggs are always laid close to the scalp because the eggs need the warmth from your scalp to actually be able to live. i did this at least once a week for a few weeks to ensure i was always getting the new eggs. i hope this helps and good luck

[Desdesdes]

Getting rid of lice takes total commitment and some sacrifices.

First, if you are itching from lice, it is usually because the infestation is severely advanced. So the fact you were not itching means maybe you caught it early. Remember, it doesn't take long for one louse to lay a mess of eggs, so don't despair.

Second, whatever you choose to kill the lice with, be faithful with it. And you definitely need someone who will pick the nits (eggs) from your hair twice a day THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART. The eggs are cemented onto your hair and look like tiny whitish teardrops (I used a handheld microscope to identify them at first but eventually was able to spot a louse egg right away at first glance). Usually the hair will come out with the egg as it is very difficult to actually remove the eggs from the hairshaft. I have heard vinegar will do it, but it never worked when my kids had lice. Plucking the hair was the only option. Nit combs were a waste of time.

Bedsheets need to be washed almost daily. Couches that are covered in cloth (as opposed to vinyl or leather) can harbor lice. They need to be sprayed daily. Vaccumed daily. Just like if you had fleas. Put stuff that cannot be washed in a plastic bag for 2 weeks. Like: couch pillows, stuffed animals. We removed every unnecessary blanket and rug from the house (to attic) and we waited a whole month. My kids were nit free in just a few days and we never had a re-infestation. Only 2 of my kids had lice, I just shaved my one son's head becuase he didn't care and it was easier. Thank God I never got them because no one seemed to be able to identify nits but me!

Just be very thorough and super-clean everything, buy powders or sprays for couches and carpets and don't forget the head rests in your car!


A strong vinegar rinse makes it a lot easier to comb the nits out. We had such an outrageous infestation of the little buggers years ago that we were using vinegar straight out of the bottle.

^^^best advice ever. I'm a mom of six long hairs. My oldest daughter also teaches three to five year olds now and brings home stuff I *thought* we'd grown out of.

Nit picking is truly key! Depending on the thickness of your individual air shaft this can be very complicated. I had a child with masses of ultra fine stranded curls. The nits just slipped though all lice combs without being removed. Strand by strand plucking was the only way to get rid of them. It was beyond tedious, but the only method that worked. Plucking is qlso gentler on the hair overall. Other of my kids had less fine strands and the comb was effective (but did cause breakage) only after we added vinegar soaks to our attack. I'm no chemist but the nits are attached to the hair shaft with some type of biological glue. The vinegar seems to be very effective at breaking the glue down and allowing the nit to slide off the hair strand with a comb.

Another thing to keep in mind is that after you kill the eggs they become more translucent. With daily treatment they can become harder to spot. I have had friends actually run a red temporary rinse through their hair to make the dead but still attached nits show up better so they could be plucked out.

I washed and vacuumed constantly while going through this. I put some commercial insecticide on a cotton ball in my vacuum bag, too. Overkill, maybe. But lice s no joke.

I am so sorry you're dealing with this :(

[Dovetail]

Eep! I hope you can get rid of them, I've never had lice but a good friend did. Her mom coated her hair in something and made her wear a hemp "hippy" hat for three days. I wasn't allowed to go see her :(

I wonder vaguely, since you said it jumped, and others here say they can't, might have been a Flea? we had an infestation of those last year, and lavender oil really helps get rid of them. I haven't ever gotten them on me though, so I don't even know if they do that kind of thing.

[PrairieRose]

Eek! I'm getting itchy just reading this thread!
I really don't have any advice for you but there seems to be some good tips given to you.
LHC is the best!
Hope you get rid of them quickly:)

[swearnsue]

What good advice you have gotten! I don't have anything to add, just wanted to say good luck.

[Gladtobemom]

The Licemeister (http://www.headlice.org/licemeister/index.htm) metal lice comb really works wonders. Honestly, every home should have one, just in case.

The tines are metal and round/knurled. They will take the nits off of hair. Also, the comb comes with directions.

LiceMD works great to kill the active ones, but their nit comb is not so good.

You do have to vacuum, treat, and bag stuff as discussed before. If you put dustmite-proof bags over your mattresses and box springs, that helps eliminate a lot of the work. It's important to keep after it for up to two weeks so that you are sure they are gone. The dryer will kill them too and kill their eggs if it gets above 165f. So you can put favorite stuffed animal in the dryer every morning.

[akilina]

Great Clips recently came out with something called "Ladibugs" If you have one in your town I would try it out. The ingredients in it are very acceptable and not so bad at all. When I worked at one we had just got it in they have a preventative line for people who are around it alot and the treatment :)

[Faux]

Flat iron your whole head and fry the little bastards!!!

