Head Lice

lisar wrote: Okay so how many people on here have had to deal with head lice with their kids? Well Raygen got it. I dont know from where. I wish I did. I didnt have it and neither did Lexi. I checked Granny and she didnt have it either. Anyways I have been trying to get rid of it for about 2 weeks now. I dont like using the chemicals on their hair though. I did try vinegar twice and that didnt work. I comb, comb, and comb some more and pick at her head trying to get rid of them, I wash everything in the house and do all of that. So lastnight I used Mayonnaise. I did Lexi's hair just to be on the safe side. I think it might have worked. But what are some things yall have tried to get rid of them? Just in case I didnt.

Oh I have always heard that up north they dont get them, but if they do its considered to be "dirty". Is that true? Here is Florida its very common to get them, maybe cause of the weather diffrence I dont know. But I do hate them with a passion.

CantWait replied: I don't know how to get rid of it, sorry. Getting head lice is one of those things that supposedly is impressive as it's a sign of cleanliness. The lice actually can't grip on to dirty hair, whether it be oils, dirt, or products. They like hair with nothing in it.

Hope you get rid of it soon though.

PrairieMom replied: We get them in the midwest, but I don't have any personal expereiance with it, and I hope not to. If ben ever gets it the head is getting shaved, I'm not messing around. I think I would immedieately opt for the chemicals. Ugh, I can't handle parasites, I just can't do it.

Great. Now my head itches.

cameragirl21 replied: Lice are not hereditary, they're something that kids get in school, usually, from one kid to the next. I grew up in Ohio and we had lice outbreaks in school there too. It's not so much about being dirty per se, it's just that one kid gets it and graciously shares it with the class.
One thing lice hate is the smell of coconut. Try rinsing her hair in coconut milk, maybe soak it and let it sit a bit. Also, if you blowdry, they say lice don't like that either.
You, Lexi and DH CAN get it from her if she sits by you, one just jumps from one head to the next. Vinegar is supposed to work well, especially the apple cider kind but the lice shampoos out there are also very effective.
To keep lice away once they're gone, use a shampoo with coconut oil in it or add some coconut oil to her shampoo and blow dry after washing.
Lice are gross but not that big a deal beyond that so don't stress too much about it. Just make sure you wash her bedding, towels, etc once you get rid of them or they'll be back.

luvmykids replied: It's not a sign of uncleanliness, that's an old stereotype Coconut oil is a good natural remedy but I'd go straight for the chemicals too, just to get rid of them quickly. I haven't had to deal with it yet, I'm sorry you are

luvbug00 replied: had it going arround last year. ewww. twas soo gross. use the otc stuff and it should go away fast.

punkeemunkee'smom replied: Coconut Oil is the only natural remedy that actually breaks their exo-skelaton...I would go for the chemicals too honestly. You do not want your whole house to become infested with them and it can happen!

jcc64 replied: Have been fortunate enough not to have it yet, but we do in fact have lice up north (at least as far north as NY). Pretty much everyone I know has had to deal with it at one time or another.
Never heard about the coconut thing- but I'd do some searching online- I'm sure there's plenty of info out there. Good luck, what a pain!

Calimama replied: My whole class minus one kid got it in the 2nd grade!!!! I remember awful smelling shampoo that took care of it quickly. I would just use the chemicals. They spread fast and I wouldn't want them all over my house.

My2Beauties replied: Ok first of all I need to make a correction, Jen said they jump from one head to another, they infact CANNOT jump at all, they are not like fleas. They crawl. This is why kids van get them from stuffed animals, carpet, pillows, covers, etc... Let me tell ya Hanna and Des got them really bad, it took me over 2 months to get rid of the suckers. It doesn't help when MIL kept letting the little girl who had them come around when that's the only place Des has to go after school, it was a nightmare. They'd had them once before they got them this last time too for like 2 months. Each time it's taken me months. It gets to a point where you'll be so sick of them that you'll do their hair every day to every other day to get rid of them, which is what I had to do to ultimately get rid of them. Mayonnaise suffocates them, but it STINKS to high heaven. Vinegar helps but it smells God awful as well and their hair will stink for a while if you use either. I had to wash Hanna's hair 4 times with Dawn dishwashing liquid before the oil from the mayo would come out and her hair still stunk. I hated it. Des refused to ever put mayo in her hair again, as a teenager, she was not having her hair smell like that. The best way to get rid of them is to honestly use the chemicals once or twice within 3 days of each other. They say to wait 7 days because the eggs will hatch within that timeframe. DUMB, don't do that. Wait maybe 2 days. If the eggs were laid 5 days before you did their hair, they will hatch in 2 and if you wait 7 you have to start all over again, like I said do it as often as possible, at least 2-3 times in a row. After using the shampoo wash their hair with THICK conditioner, douse it with conditioner, get it super super conditioned up. Immediately get them out of the tub as soon as you rinse the conditioner out. If the lice shampoo didn't kill them all, what it doesn't kill, the conditioned stuns them for up to 20-30 minutes so they won't move and try to get away from you. If you don't use conditioner, the ones that don't die (and not all will die using the product I promise) will continue to crawl and they are fast and hard to catch. Then piece by piece inch by inch go through their hair using a METAL tooth lice comb. Do not use the plastic ones that come in the kits, they don't work and they are worthless. The metal ones grab almost EVERYTHING. Do this every night or every other night for about a week to two weeks straight. Bag up all stuffed animals. Wash pillow cases, covers, and spray and/or vacuum couches and carpets daily. They will go away but it is sooooooooooooooo HARD!

