How do I tell her to get rid of her head lice?

Question

My cousin has pretty much ALWAYS had head lice and it doesn't even seem to phase her. I'm sure she HAS to know! It's terrible-I can see them from a mile away! How on earth do I tactfully let her know that she needs to take care of it? She's 21 years old and has a 2 year old son! I hugged him the other day and HE had a louse in his hair too! How on earth do I go about making this a top priority? It's to the point where I don't even want to be around her and run the risk...

Answer 1

This is a bad thing. You definitely need to tell her and her sons school and anywhere he goes. Some people are not responsible with this. Easiest way is to 1. Treat hair with lice shampoo and remove nits - pic them out (if its a boy get a crew cut). 2. Gather all laundry (clothes, sheets, matress pads, etc.) and get them ready to go outside. 3. Remove all stuffed animals and place in plastic garbage bag for 30 days in garage. 4. spray beds, cloth furniture, etc., with lice spray. 5. visit local laundramat and use HOT water setting. (We ran 15 machines at once). 6. Dry with HOT heat, take care of delicates. 7. Go home and spray your car when done. 8. Visually inspect hair everyday for 14 days - remove nits. 9. Treat hair again after 7 days.

Answer 2

I know exactly what you are going through. When my gorgeous niece came home with a dose of head lice from school, we were all quietly horrified, to say the least. I think we did quite well to contain how we felt, but in our own way we never really expected or were prepared for how much it was going to affect all of our lives. Stay away from chemical head lice treatments. Before you listen to anyone advising you to use a pesticide treatment please consider the following: No chemical head lice treatment is legally allowed to be labeled as 'safe' as every insecticide is a poison. Every pesticide preparation has the potential to do serious damage depending on the individual. If a lice treatment does not work once it is not going to work twice, in fact the lice that live will breed into a whole new batch that are resistant to that chemical. Luckily there are quite a few totally natural remedies available that readily kill head lice. Remedies containing Neem Oil are known to be highly effective as Neem interrupts the growth and reproduction of the head louse. Neem’s insecticidal properties are widely recognized now and the oil is commonly available at your local health food store. Feel free to check out the articles at the following site for more advice. Good luck.

Answer 3

Go the drug store and buy her 4 boxes of Rid or similar. 2 for her and 2 for her kid. Usually 2 treatments are needed. Read the directions carefully.

And she will have to wash all the bedding, etc, in HOT water to kill the eggs. You may have to do this for her, and she sounds like an irresponsible mother.

If she balks, tell her you will report her to Child Protective Services and she can tell it to them. If she's crazy, dangerous, mean, you may have to take reinforcements. I recommend someone big and scary looking.

You could also threaten to shave her head and her kids head. Bring a clippers along you show you mean business.

They won't let the kid in school with lice, then she can hear it from them.

You need to be firm but not aggressive. Show her you mean business. Tell her she will not be welcomed in your home, nor can you visit her because you cannot run the risk of becoming infected, too.

Answer 4

this is a basic health and safety issue, i don't see the need for tact in this any more than i would if someone were teetering on the edge of a cliff.

you should just say to her bluntly that her having lice is a health issue for her child and any who come into contact with her.

in fact, you may very well have lice from repeated contact with her and her child.

this is no laughing matter - tell her to deal with this and now.

if getting the delousing shampoo is a problem, then buy it for her.

you need to do with right away.

Answer 5

One thing not to do is to verbally attack your cousin about this. Making derogatory comments about your cousin’s grooming techniques or habits will not shame him/her into getting rid of the head lice. It will only cause anger, hurt and resentment. Worse than that, you'll condition your cousin to develop negative labels ("I'm just a pig," "I'll lazy," or "Nobody will want to be around me,") that could be lasting.

Instead try providing help and encouragement. Kindly let your cousin know that denying will not help the situation. That the head lice will not simply go away and that this is a problem that builds momentum. Then offer some positive labels: "I can help you with getting a handle on the head lice predicament," or "You don’t have to do this alone, it can be handled." Heck, joke around if you have too. “Hey, we can all shave our heads but you’ll have to go first!” “Come on, you’ll look sexy with a bald head. Never mind, I’ll look sexy with a bald head. We’ll all look sexy with a bald head. We can go around town all day asking people to touch our sexy bald heads!”

Whatever the case maybe motivation is the key and kindly showing your cousin that you do care and that your cousin should too is the goal as nicely and inoffensively as possible.

paaatches –I totally understand you’re not wanting to be around your cousin at this time. It’s heartbreaking because it’s family but there is that aspect in the way. You want to see them healthy and at their best. You want to spend time with them but you’re in harms way when you do. Once again, it’s heartbreaking. Be brave; be upfront; don’t let anger set in, be as helpful as you can be, and hopefully that will get the realization spinning in that cousin’s head of yours. You can do it and best of luck! *smiles*

Answer 6

no need to try to spare feelings. Tell her what you just told us. Head lice is very contagious and need to be taken care of properly meaning not just on the head but in the house as well. You could offer to help clean the house and the heads. Her son is 2. If he is planning on going to preschool soon they will not let him in that way, she will have to take care of it then.

Answer 7

JUST tell her . I started to itch just reading this.You might ask her if she has tried a lice shampoo that will open up the door for more discussion Don't forget to mention proper washing of her bedding's In hot water. She and the son will no doubt need several treatments.

Answer 8

Are you certain she is doing nothing to remove them?

The bottom line is simple...head lice can be transmitted to others. Therefore, simply tell her you will no longer allow her in your home or near you, nor will you visit her until she treats her lice. You will not take the risk of contracting them.

Answer 9

Talk to her about it ,she is 21 yrs.old.Her 2 yr. old is becoming infested can you imagine the damage it can cause,lice sucking his blood,open sores.Offer to help her with the medication and cleaning out the nits.She just might not know about personal hygiene.Keep your hair tied back while around her,until she is cleaned out.Good luck.

Answer 10

Buy the lice shampoo and offer help her get rid of them? She will have to wash everything in the whole house or fumagate it.

Before long her son will be in school and they will not tolerate it!

Good Luck!