How to deal with persistent lice
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Anonymous
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My kids keep having lice. I do all the treatments, comb them out, wash all their bedding and if that doesn’t work then take them to the lice clinic and spend $350 for 3 of them to get checked and treated.
I don’t understand what else I can do! It’s all the time! I get rid of it and then a month or two later one of them ends up with it again! Our house is clean (professionally done bi weekly), kids are clean and hair is washed religiously. What can I do? I am at my wits end! |
Anonymous
| So this happened when I was a kid and what was happening is a friend of my sister's at school had untreated lice and would keep coming up and hugging her all the time. My Dad was actually a pediatrician and he talked to the school nurse and helped them get a lice clinic at school. Now things have changed a lot since the 80s, but my guess is that something similar might be happening here. I would both recommend giving one of those consultants who can make sure you don't have an untreated area in your house but I'd also talk to your kids' school about the repeated outbreaks. |
Anonymous
| Are they in elementary or at a preschool or day care? If not yet ES age I would bet money the outbreak is coming from preschool/child care. The school needs to treat for lice, they need to make sure all the bedding is cleaned and treated, the dress up clothes need to be treated, especially any hats or headbands, all of that. And make sure your kids aren’t sharing hats, head bands, hair brushes, coats/jackets etc. etc. with other kids. |
Anonymous
| You could try spraying their hair with lice prevention spray |
Anonymous
Op - 2 are in elementary and 1 is in daycare. The hardest is the girls. One of my girls has super duper thick hair. It’s impossible to find every little nit. I comb her for hours and do treatments and it always takes a month to completely clear it up. |
Anonymous
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Schools no longer require kids with lice to stay home, nor do they notify the class when one of the students has lice. Odds are someone in one kids class has lice and your child has a repeated exposure.
I’d braid the kids’ hair everyday and use those preventative treatments as much as possible. No hoodies or hats. And if it didn’t stop, I’d seriously consider switching schools. |
Anonymous
| Op - what frustrates me is that I spent a ton of money at the end of the school year at the lice clinic. Got rid of lice. We were gone from school all summer and had no problems. Back at school now and immediately lice is back! |
Anonymous
That’s the answer then. If you aren’t finding every nit, then it will never go away. Have you done the olive oil thing over several nights? |
Anonymous
Op - I bought out all the lice clinic oils and combs and stuff. I use that on the kids. |
Anonymous
| Did you go to one of those places that uses the AirAlle machine? If not, try it. https://www.liceclinicsofamerica.com/guaranteed-professional-lice-removal/?gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAADwfbJyPpBvN3WvS92m6AB3Be4KaA&gclid=Cj0KCQjw28W2BhC7ARIsAPerrcL54BDTVpL32qIIK9JxUDW0D3KYZ0NJa1BK7GJDoGEB_FFeVZks6ioaAmTfEALw_wcB |
Anonymous
+1 When my daughter gets lice, I do a thorough comb-out with a nit comb at least once every 3 days. I keep doing this until I find zero nits, preferably twice in a row finding zero nits. If you’re finding adults, you also need to do an oil treatment (soak hair in oil—olive is fine—for at least 10 minutes and rinse out). Also do you know how to comb out properly? I watched the lice clinic person do it, and I do the same now. Take one small section, comb in multiple angles (comb on top, comb on bottom, comb on left, comb on right). Then I have a white bowl filled with water that I put the comb in and strum with my finger a couple times to flick any nits out. The whiteness of the bowl is key so that you can see the tiny dark nits. It’s a tedious process, and you have to be 100% thorough. Takes me at least an hour if not more. I give DD the iPad to keep her occupied. After you have two clean comb-outs, make sure you send her to school in a hairstyle that helps protect her, such as a bun. Spray her hair with smelly sprays that lice don’t like. Tell her not to touch heads with anyone! |
Anonymous
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It's not some random kid in their classes. It's one of their best friends. Someone who is in close contact with one of your kids.
Are you braiding your girls' hair every day? It needs to be up tied up close to their heads. I'm really sorry, this is a terrible thing to deal with. |
Anonymous
Adding that you should also look into the Rosemary Repel products. If they are picking it up over and over again at school, you may find that they keep the lice from choosing to go home with your DCs. |
Anonymous
+1 |
Anonymous
| Just get in the habit of one thorough combing every week. |