What’s been your experience with head lice and what do you think the best way to manage them is?

Answer 1

When I was 11 I had really long hair and I couldn't stop getting lice at school. I ended up cutting my hair shorter so the fine tooth comb wasn't so hard to get through my hair.

I think the best way to manage them is to keep hair, especially long hair tied up and plaited if possible.

If you have lice or nits you should use a good lice shampoo and be very careful to get all the hair and scalp. The fine tooth comb is crucial for getting the nits out.

Answer 2

Best way to manage is to advise the school so everyone gets treated at the same time, and do the whole family if you've left it for a while. Washing the sheets made no difference, I don't think the lice can live or the eggs can hatch away from your scalp. Best product was a natural, tea tree oil based one (it had more than just tea tree oil in it, but I can't remember what). Only drawback was the small size of the bottle, it's not enough for long hair, so it ended up being expensive(what a rip !). Also, smothering the hair with conditioner then combing the lice and nits out. You really need to have a very good metal lice comb though, not the plastic one that generally comes with the product.

Answer 3

My daughter is in her first year at school and has recently had her first bout of headlice. I didn't notice for a few days but when I did they were nearly impossible to get out. The fine tooth combs I purchased did not get all the lice and I ended up having to pick the dead ones out by hand. The hatched eggs took weeks to come out because her hair is very fine and just slid through all the combs leaving the eggs behind. She still has some egg shells in there but no lice. Because the whole thing took so long, I ended up getting them as did my son. It was a very painful week for all of us and I wished I could find a healice comb that was specially designed for very fine, long hair so all the lice and eggs could come out. The product I ended up using was Wild Child Quit Nits as it is a natural based product because I am a bit dubious using strong chemicals on my son and daughters scalp. I also wished that the shampoos came in a larger bottle because when you have to do the whole family once or twice, you end up having to buy 1 or 2 more bottles because the girls have long hair and therefore use more.
I think that a proven headlice preventer would be the way to go. Something that is incorporated into normal childrens shampoo and can be used on a regular basis could possibly solve the dilema of headlice. I tried the old tea-tree/ eucalyptus oil in water and spray on the hair trick but it doesn't work.

Answer 4

I have not but my mother used to talk about that from when she was growing up.
I heard on the news that head lice are quite prevalent today and that the little buggers are no longer responding to the stuff they sell in places like the grocery store or Walmart. So it's suggested you ask the doctor for a prescription, what they use is stronger. Know that if one person has head lice then so does the rest of the family. And the household contains them as well so that's why they return. You'll have to do a lot of hot washing clothes and bleaching stuff, to even begin to manage those.

Answer 5

when i was 11 i experienced havin` that for me its the worst moment of mah life ..

the best way to manage them is i buy electric comb ..

There is an electronic comb on the market, called the Robi Comb™ (manufactured by LiceGuard™) that will detect live head lice. It is an electronic comb with metal-coated teeth that runs on one AA battery. When turned on, a soft, high pitched hum is emitted. When the metal teeth trap live lice, the humming stops. We have used this on children with head lice and find it does detect head lice, even tiny immature lice. The manufacturer claims lice trapped in the teeth are electrocuted, but we have not always found this to be true. Unfortunately, this comb will not detect eggs. The electronic comb should only be used on dry hair and care should be taken to avoid direct contact with ears, eyes and mouth. Be sure to read and follow directions for safe use of this comb. The cost of this comb is about $30; it can be found at many pharmacies or over the internet.

Answer 6

I have MUCH experience with it...I am a teacher in an urban district and have to send home children OFTEN with lice. The best way to manage it: wash ALL bedding in HOT water cycle. Bag up pillows, stuffed animals, dolls, etc for 24 hours. Buy lice bedding spray and spray mattresses, etc. After you do the RID shampoo, it doesn't always get all of the eggs, it just kills the hatched eggs (live lice) so a second shampoo a few days later is effective. If you have a child in school, tell them to not get close to other students (lay head on shoulder, play with hair, or share brushes). I always put my daughter's hair up for school, never down.
Good luck.

