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tracym
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This is a bit embarassing but my daughter got lice(and most of my family did also) and we can not seem to get rid of it. We have tried the shampoos, gels, etc. I have washed everything in our house many times. Every time I think it is gone I find it again in her hair. Any tips on what I am doing wrong? Will combing and bath every day get rid of it? I hate all the warning of those bottles -it makes me nervous to use them too much. Thanks.
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Tracy M- mom to Allen 12, Laura 9, Joeseph 7, and Anthony 4
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Mary Chris
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I think you need to smother the lice. I think I read this in Mothering magazine some years back....If you have not tried this, you could try mixing some tea tree oil with olive oil and rubbing it into the roots of her hair. I would probably let it sit a little while. Then with a very fine tooth comb go through her hair.
On the cradle cap thread someone made mention of California Baby's Tea Tree and Lavendar shampoo, I found some at Wegman's yesterday, (I'm not sure where in Va you are)on the label it says it helps with lice. There is also a link to purchase it on the cradle cap thread.
Good luck!
I remember when my sister came home from school with lice, the shampoo we had to use lightened my hair! I hope it is not quite as toxic as it was some 30 years ago..... 
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JennGM
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Mary Chris, your method sounds so much better than what we went through as a girl. With 5 girls with long hair, we were susceptible to things living for a while without being detected. The first round we had my grandmother insisted on doing it her way -- kerosene and shower caps. Yuck.
The fine tooth comb is important to get all the nits (eggs) out. We did the Rit, fine tooth combed our hair (also got haircuts to make it easier) but also threw out all the existing combs and brushes, washed all bedding, sprayed all the sofas and carpet and any other fabrics with the stuff from the store. But that did change some of the cushion colors.
The shampoo worked, but everyone has to use it and the house has be disinfected. I'd be happy to try a less chemical route the next time. I've had it 3 or 4 times in my life, and it's embarrassing in today's society. The last time I was in my 20s, and had to tell everyone.
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Jennifer G. Miller
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Rachel May
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We tried natural remedies and OTC shampoos and combing with no success. After 2 months, I was ready to shave Maria's head, and our pediatrician/neighbor said, "Oh, do you want a prescription?" (I didn't know there was one) That was what finally did the trick. Older kids can take pills and Maria, who was one, used a special shampoo twice, but we couldn't use conditioner for 2 weeks! It was worth it.
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kingvozzo
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I'm sorry you're going through this, Tracy. In a while, when you're ready to laugh about it, check out this essay...I was reading it the other day, and it struck me as so true (although my head was itchy when I was reading  )
She mentions a tool that's in the testing stages, the LouseBuster, that had some interesting info on their site about using a hair dryer and the varying rates of effectives on lice and the eggs.
The University of Utah/ LouseBuster website also mentions, that during testing, "No household cleaning measures were taken because they are not considered essential; head lice cannot survive more than 24 hours off a host's head."
Maybe that will make it more tolerable, to not have to rip the house apart trying to kill the little buggers...Praying the process goes smoothly
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Noreen
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hylabrook1
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I know what you mean, Jenn, about 5 girls (and Mom here as well) with long hair. We have had headlice at least 8 times, I am not kidding! When trying to get rid of them, nit-picking has taken up literally several hours each day (and that has made me feel like a baboon, but we won't go there)
Anyway, the advice I would like to pass along is a nit-picking technique. I have never had luck with the fine-toothed comb, probably because it doesn't want to go through long, thick hair, even when the hair is separated into very small sections; this has just lead to too much yelling from the person *being picked* 
The successful nit-picking technique we have used is to dip a pair of square-ended tweezers into a small bowl of white vinegar, grab the individual nit with the tweezer, and just pull steadily until reaching the end of the hair strand. Of course you need to hunt the little beasties one small section of hair at a time.
The vinegar seems to dissolve whatever substance the nits use to glue themselves to the hair. Also, they are easiest to see if you look near a window, in good natural light.
The closer the nits are to the scalp, the more recently
they were laid. So, when you only find nits farther along the strand of hair at least you know they are older ones you missed before, and that fewer new eggs are being laid.
I am so sorry you have to cope with this; even though it is not a life-threatening problem, I have found it to lead to near insanity!
Peace,
Nancy
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Elizabeth
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Lissa's got blog posts on this somewhere. I tried to search but couldn't find it.
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Elizabeth Foss is no longer a member of this forum. Discussions now reflect the current management & are not necessarily expressions of her book, *Real Learning*, her current work, or her philosophy. (posted by E. Foss, Jan 2011)
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esperanza
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I cringe from our memories...10 yrs ago...my sweet curly locked nursing two yr old dd with adults bugs  I used the chemical shampoo while pregnant... twice....  ...a friend across town ended her bout and it worked for me also...
Skin So Soft oil from Avon! We smothered them! My dh and I saturated their hair and left it on for maybe 30 minutes...washed it off with regular shampoo.
We bagged all things not washable for two weeks.
Hope you have success soon!