[Maelyssa]

I'm another one recommending olive oil or mayo. Not a little either but completely coat every inch of your hair and scalp. Pull it back into a tight bun. Put a bandana, wrap or even old t-shirt over your head to keep mess to a minimum. Keep it on a whole day then shampoo, condition, use not comb then repeat with the heavy oiling again. This should have you lice and nit free in a week. The oil basically suffocates them to deaths the more the better. Good luck!

[barely.there]

ugh. I feel your pain. my house has fleas (again). it SUCKS. and we dont even have pets!!!!

wash everything you can in hot water. vaccum everything and throw the vaccuming bin/bag out into the trash and take the trash out right away. put stuffed animals and clothes in plastic bags (after they are washed and dried). put a plastic zip up cover on your mattresses and pillows. wash bedding every other day in hot water.

ACV rinse. You can put tea tree oil on your scalp straight without diluting it. I do that for my husband occasionally to help his dandruff. If you are uncomfortable using full strength, dilute in olive oil.

with this, you should be good to go after a week or two.

flat ironing your hair sounds like a good idea as well. When I had lice as a kid, I loved those nit combs. I even took out a few live adults with them, and then rinse out the comb in your sink under hot water.

[leslissocool]

I ecco all the advice regarding bedding and clothing. I read Coconut oil is suppised to get rid of them! Try soaking you hair for DAYS on it if you can. I use coconut oil on my kids hair already because of it.

[AnqeIicDemise]

Dear LHC,

I wish I had known this five years ago; my hair would've been beyond classic by now.

Oh well. Now I know. I love you all!


- Demise

[PrincessBob]

Okay, two things. I can wholeheartedly recommend two things.

First, there is an electronic comb called a Robi-comb (http://www.amazon.com/LiceGuard-Robi-Comb-Electronic-Lice/dp/B000P6TF8W/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1337582686&sr=8-1). The tines are electrified like a bug zapper. When it comes across a louse, the bugger completes the circuit and gets fried. It makes a continuous beeping sound that is interrupted when it fries one, so you can clean it.

When I was 12 my little sister infected us with lice and my mom tried mayonnaise and even Vaseline to smother them under a shower-cap for a day each and it failed. The Vaseline was the worst idea ever and required Ivory dish soap washes 3 times a day for a few days to remove the gunk. What did work was using the Robi-comb. You can take the tines out of the thing to disinfect between uses, then pop it back in the cartridge and you are ready for the next round. We combed wit it twice a day as the nits hatched we zapped them. Done.

My big sister bought one for use on her kids and we used it to great effect when we lived together. Not cheap, but also a reliable, non-chemical way to kill them dead and it works.

Second, I recommend the oiling to smother route. Last spring I ended up with a minor infestation following a day of wearing my hair down. I ride public transportation and should have known better, but I digress. I didn't have a Robi-comb; I was at a friends house, had taken the bus over and she said there was something in my hair, I brushed at it with my hand and came away with a louse. After a two hour sobbing breakdown I went online and I came to LHC for help, you all recommended oil. So, I took out my coconut oil and went to town from scalp to ends I oiled my hair, put it in a bun and wrapped it in a bandanna.
I bagged up everything I had been in contact with and left it for weeks.

I re-oiled my hair every day in the morning and at night without rinsing it out, for five days, combing it occasionally. I kept it up in a bun under the increasingly oil-saturated bandanna. In the end I found two adults and one baby and there was no more. Done. I caught it really early before they could make everything miserable for everybody I know.

Hilariously, I was using a tea-tree shampoo at the time. I wonder if that's why there were so few? I found a number of knits, but they seemed to have been successfully smothered by the oil treatment. But I ended up breaking out from the overload of oil, so grain of salt and all that.

[meishkamooshka]

My kids had head lice a few years ago, Rid and Nix did NOT work.. this was the only thing that worked and there's NO chemicals- it won't damage your hair!
LiceMD
http://www.licemd.com/

Good luck! Wash your bedding on hot, anything that they could live on that can't be washed store in a plastic bag put away for 2 weeks.


I had it when I was younger, and this was the only thing that got rid of it!

We tried mayo treatments (my hair did get a lovely condition), lice shampoos, brillo pads (very sad hair), you-name-it-we-tried-it, and LICEMD really was the only thing that definitively got rid of it.

Best of luck to you! I'm so sorry. I know how embarrassing/heartshattering that experience can be.

[Kittykins]

I found a baby headlouse on my DBF yesterday. His little sister must of picked them up from school. I am going to oil soak my hair and nit comb like crazy. Ugh.

[faellen]

Okay, two things. I can wholeheartedly recommend two things.

First, there is an electronic comb called a Robi-comb (http://www.amazon.com/LiceGuard-Robi-Comb-Electronic-Lice/dp/B000P6TF8W/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1337582686&sr=8-1). The tines are electrified like a bug zapper. When it comes across a louse, the bugger completes the circuit and gets fried.