Answer 7

Ohmigod! I don't even want to see that word *screams in terror at the sight of the word lice* My heads itching as we speak!

I had a terrible experience with lice. I just got rid of the lice plague. It was awful and exhausting. After 2 vaselines w/ the caps, alcohol wash, a hair cut and 2 lice treatments I finally got rid of the parasites! What happened is I wasn't treating my boyfriend because he's bi-racial (I didn't think black people could get it) Well they can!

My answer would be the medicated shampoos w/ conditioner. Its like a cream. The others are painful! Make sure to treat everyone besides your four legged friend!
Thank GOD its gone!

Answer 8

The biggest insult anyone can give is to call someone a louse! I had them a time or two as a kid - once from my sister brushing someone's hair, another time from a movie theatre. As an adult, I have had a couple grandaughters in one family who have had lice and they have had a hard time getting rid of it. Don't know where they got it, but they are not careful about their hair or their combs or brushes. I sure was after the incident of my sister brushing someone's hair. There are commercial products at drug store that come in a kit. Get the shampoo, nit comb (or better - a fine tooth comb that is wider than the tiny little nit comb) and the spray that can be sprayed on furniture. Shampoo hair according to directions. Use the fine tooth comb to get out nits. Wash again at internval that is set in the kit. Wash all bed linens and clothing - as much as possible in hot water. For things that can't be washed, put them in plastic bags that can be vacuumed (air out) and store for several weeks. Spray all furniture - sofas, chairs, etc. Clean floors - vacuum and remove the liner bags and put outside in the trash or clean and wash filters of vacuum if there are no liners. Best to try to prevent them: Do not share combs or brushes - say no. (If you can't, don't use the comb or brush until you put it through the washing machine with hot water (or dishwasher). Don't flip your hair around over other people or over chair backs, etc. Better to keep it controlled - shoulder length or in braids. Associate with people who are tidy and take care of their clothng, bodies and hair. If you see someone digging at their head, they may have lice - keep your head and clothing away from them (if you are a close enough friend you might ask them about their scratching and let them know that they might want their Mom to help them check to make sure they don't have lice or you might help them check if you know how).

Answer 9

As a child I used to get head lice and having long hair was a nuisance. Now I have 5 kids and lately they seem to be getting them often. I have learned the trick is to use a different head lice treatment each time as if you didn't get them all the 1st time around they won't have time to get used to the treatment. Also keep their hair up and use hairspray when possible as it makes it slightly harder for the lice to grab on. But mainly just try to be vigilant with checking their hair at least once a week and check the whole family together.

Answer 10

My experience would be close to a living Hell. My daughter has think long blonde ringlets and it takes 2 and a 1/2 hrs of comping and picking through her hair to treat it and then do it again a week later. I used Nads Solution first for her. I did 3x weekly treatments and it was still there. I did conditioner to stun them for 20mins and picked them out for a week while a hairdresser friend got me Fried Lice. This worked within one treatment and then the follow up 1 week later. Then when she got it the second time I just had to do it twice with fried Lice. Now i use a spray I make of 100ml water and 10 drops of essential oils. ,4 geranium,3 lavender and 3, teatree oil. I spray it everyday with this and hairspray and haven't had to deal with it since. There is a girl in her class that has it all the time. They should bring back the rule that they must be clared by the council before returning to school. Then it wouldn't be so rampant

Answer 11

I have not read the answers already given so Im sorry if I repeat some one else's answer. As I child I always picked them up (my hair was half way down my back and is extremely thick) I'm sure the kid that sat next to me at school had them and never did anything about it. Anyway my mother used KP24 and it killed them but never kept them away. My kids have not yet had them but I have been told that smothering your hair in cheap condition suffocates the lice. Brown vinegar is also an excellent way to remove the sticky eggs. A few drops of Tea Tree oil in your shampoo bottle will keep them away. Once I started doing that I never got head lice again. Yeah for Tea Tree Oil!