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Tammy Gonzalez in VA
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and Jacinta-06
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doris
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Ordinary hair conditioner plus a specialised fine tooth comb is apparently the best solution because the wretched little things can get immune to the chemicals (which can't be great for the kids anyway). There's a UK site here with lots of info.
We haven't had lice but we have had worms so sending lots of sympathy!
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Lissa
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My three girls had them two summer ago, arrrrgh. It was awful. And then! And then! Imagine my HORROR when, shortly after we arrived here in San Diego, I discovered that Eileen had another case! Imagine my horror to have to tell poor Erica that we had probably infested her house the day before--our first visit to her lovely home, by the way! She was of course utterly gracious.  But it was so embarrassing to be new in town and having to tell our new friends and acquaintances that we might have given them lice. LOL. Maybe God thought I needed a little dose of humility to keep my head from swelling over the accomplishment of having driven the kids cross country by myself.
Both times, I used the LiceMeister to get rid of the nasty little beasts. It's a special fine-tooth comb that works MUCH better than the over the counter doohickeys.
The OTC shampoos are largely ineffective these days...American lice, it seems, are immune. I wasn't willing to try the prescription meds b/c of Kate's cancer history. The prescription shampoo is a potent neurotoxin and I just couldn't bring myself to put it on their heads. So we used the LiceMeister (I can't type it without giggling) along with the tweezer method Nancy described. I did try some of the natural remedies: tea tree oil, vaseline & shower caps, etc; but in the end, I found that the only thing that really worked was diligent combing & nitpicking.
But how much would you hate to have to get a comb through THIS head of hair!
Look, Ma! No lice!
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JennGM
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Lissa but in the end, I found that the only thing that really worked was diligent combing & nitpicking.
But how much would you hate to have to get a comb through THIS head of hair! [/QUOTE wrote:
LiceMeister! What a scream!
She's so beautiful, but that hair would be hard.
It isn't until you've actually done nitpicking that you truly understand the application of that phrase. |
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LiceMeister! What a scream!
She's so beautiful, but that hair would be hard.
It isn't until you've actually done nitpicking that you truly understand the application of that phrase.
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chicken lady
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All I can say is I am so sorry for you!!! We thought we had it last summer, as we were where exposed!! I FREAKED! I wrapped all our heads in mayo, and plastic wrap, bagged up EVERY single fiber related belonging we had, and waited for 2 wks! My dc still won't eat mayo!!! I know that it is VERY important to treat your entire home repeatedly regardless of methods. It is my understanding that just treating the head won't cut it! I know it is daunting, I wish you the Angels to guide you and sustain!
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teachingmom
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This thread proves the power of suggestion. I'm sitting here reading, and my head is getting itchy. It wasn't itchy before I read any of this!
And with six girls, I'm praying that we never have to deal with this. Thankfully, we've avoided it so far!
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Jamberry77
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My friend suffered from this last summer. Here are her tips on preventing it: when visiting hotels, wrap mattresses and pillows in vinyl zippered bags. Leave them at hotel when you leave (I've never done this but she does). Pull a garbage bag over the cloth seats at movie theaters and on airplanes. She won't let her kids use the headphones at the library any more.
Easier tips: Lice like clean hair. Wash your kids' hair no more than every three days. (We do it once a week!) Use a coconut based shampoo and conditioner every time. (Suave makes an inexpensive one.) (Lice seem to not like coconut.) Apply a leave-in conditioner after hair gets wet like after their bath or after swimming.
We follow the last paragraph's tips, really gooping up their hair before we visit a hotel or movie theater. On a side note, my SIL lives in London temporarily and at her daughter's school, all long hair must be in braids, tight against head, as lice is rampant there.
Keep the hair dirty or slick (or both).
Love,
Kelly
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Lissa
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Jamberry77 wrote:
| My friend suffered from this last summer. Here are her tips on preventing it: when visiting hotels, wrap mattresses and pillows in vinyl zippered bags. Leave them at hotel when you leave (I've never done this but she does). |
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I definitely wondered if Beanie's recent lice were a souvenir of our cross-country journey. We stayed in an awful lot of hotels...
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Erica Sanchez
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Lissa wrote:
| Imagine my horror to have to tell poor Erica that we had probably infested her house the day before--our first visit to her lovely home, by the way! |
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Like a little case of head lice could in any way change my joy at Lissa's being here! No way! Amazingly, we didn't even get it!
Tracy, I'm sorry you are going through this.
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Wendy
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Ugh! I feel for you!  Our older kids had them last spring, a few months after we brought Maggie home from the NICU. I was completely freaked out. (I don't know what I would have done if Maggie had had them, too.) We used the toxic shampoo from the drug store on the kids (I wouldn't do that again), I smothered my hair in mayo and bagged it overnight (just in case), and I combed everybody's hair with the fine-tooth comb for hours every day until they were gone. Oh, and we bagged up everything that couldn't be washed and left it for a few weeks. Be careful with that, though -- we ended up accidentally throwing out Grace's American Girl doll. 
One day you'll look back and laugh -- sort of.
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4Real Forums : Our Lady of Good Remedy and Care
Topic: head lice