As far as being dirty to get it, NOPE, that's a myth, they prefer clean hair. The coconut thing is right too, they hate the smell of coconut and tea tree oil, if you buy shampoo with either ingredient it could help reinfestation, but I seriously doubt it will get rid of it if you currently have it. Coconut shampoo or oil will not get rid of lice though, BTDT and it doesn't work. Honey I've tried every remedy in the book and basically it times time, patience and lots of combing and searching!! Also, if they get them back, start to figure out the common denominators eacch time they get it, because at first we had no clue where Hanna and Des's was coming from. It ended up they got it everytime they went down to my MIL's house and come to find out the 13 year old girl down the street was INFESTED!

Sorry this got so long, but I feel for ya. I don't like sending them down to my MIL's to this day.

punkeemunkee'smom replied: The biggest thing is to put stuff on dry hair. They can close themselves up when they get wet and their outter shells allow them to stay safe from whatever you put on them in that state. A warning about Tea tree oil though. Pure tree oil is contraindicated for babies, young children, pregnant women, and some pets. Tea tree oil is not to be used daily, and is toxic to the liver in high doses. High doses can also be irritating to the skin and it can cause an allergic reaction in some people. Also Oils can open pores and enhance absorption of any pesticides so I would not do an oil based cure and pestiside in the same day. There is a black licorish shampoo that is at Walmart that may help.

mom21kid2dogs replied: Now this is a subject I know lots about . . . .being my "mom" job is checking elemetary kids every week for head lice through the Health Dept

You can use olive oil (it HAS to be olive, though) as a natural rememdy and there are several chemical free remedies on the market as well. At the Health Dept we give out Lice Free shampoo which is a non chemical remedy. If you use olive oil, leave it on the hair for 10-12 hours. Head lice can hold their breath for 8 hours so you must leave it on a long time. Use a shower cap or swim cap so the oil doesn't leach onto furniture, clothes, etc. If you use a lice shampoo product, follow the directions precisely on the box. Don't be tempted to leave it on longer. Even non chemical shampoos are quite caustic and can leave skin irratation if left on over the stated directions. With both methods, you should re treat in 7-10 days to be sure you have killed all live lice. Killing the live lice is the first step in solving the problem.

Step two is pulling out the nits. Beware that several products out there (including Lice Free) claim to kill all the eggs (nits) as well as the live lice. This is blatently untrue. NO product kills all the nits so you must remove all nits as well or you'll have head lice again in 7-12 days when they hatch out! To remove nits, get in the brightest light possible (outside is best if you live in a private area) and go through the hair with a lice comb. Don't waste your money on the plastic nit combs~they are worthless. Use only metal. Ironically, a cat comb also will work if the tines are super close together. Some people prefer to pit nits when the hair is wet, others when it is dry. Neither is more effective than the other, it's just personal preference. Comb the hair from all directions to pull as many out as possible. Then, using a fine dowel rod, rat tail end of a comb ot blunt end toothpick, go though the hair tiny section by tiny section. Check close to the scalp to 1" out. This is where they prefer to attach because they will only hatch out in a warm environment. Check all of the shaft, however, to remove anything you've combed out from the scalp. Pay special attention to behind the ears and at the base of the skull as these are favorite spots for them. Be sure to check the whole head, though, as I've seen live lice and nits virtually everywhere.

