Headlice!!!?

Question

My 4 yr old child is crawling with headlice...being treated on a regular basis and being combed twice a day...mornings with electronic zapper comb and evening wet combing with lice comb....new hatchings are so small that they get through the teeth on the comb so am picking them out as well as the eggs (nits)...have tried just about every lotion going...and some old fashioned remedies....and am using tea tree regularly....they go to school and come home with a new batch...have spoken to the headteacher and been told that its an ongoing prob but they cant do anything bout it...anyone got any ideas as i really dont want to have to cut their hair....oh im also treating myself too and my hubby is bald so he doesnt count....im getting desperate and its really starting to get both me and my child down....(their hair is starting to break with all the combing)

Answer 1

Just keep combing, not much else you can do... (Cutting the hair only makes it easier to comb, it doesn't make the lice go away.)

Watch your use of poisons on your child's head - they've recently been linked to an increased risk of leukemia (seriously).

Answer 2

The school should be monitoring this. If a someone in your childs class (or any class for that matter) has headlice, a note should be sent home with every child in that class. The child should not be allowed back in school unless they are free and clear of any lice and/or nits. There should be someone on staff there that can check the childs head to make sure of this. This sounds like a real problem within the school and the health department should be notified.

Not only should you be treating yourself and your children, also treat the entire home. All stuffed toys can be placed in a trash bag and set outside for 48 to 72 hours. Lice cannot live more than 24 hours without human blood. Leaving the toys outside will cause them to die. Get the RID spray and spray your furniture and mattresses and the carpets. Wash all linens and clothing in HOT water.

Good luck!

Answer 3

Make sure that you also sanitize any combs, brushes. Wash all the bedding and any lovies that they may have, bag up any stuffed or fuzzy animals for at least a week if not two and put them somewhere where they cannot infect anything else, I recommend the basement or a garage. Also make sure that your children know not to share anything such as combs, hair barrettes, scrunchies, brushes, hats, pillows, etc. with anyone that they go to school with or at daycare, in the home as well is rec commended. Hope some of this will help, when you treat I think you are supposed to wait five days until you treat again. Otherwise, it sounds as if you are doing anything that you can.

Answer 4

My child came home with head lice and the only way I rid myself of the little buggers was to wash everything in hot water, bag stuffed animals for a week and sprayed down the furniture with the nix spray. also in 5 to 6 days re shampoo and comb because any eggs missed in her hair were hatching. The key I was told was the ********* and washing of all bedding and anything that can be washed. i also put baby oil in there hair till it was out of the day care since nits only will lay eggs in a clean head. I hope this helped.

Answer 5

I went through this when my daughter was in 1st grade. I tried everything available without prescription. I finally gave in and called the doctor he called in a prescripition of Ovide Lotion. It worked wonders. You put in on the childs hair and let it sit for 8 hours. Then you wash it. After Idid that I used the Nix egg remover. The Ovide loosened the eggs up on the hair to make it easier to use. I also ran the comb through her hair while the Ovide was in. I placed all the stuffed animals in garbage bags closed for at least 1 week. Bought new pillows and washed all bed sheets with lysol ( in the brown bottle) Sprayed the whole house with the lysol antibacterial spay. I know it is alot to do but that was the only way I could get rid of it. Just so you know the Ovide is expensive if you don't have insurance. Hey also try if it is a girl, putting her hair up in a pony tail and spraying it with hair spray every morning. Also, once a week I wash my daughters hair with Sargent Adams Flea and Tick shampoo..(dog shampoo) I hope this helps.

Answer 6

First of all, the school they are attending should be excluding any and all kids that come in with head lice and not allow them to come back until it is completely GONE, nits and all. I used to be a Head Start teacher, and we had a "no nit" policy. If you can, keep them out of their school til theirs is gone. Are you treating their beds, and your furniture and carpet too? That also needs to be done or they will just keep coming back. Also, put any stuffed animals, and unused blankets in a trash bag and into the freezer for about a week. I have also heard that people who use a lot of hairspray and gel in their hair don't get them cause they can't attach to the hair. I have also been told that african-american people who use whatever it use they put in their hair that makes it look wet...(sorry, I don't mean to sound racist, but I can't remember what it is called), don't get them either. Just some ideas. I don't know what you would be willing to put in your children's hair. I have also heard vasaline or baby oil will also keep them from attaching. I don't think bleach does anything to get rid of them, you need to use a spray made specifically for lice.
Good luck!! I hope I have helped!

Answer 7

I know that you said you have tried some old fashion remedies already but this is one that I swear by working with children...thankfully none of my children have ever had headlice but I have seen plenty that have!!!

Take a container of mayo-add extra vinegar and extra olive oil. Mix that together and rub it on the childs entire scalp making sure to miss no part of it. Then take a plastic bag or shower/swim cap and put it over the childs hair for a minimum of two hours. Wash it out-comb with a lice comb and then put some hair grease (like made for ethnic hair) in this childs hair...ALL over the scalp. If they have long hair put it in a pony tail after adding the grease. Leave that in without washing for at least one day. Lice can not live in the grease.

Also take EVERYTHING-clothes,blankets,pillows,stuffed animals, EVERYTHING and put them in the washing machine with bleach (for the colored items if you use 1/4 cap of bleach mixed in with your laundry soap before adding to the wash it will not ruin the clothes) and HOT water. Wash them once like this and then run it again with hot water but no soap.
For the large items (couch,bed,furniture etc) that can not fit into the washing machine and also all toys put them in garbage bags double bagged (one bag upside down) make sure they are tied and sealed air tight and keep them in there for at least 48-72 hours.
Rent a carpet cleaner and wash the carpet.
Doing these things will get them out of the house. Plus it can be fun---like being able to sleep on the floor in the living room (having a camp out!)

As for the daycare---they need to be doing all the same things. Where I work when we have a lice outbreak we close down the room BLEACH everything, bag up all the toys,blankets etc and kill everything off. It makes for a pain when it has to happen in the middle of the week-over weekends is ideal, but it helps prevent the spreading and regrowth of them

Answer 8

Contact your DR. There is a fantastic prescription on the market. It comes in a really large bottle and will kill the eggs.My daughter got it in gradeschool and her hair was super long and curly. Very difficult to comb. This worked like a charm. If it happens again threaten to turn the school in to the health dept.You also need to get the spray for mattress. You can close all pillows and stuffed animals in garbage bags for 24 hrs., will kill eggs. Hope this helps.

Answer 9

You just have to keep on being persistant. Keep combing and cleaning (everything possible). I understand how frustrating it is but take hope in the fact that many kids eventually (somehow) grow out of getting them. I was prone to getting them about once a year until I was 11 or 12.

Answer 10

I used to get headlice really easy from other children too and the only thing that worked for me was putting mayo all over my hair and then putting a plastic bag over it for the ENTIRE night! It suffocates the eggs and kills them! Vinegar also works with a plastic bag all night! That's the only 2 things I can think of...I hope that helps!

My head started itching just reading your question...lol!!

Answer 11

head lice can be a real pain to get rid of. make sure to tell your child not to share any hats, hairties, coats, anything that touches their hair with anyone. also wash every thing in hot water. get the lice spray and spray furniture and clean bedding with hot water. also clean stuffed animals with hot water. ive also heard that if you put mayonaise in your childs hair and then wrap it up with either a shower cap or seran wrap and leave it in for 20 minutes, that is supposed to kill the lice. good luck.