Lizzie in Ma Posted August 9, 2008 Share Posted August 9, 2008 In the EEEWWW category, head lice is going around in our church. So far, we remain lice-free but I KNOW that if we get it, I can not put chemicals on my severely reactive dd. So, worse comes to worse, how would I kill them off? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abbeyej Posted August 9, 2008 Share Posted August 9, 2008 I had never even *seen* lice before last December, and the my kids picked them up at our home school group. (Shudder!) Luckily, one treatment, and I've never seen another... Here's what we did: 1 C olive oil 1 C Dr. Bronners Eucalyptus soap 1 T rosemary oil 1 T tea tree oil Mix it up (this should do 2-3 kids or a couple of kids and an adult), and it will get rather thick like creamy conditioner. Work through the hair thoroughly, then cover with a shower cap for an hour. Rinse, nit comb (purchase one of the strong, metal combs) while wet, and rinse thoroughly again. (I read quite a bit online and had even purchased a prepared lice formula, but this appeared to be both gentler for the kids and at least as effective as anything I could purchase, if not more so.) Wash every soft surface in the house, vacuum stuffed toys and things that can't be washed and, if possible, put them in a sealed ziploc bag for three days. Vacuum (and/or wash) upholstery, curtains, carpets (I used X-Mite powder which is usually used to kill dust mites)... A couple of days after the initial treatment (their hair will look a little greasy in the mean time, but hey, it's better than lice), wash the kids' hair again with tea tree shampoo, nit comb and blow dry thoroughly. Continue for next several weeks. Dh thought I was going overboard, but I had so many (thorough, clean, conscientious) friends who battled this over and over... The other thing to do, after washing and vacuuming, etc, etc, is to leave the house for three days. lol... I know that's not always possible! But the lice can't survive without a human host (I think their limit is 55 hours?), so a trip to grandma's is in order if it's possible. ------------ If you *don't* have lice or any sign of them yet, just washing with a tea tree oil shampoo every day or every other day, using a nit comb and blow drying *thoroughly* may well be enough to keep them away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lorna in the boonies Posted August 9, 2008 Share Posted August 9, 2008 When my oldest got them a few years ago, we had success with vinegar and baby oil. We mixed it, equal parts, and then I thoroughly soaked her hair with it and let it set for half an hour (she wore a shower cap). It took forever to rinse the baby oil out, but it worked. And because I was paranoid, the next day I coated her hair with vaseline and left it for half an hour. It was a real bear to get out (corn starch or corn meal will absorb it and that makes it much easier). The vaseline was messy, the corn meal was messy, and I regretted the decision to try it. And because I was still paranoid, the next day I coated her hair with shaving cream and let it set for half an hour. It was much easier to wash out, but it really left her hair feeling dry. All of those were remedies that I read about on the internet. The vinegar and baby oil would have worked on its own, though. I know this because she got lice again the very next year! Two treatments with the vinegar and baby oil were all it took (I think one would have done the trick, but we've already established that I was paranoid, so we repeated it the next day). I now keep a gallon size ziploc bag under the bathroom sink. It holds three shower caps, a nit-picking comb, and a 3x5 card with those three home remedies . . . just in case I ever need them again. Good luck to you. I hope you're able to avoid them entirely -- but if not, my recommendation would be for the vinegar and baby oil solution. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lorna in the boonies Posted August 9, 2008 Share Posted August 9, 2008 double post -- sorry! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lorna in the boonies Posted August 9, 2008 Share Posted August 9, 2008 triple post??? I'm sorry! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Camy-7 boybarians 1 lady Posted August 9, 2008 Share Posted August 9, 2008 Lizzie, do a search (here on the boards or Google) for Lice R Gone. I found it does everything it claims and more. No chemicals, but enzyme action to break down the lice exoskeleton. It can be used as a preventative, too. Blessings, Camy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurie4b Posted August 9, 2008 Share Posted August 9, 2008 In that case, you might discover where the phrase "nit-picking" came from. You can comb the eggs out with a very fine-toothed comb. I've read that heavy oils, such as mayo, will smother the live ones. Since your dd is so reactive, you may just want to keep her out of the group until they run their course. And check very thoroughly every day so that you find the earliest signs. That way, you have less to get rid of than if it went unnoticed. I used to work in a residential treatment program. I remember the time when we discovered that the girl who had come back from a weekend visit wearing a new cap that everyone wanted to try on had acquired lice over the weekend. What a PAIN. Hope you avoid it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mx5 Posted August 9, 2008 Share Posted August 9, 2008 It's a pain, but it is very effective. http://beta.guild.org.au/askyourpharmacist/content.asp?id=1003 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4kids4me Posted August 12, 2008 Share Posted August 12, 2008 Well, my kids, anyway. As per Camy, Magnolia, Cherrie, and Cindy in C-ville's recommendation I purchased Lice R Gone. I have to say, though, it might not be the best thing for your child (sorry above-mentioned ladies!). I've been using it on my dd, and while I will continue