OK, it’s time to admit it: we’re powerless over lice and our lives have become unmanageable. But like any good program of recovery, the first step in eradicating lice from your child’s head (and your every waking thought) is to ask for help. The good news is that you are not alone. (Yes, that’s also the bad news.)
We’ve created this first parent discussion page to collect lice advice from Bryker Woods parents and keep it in a place where you’ll always be able to find it. Please use the comment section below to share your secrets in treating lice. The parents of Bryker Woods who are literally tearing their children’s hair out will thank you for it.
You’re also invited to share your best “Lice Nightmare.” Warning: I dare anyone to top “The Incoming PTA President Who Got Lice From Her Daughters While Driving Through the South on Summer Vacation.” Yes, life was indeed unmanageable. And itchy.
4 responses so far ↓
1 Diane Wheeler // Dec 17, 2007 at 4:12 am
… about lice. Gack.
Here’s a summary of the tactics collected from messages some parents have been passing around.
Preventative Treatments:
Circle of Friends shampoo and conditioner - at Hairs Lair next to Teo
Good Riddance from the Herb Bar : Natural. Mix into shampoo for preventative. At Sun Harvest.
Tea Tree Shampoo by Desert Essence : Natural. At Whole Foods. (Tea Tree is strong and can be drying to the hair and scalp for some. Also, it can sting the eyes so shampoo the little ones carefully)
And - say there are other natural preventative and post-infestation treatments, one of which can be found at the Medicine Shoppe on 35 th. but we didn’t get a name for it? Anyone know??? Apparently rosemary oil and tee tree oil create a barrier and a smell the lice don’t like…and that, or other items like them are the basis for the natural treatments…
Post-infestation:
Nix - Noxious, but effective like all get out. Drugstores and mainstream grocery.
Rid - Including CVS and other store brands. Less noxious, but just as effective. Drugstores and grocery.
LiceGuard Robi-Comb - At Walgreens. For best results, work in bright light, and either have a towel soaked with Nix, Rid or other lice killer at hand to wipe comb, or submerge comb in the icky stuff during use.
The RID Kit - Has the RID ’shampoo’ and also has the nit comb - which is key to removing the eggs - as well as the lice comb, the furniture spray, and the gel which makes the combing much easier…..
Lice Ice - follow directions
Cetaphil (I believe it’s the “cleanser”) (available at most drug stores in the skin care aisle) Cetaphil Method: 1. Coat hair thoroughly with Ceetaphil 2. Blow dry completely (a kind of duel suffocation if you will) 3. Use the robi comb -Do this once a week for three weeks.
Follow up:
Keep combing for several consecutive nights
Do a second shampoo if you used RID about 7 days after the first
Use Lice Ice - a natural product from Peoples Pharmacy - about 7 days after the 2nd shampoo as a post treatment if you really want to be thorough (and as above Lice Ice might be used in lieu of RID or NIX…???)
and then use some preventative method above to keep them from returning until the lice finishes sweeping through the school….
Household:
Wash as many linens, clothes, and towels as possible the day treatment is performed. For anything that doesn’t get washed, place the offending materials in garbage bags and set them well away from any human traffic. *Head lice do not hang out on dogs, cats or other animals, and will die after only seven days without tasty human meals. Stuffed animals can be put in the dryer on hot for 30 mins. (I’ve also read that they die after only two days, but just to be on the safe side…)*
Cross your fingers…and tell your friends so they can check their kids and, if no infestation is present, they can take preventative measures!
This all is shared information and not intended to claim that it is complete or foolproof. All parents should read about lice and the remedies listed here to be comfortable from your own research about what method, product, or treatment you choose. We, obviously, aren’t doctors and can’t speak to sensitivities, allergies, etc….etc….and Clearly doing ALL of the above is overkill…
Here is a smattering of websites one mother found most informative, useful, or interesting:
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dpd/parasites/lice/factsht_head_lice.htm
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/head-lice/DS00953/DSECTION=1
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/headlice.html#children
http://www.jcu.edu.au/school/phtm/PHTM/hlice/hlinfo1.htm
http://www.headlice.org/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Head_lice
2 Kerry Edwards // Dec 19, 2007 at 4:37 pm
Here’s something cheap, simple, healthy for the scalp and hair, tried and tested many times, and requires no extra trip to the store: Olive Oil! I put some in a little spray bottle so I can spray it near the roots of the hair, and use a lice comb to comb through all the hair. Shower cap overnight, wash out in the morning. Grown-ups: leave in for 3-4 hours while you watch some good movies or catch up on email. Use for prevention weekly if there’s a rash of outbreaks, or if you see your child with that telltale itchiness; every ~3-4 days for 2-3 weeks if you know you have an infestion. Use a good strong shampoo to wash the oil out. Note that the oil can really sting the eyes so take care.
3 Robin Bradford // Dec 20, 2007 at 2:30 am
Lots of olive oil, towels, a long movie or two and then we turn on every light in the house so it looks like we’re filming a movie & comb those dead guys outta our hair.
4 Louise Meeks // Jan 9, 2008 at 4:52 pm
I have found that real Mayonaise is even more thorough than Olive Oil, but not very pleasant. The trick is to go through the routine 3 times, 7 days apart, so that newly hatched but not yet able to reproduce babies can be removed. Is easier than worrying about missing some nits.
Tips: Use LOTS of Mayonaise (and Neutrogena shampoo will easily remove it), and let the kids sleep in it overnight. This requires lots of towels, shower caps, and pinching your nose in the morning, but it works!!
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