Totally second the Robi comb! Worked a treat when I was a kid :)

[Mesmerise]

First, I haven't read everyone's responses, so I apologise if I repeat something!!

The best thing I have found for head lice is a mixture of cheap hair conditioner, with a good splash of tea tree oil and lavender oil added (I don't measure it out, but I'm pretty generous with the essential oils!!). Slather the hair in this, and pop on a shower cap. Leave for a good four hours, and then go through with a lice comb.

This works fantastically well!! It's far better for your hair than conventional lice treatments too. I use it on my daughter every time she gets lice, and it kills them. It ALSO seems to kill the unhatched lice too, which many treatments don't do (and thus require re-treating).

[Masara]

Of my three kids, only one ever gets lice. The things that work the best are combinations of smothering and combing. I use conditioner and/or neem oil, cover her hair and then comb through with a nitty gritty (http://www.nittygritty.co.uk/site/home.asp) comb (it's got notches that get the eggs out at the same time. Plus it doesn't seem to pull on her hair as much) I do it every other day for a week. And then a week later.
We tried the chemical treatments. (At dh's insistance) They were more laborious, smelly and damaging than any of the other treatments, without being any more effective. And to be perfectly honest, the key thing every time seemed to be the combing which I can do just as well with a cheap bottle of conditioner.

[WaitingSoLong]

Funny. Contrary to popular belief, head lice can't jump.

Very good point. If it was jumping, it was probably fleas.

[Celtic Morla]

I also recommend Tea Tree Oil. My youngest DD is an attractant for lice, only by homeschooling have we seen anend to theinfestations that were regular! I do not buy the TTO shampoos but insted buy the pharmaceudical grade and put it int he shampoo, oils, and even water to spray on her head! I also ahve just doen the sprtiz when she was infested to keep them away from e and it has worked everytime!

[Bagginslover]

The white eggs are actually empty, so don't worry about removing hairs to rid yourselves of those, there is no point. The live eggs are actually brown, and harder to spot.

The only thing thats worked on me is a mixture or tea tree, and eucalyptus oils, diluted in olive oil. Smother the hair for an hour every few days for 2 weeks. This breaks the breeding cycle.

Im all itchy just thinking about it!

[GeoJ]

I had lice once (not bad, I caught it very early on) when my hair was classic length. I got rid of them with very heavy oiling and a metal nit comb. It worked for me.

For my DD, I totally saturate her hair with Indian hair oils and bun it when lice is going around at her school, and so far she has not had lice from school. (She was treated once as a baby when I had it, just with oils and nit combing- no chemicals or essential oils).

[RiotPrrl]

This isn't something I have personal experience of, but if you don't mind changing your hair color then henna is an option. To quote chapter 12 in the Henna for Hair e-book (http://www.hennaforhair.com/freebooks/hennaforhair.pdf):
"Henna is a safe and effective cure for head lice, dandruff and ringworm. Henna combined with Fenugreek will kill head lice in resistant infestations. Henna combined with Artemisia will completely eradicate head lice, even in severe infestations. Prepare henna to eradicate headlice, dandruff, or ringworm the way you normally prepare henna. For difficult infestations, add 25g of artemisia or fenugreek per 100g of henna. Use body art quality henna (high dye content, with no impurities or adulterants). Do not use Artemisia on pregnant or nursing women."

[swearnsue]

I'm wondering how things are going for you. What methods are you using?

[jacqueline101]

I went back to the beauty shop today and no more bugs thanks to everyone here. Now I have a new rant the damage from the bleach from the first time and lice chemical treatment. I had to get layers cut into my hair I had 6 inches of hair broke off. The stylist tried to even my hair get rid of my v hem line which won't work my hair always grows in a v hem line.

[snowcloud]

Garlic juice is a very potent natural insecticide!!

[miss_asimov]

Glad to hear you got rid of them, they really are a pain. I worked in a summercamp for three years and it was my job to check all the kids for lice when they arrived; yes, lots of parents don't realise their children have lice! Every year, out of about 80 children, at least 4 or 5 had lice. The last year I worked there was a nightmare: two lovely, longhaired little girls were *so* infested with the little buggers you didn't even have to look for the bites (behind the ears and at the nape of the neck is where they love to bite) or the nits: I parted their hair and could *see* the lice wandering around! Hours of combing and Germany's good old Goldgeist forte, a foul-smelling chemical bomb of Chlorocresol, Diethylenglycol, Piperonylbutoxie and Pyrethrum did eventually get rid of them, but not before they infected two other girls and one of the other adults, a guy with incredible thick, curly hair that took me a whole day to comb out -.-

They don't like chemically dyed hair though, so I was safe :D