Getting Rid of Head Lice

Getting rid of head lice (Q1): Any remedies for head lice?

Had it for a few months.. when does it stop? My hair is down my back, I’d never cut it. I’ve tried vinegar, mayo, some doctor presciptions, dyed my hair, what now…

(reply by Lesli B)
You have to pick every egg out of your hair, and wash all your blankets real well… If it doesn’t work then you might consider cutting your hair, with long hair it’s going to be very hard to get rid of.

(reply by Doug C)
Go to the drugstore and ask the pharmacist. If you go to a doctor, do NOT let them give you anything with Lindane in it. That stuff is dangerous.

(reply by sweetness)
All these potions and notions honestly do not work.. trust me… what you need to do is get some cheap conditioner and apply that all over the hair, then section the hair in 1/4… with a fine tooth comb brush the hair with it then rinse the comb in hot water but make sure that you tap the brush on something to get rid of the conditiioner in between the comb.

Each time you do each section put it back in a clip, finally brush all the hair back and rinse hair with warm water…. do that every 2-3 days….make sure that you also wash all your hair brushes or if you can’t replace them, wash pillow case in hot water.

(reply by pinupchk)
I had lice when I was younger and it was horrible!! Try standing in your shower and dousing your hair in olive oil (use as much of it as possible) and then keep your hair wrapped in a towel all night. Make sure the towel is wrapped tight!

Then in the morning use the lice combs you can purchase at the drugstore and comb out all the eggs. The oil loosens the eggs and they should come out more easily. That is the problem with lice – the live bugs will die, but they have planted thousands of eggs. Have a relative or friend help you comb your hair. The combing will probably take hours – you literally have to check every strand of hair.

Getting rid of head lice (Q2): Should I shampoo my daughters hair with a lice treatment ?

My best friend just called me and told me that her 3 year old daughter has head lice. She noticed her scratching alot last night at the library during story time, where the kids sit on the floor shoulder to shoulder. My husband, my 2 year old daughter and I visited with my best friend at her house for 45 minutes on Saturday.

Both girls played together. I have checked my daughter’s hair 4 times and can’t find anything. It has been 3 days since we were there. Should I shampoo my daughters hair with a lice treatment or just keep checking her hair to be safe? Any suggestions?

(reply by manicmama96)
Keep checking. I swear I have gotten that particular icky from kids so many times I can’t say the “L” word any more. If you see anything that looks like dandruff but, it does not remove easily she has lice.

It will be small and shiney and stick like a burr. lots of times it’s hard to find right away because she may have only gotten one. Believe me when I say that one is enough to make big problems. If after two weeks you don’t see anything you should be safe. Make sure to tell your friend that she should treat the whole house not just her daughter.

Lots of people forget that lice have legs and can jump.That means wash all the laundry in hot water(clothes, jackets, hats) , spray the carpet, furniture, etc with lice killer, check everybodies head and treat, and most importantly BOIL all brushes, combs, hairbows, scrunchies, whatever goes in the hair from the bathroom. That is one of the most missed places that cause reinfestation.

Make sure you notify the daycare too. that’s how I have caught it so many times. People don’t want anyone to know and then others have it already. She had to catch it from somewhere right?

Getting rid of head lice (Q3): Do I have to purchase expensive over the counter medication ?

The school year began.. and also the worries of head lice have started.. my worries were confirmed. This past weekend I discovered that my daughter had little critters in her head. Luckily her sisters dont seem to have any…. what is a good home remedy or do I have to purchase expensive over the counter medication?

(reply by clarkspetcouriers)
Try tea-tree. They don’t seem to like that. But as its in school, then it must be reported because it only takes one child with lice to re-infect the other kids, and therefore your attempts are pointless.

(reply by awellwisher)
You asked for ‘expensive’ home remedy! Here are some inexpensive, lol!

1. Removing the nits and live lice with a lice comb and/or tweezers.

2. You still have to take the time to comb out all of the nits anyway even if you use an anti-lice shampoo, as these shampoos don’t kill the eggs.

3. Most other natural home remedies involve putting something on your child’s scalp and hair to ’smother’ the head lice. Popular choices include real mayonnaise, olive oil, and vaseline. These are usually left on overnight, often under a shower cap, and then washed out the next day. They can be very messy though and have not really been proven to work. Some experts believe that this method ‘works’ because you actually remove the nits and lice as you try to get this stuff out of the child’s hair.

4.There are also herbal remedies to treat head lice, including products with tea tree oil and other essential oils. Because they are ‘natural,’ these are not regulated by the FDA, have not been proven to work, and should be used with caution and avoided in younger children.

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