Step three is household measures. Please resist the temptation to run out and purchase chemical sprays. They are proven to be no more effective than hot water and vaccumming. Vaccum all fiber surfaces in your house, car, car seat, etc. Head lice can live up to 48 hours without a human feed (they only feed on human blood to dispel a popular myth) so you'll need to do this for at least 4 or 5 days from the last day you've seen live lice. Store all combs, brushes, hair tyes, barrettes, head bands, etc in a ziplock bag in the freezer for the next 2 weeks. Only take them out to use them, then put them right back in the freezer. All clothing, bedding, book bags, coats, pillows, blankets should be dryed in the dryer at the hottest setting possible for 30 minutes after use. I would also do this at least 4-5 days after the last lice sighting. Water doesn't kill lice but temperature extremes sure do. On all other surfaces, whatever you generally use to clean is fine. They will only live on humans and in fiber and only for 48 hours without a "meal".

Lastly, ANYONE with hair can get them. It doesn't matter in what condition your hair is~dirty, clean, braided, super short, etc~they can live in it. I've seen it in infants under a month old and kids with pretty short hair cuts. It only lives on humans, not animals and only on hair and occasionally fiber. That's why you can get it from sharing hats, scarfs and hair ties/brushes/combs. I've heard of transmissions from things like that cute antique photo booth at the fair (it only takes one kid with head lice wearing that hat to transmit it to several others), trying on winter coats or school clothes that go over your head to doctor/hospital waiting rooms with fiber chairs. How 'bout that movie seat or church pew. Yep, you can get it there, too. So you see, it has literally nothing to do with personal/ household cleanliness. They do not jump or fly. They have neither wings nor jointed legs. Head to head contact is the best method of transmission which is why it spreads easily in the elementary grades, dance class, daycares, camps, VBS, etc. It lives in every earthly environment~neither warm nor cold climates are immune. Since it lives on hair shafts close to the head, it doesn't matter what the outside temp is.


It's a total bite to get it but it happens to litterally billions of people a year. If you follow these three steps completely, you should be able to rid your family of them. If you need additional help in this, feel free to PM me!!!

ETA: Although there is no guarentee to this, head lice are less inclined to infest heads washed with products containing coconut or tea tree oil. You better believe that the ONLY shampoo in our house is Suave coconut shampoo and conditioner.

Crystalina replied:
I was getting ready to say the same thing.

We've never had them....yet. I'm sure it will happen sooner or later. I have no idea what to use. I just wanted to give a because I know if it were me I'd be itching and scratching and not be able to sleep knowing my kid had little critters in her hair. Sorry.

Boo&BugsMom replied:
Yes we do get them up north, but it doesn't mean someone is "dirty".

I had them as a kid. You have to be sure you clean EVERYWHERE, including your car!!!

Good luck hon. You've got lots of great info already.

Crystalina replied: I remember in Catholic school the Nuns would line us all up, use a very sharp pencil to go through our hair and finish it off with some sort of bug spray (that was before anyone cared about poisoning kids. ).

Boo&BugsMom replied:
GREAT info! and I'm glad you pointed this out. A lot of people think they jump, but they do not.

Boo&BugsMom replied:
I remember head check days at school too. I actually looked forward to it because I love it when someone plays with my hair.

stella6979 replied:
LOL! I was just about to say the same thing. I loved head lice check day at school. They used these long q-tip thingies and I swear, I could have just layed there all day while they checked for those little critters.

Crystalina replied:
You all obviously never had a Nun check your hair then. There's a reason I said those pencils were VERY sharp. I'm sure they poked us on purpose.

Boo&BugsMom replied:
Well, I know if I were a nun I'd have to get out all of my aggression and frustration on something!

They used some sort of metal thing, or the pointy handle of a comb on us. Usually the people who checked our heads were pretty gentle.

mom21kid2dogs replied:
I swear I'm the most popular person in the school. Not only do the kids love it, but so do the teachers! I call it their weekly head massage! I get darn strange looks from moms when I'm at the school or the fair and their kids come up and hug me, yelling "Hi head check lady!" Most of the parents are shocked that the kids get their heads checked weekly!! Olivia's head checks are known to last an hour or more. If I break the stick and throw it away, she goes and gets another one and says "Check it again, mom! You missed a spot" The kid is addicted to head checks!!

stella6979 replied:
Olivia is my kind of girl!!!

AlexsPajamaMama replied: No advice, but it looks like others gave lots of helpful tips.
I just wanted to add that when I first got with dh, I was a sr in highschool..and his younger sister had lice...and everyday for weeks Id go to the nurse at school and make her check my hair I felt so itchy and was freaked right out about getting lice

Calimama replied: I am now itchy from this thread.