to do, I think the essential oil in it (peppermint) made her skin react slightly. It almost looks like a slight scrape on the back of her neck, and her eyelids (believe it or not!). I read somewhere that this could happen. I've also read that lice can shut down their system for hours, so if you do the smothering method, I personally would leave it on overnight. If your dd were my dd and she got lice, then, this is what I'd do: put olive oil in dry hair and let sit overnight. I'd DEFINITELY purchase The Nit-Free Terminator Comb (for example, see this link...but it's a Canadian company, so search for a US company: http://www.ecoginesis.com/). My friend just had a company come in and check her kids' hair (she thought she got lice from us) and once the first comb-through is done, she said you'd do this procedure five times over the next two weeks (of course, that was using the enzyme shampoo, such as Lice R Gone). My friends' child had lice and they used mineral oil on her hair for FOUR days straight. This was the only thing that worked in the 10 weeks she had lice. I think for you I'd do my suggested method. Apparently with Lice R Gone you don't have to pick out the nits, but I wasn't going to chance it so I've picked dd's hair for 35 hours over the past 1.5 weeks so far. In hindsight I really wish I'd bought that nit-comb...the cheap drug store ones don't get nits and this one does....AND you save tons of time (my dd has long thick hair). HTH. Feel free to ask any other questions if your child gets it. The ladies on the board were SO very supportive to me. The first few days were very emotional for me (high anxiety!). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trivium Academy Posted August 12, 2008 Share Posted August 12, 2008 No advice, just giving a :grouphug: and chiming in that I hope your family doesn't have to deal with this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizzie in Ma Posted August 12, 2008 Author Share Posted August 12, 2008 We are still in the clear so far but the families who had it first have it again or still. We actually postponed VBS for a week yesterday and now to top it off, I got an email this morning saying Hand Foot and Mouth disease is beginning the rounds!!:eek: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Camy-7 boybarians 1 lady Posted August 12, 2008 Share Posted August 12, 2008 ...... to top it off, I got an email this morning saying Hand Foot and Mouth disease is beginning the rounds!!:eek: LOL! You just can't win! Grin. Go get 'em, Wonderwoman! Blessings, Camy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandy in Indy Posted August 12, 2008 Share Posted August 12, 2008 After battling lice for three months--with a dd who had waist length curly hair, no less--we used the vaseline method. By that time we'd gone through countless bottles of over-the-counter stuff, combed for hours and cut off about a foot of her hair AND it looked like straw by then. Anyway, we coated everyone in the family with vaseline, covered our heads with shower caps and left it for 8 hours. Toweled as much off as we could and washed it out with Dawn. It was a hassle and icky to have vaseline in our hair BUT it was the last we saw of lice. Three months is a VERY long time! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BMW Posted August 12, 2008 Share Posted August 12, 2008 The last day of school my little guy came home with a note that 2 kids in class had lice. I kept checking him, then forgot after a week... oops. So, a month later the guys go to get their hair cuts for our wedding reception and 2 of them have lice!! Dh didn't think twice or question getting the recommended chemical shampoo (I wasn't with them that day - I was getting my make up and hair done). So, the boys got hair washed with that shampoo, and dh used the plastic comb. I didn't want to deal with this for weeks, so, all pillows and stuffed animals were washed, dried and put away for 2 weeks. Then every morning I washed their sheets and blankets and towels. I hand picked nits for a few days in a row, until I couldn't find anymore. I bought a robi comb, which was supposed to comb through the hair and zap the buggers and kill them on the spot (I never found a dead louse to know that this really worked, but I used the comb every day on each boy) and I bought a preventative spray so that they could get hair sprayed before school. I am SO thankful that I haven't found any nits or lice on the boys at all since... with 11 of us living here, it could have been a nightmare!! Hope you stay clear, Bee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JaneNickerson Posted August 12, 2008 Share Posted August 12, 2008 We use tea tree oil shampoo as a preventive measure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swellmomma Posted August 13, 2008 Share Posted August 13, 2008 We use tea tree oil shampoo as a preventive measure. I was going to say the same thing. I put a couple drops of tea tree oil int he kids shampoo and also add some to spray bottle of water. They get the tea tree oil as they wash their hair every night, but for double measure as we head out the door to go somewhere that has potential to spread lice, such as churhc, gymnastics etc I spray their heads with the tea tree/water spray. We have yet (knock on wood) to have lice in this house as a result. As for non-chemical ways to get rid of them, I think the best way is to simply pick them all out by hand. You have to do this anyway even when you use the chemicals to get all the nits out since the poisons only kill the adults, so you may as well pick out the adults too. Takes a very long long time to do so, and will have to be repeated daily until you have gotten them all 100% because if you miss even one you will be back at square one. So tea tree oil for prevention, nit-picking for cure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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