How to deal with persistent lice

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm surprised no one has mentioned Ivernectin. That is what is effective. You can use any generic Ivernectin (cvs, etc). You do not have to do a perfect comb out with Ivernectin, as if used according to directions, it will kill lice eggs/nits.

To the Ivernectin, I also added an all-natural lice prevention detangler. It can help with girls to keep their hair up in a bun. Kids didn't want to be told not to hug eachother.

The home lice kits (Rid, etc) are not effective in killing the lice eggs - for those to be effective you would need to do a 100% perfect comb out.

I also went to Lice Centers of America. I got better at the comb out by seeing what they did. They were also helpful in countering some of the non-fact-based information out there, there is a lot of it for lice. It was a good experience, just cannot afford $200 and the time involved each time my kid got re-infected with lice. (It was going around a while at our school with siblings in different classes.)

Adding, with Ivernectin I'd recommend keep trying the comb out too, each day to be effective. Wipe the comb into a wet paper towel until it comes out clear. Be sure that you recognize the small size nits. I saw Lice Centers of America do it this way.

The bedding etc, sure everyone should do laundry. But, there are lots of old wives tales about lice living on inanimate objects. Read fact-based information and focus time/money where it is effective.

Keep in mind, even if your kid is completely lice-free, they can the next day or next week pick up a single nit hugging a classmate for instance.

They are more likely to get reinfected with lice for the 6 months after having it due to pheromones of the lice. Plus, its likely going around in your school.

I also suggest having the school send out a message, as many parents won't vocalize it. Or, our school saw some parents go on the attack to shame others.

This too will pass. It is not your fault or your kids' fault.

[Anonymous]

Blow dry and get the spray. But the kid it keeps coming from a blow dryer as well

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Honestly, if you have three kids and they keep getting it it's probably them passing it among each other, not someone outside the family. You say in your responses that you are not getting out every not on the one kid. That is our issue. I would take her to lice clinics of America and watch closely how they comb. This has nothing to do w how clean your house and hair is. We have had it a couple of times and do the following:

- my DD wears her hair back every single day. I go for braids or buns. No hair hanging around her face. I said no to curtain bangs.

- at least one weekend a month I do the full treatment. Once a week, I do a comb out. If I find anything (haven't since this regime), off to the pros. Lice clinics of America is worth every penny.

- I am in her hair often because of the above so the two times she had it, I caught it super early and no one else in the family had it.

- this is a big one -- I immediately told the people we see often and they got their kids checked so it is on everyone's radar.

This is a big time to get it as everyone is coming back from camps, vacations, etc. all it takes is one loose transmitted via a hug! It is rampant in public school and camps.

If it didn’t show up all summer, but has now that they are back at school, the source is most likely a classmate at school.

[Anonymous]

One thing not mentioned yet is that in addition to braids/buns, you also need to use styling products in their hair. Lice like clean hair and do not like styling products because it makes the hair stickier and harder for the lice to grab onto. Don't bother with specialty lice sprays or oils, just get cheap drugstore hair gel and hair spray (like LA Looks and Aqua Net). The stickier and "harder" the better. Hair gel before braiding or putting it up in the bun, then spray after. Plus weekly lice combing to catch any reinfestation early.

[Anonymous]

You have to blow dry every day. The heat kills anything you missed. It's tough when kids have sensitive heads, but heat works.

[Anonymous]

Notify the school each time you find lice. Even though the policy says they don't exclude anymore for lice, at our public school they do not allow children to return until they have proven they had been treated because the outbreaks have been so bad.

Use NIX Ultra, our pediatrician says it is the only one that works because it smothers adults/eggs. Pesticides don't work because the lice are immune now. You have to do the follow up second treatment. Treat the entire family, but if your husband is bald they can skip (they don't live in beards). You probably have them too.

Next up, comb twice a day. Spray bottle, lice comb, container of water. Spray hair so it is damp, comb and wipe the comb on a napkin, and repeat until you can do 100 passes and not see anything. Anything brown on the napkin is nits, and of course you know what adults or nymphs look like. Make sure to comb the entire head in sections. You have to do that in the morning before school and after school. There is a special lice comb called the LiceMeister, it gets more out than the combs that comes in the box, but it can pull hair so you have to make sure the hair is damp or wet so it doesn't hurt.

Don't bother cleaning stuff. Lice can't live long outside of a host (my kid put an adult in a jar and it died pretty quickly).

Dimethicone smothers them so you can get a leave in conditioner that is a high % of dimethicone and spray the hell out of them before they go to school, then braid and put their hair in a bun. As soon as they come home comb them out. If they were clean in the morning, but have adult lice in the afternoon you know it is coming from school.

That should be enough, but for extra thick hair you can also blow dry on the cool or warm setting: "Rapid exposure to large amounts of dry, heated air causes them to dry out and die."

[Anonymous]

I went through this with my son a few years ago. You can do the same thing that any clinic or any "treatment" does, for free. It just takes time and commitment. Douse the hair with olive oil and put a cap or plastic wrap over the head for a about 20 minutes. This slows them down, so you can comb them out. Then, comb and comb and comb until you are sure there none left. One time I combed for probably about 2 hours or more. Just sat him in front of the TV and we were just very very patient. Then, I sent him to school and told him to just stay away from "Michael" and "Johnny" until the school gets this thing under control. After about 4 or 5 bouts of this, this last round and staying several feet away from the kids who just couldn't get rid of their own until the school really came down on them, was the last time he ever had it. Those clinics are rackets, just use your elbow grease and patience.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You have to blow dry every day. The heat kills anything you missed. It's tough when kids have sensitive heads, but heat works.

Not necessary. Proper combing technique with the correct comb is all you need.

[Anonymous]

The CDC now says kids with active lice shouldn’t be excluded from school. It’s made the rounds in our kindergarten every year and some kids have gotten it more than once. Maybe the CDC has never had this happen to their kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm surprised no one has mentioned Ivernectin. That is what is effective. You can use any generic Ivernectin (cvs, etc). You do not have to do a perfect comb out with Ivernectin, as if used according to directions, it will kill lice eggs/nits.

To the Ivernectin, I also added an all-natural lice prevention detangler. It can help with girls to keep their hair up in a bun. Kids didn't want to be told not to hug eachother.

The home lice kits (Rid, etc) are not effective in killing the lice eggs - for those to be effective you would need to do a 100% perfect comb out.

I also went to Lice Centers of America. I got better at the comb out by seeing what they did. They were also helpful in countering some of the non-fact-based information out there, there is a lot of it for lice. It was a good experience, just cannot afford $200 and the time involved each time my kid got re-infected with lice. (It was going around a while at our school with siblings in different classes.)

I wouldn’t use chemicals when a proper combing is what you need. I did it myself. It takes time but is not hard.

[Anonymous]

I agree with others that you need to step up your game at home.

If your kid has an infestation: do the chemical treatment, then follow the lice lady process (and products) and do two daily comb outs, wash and dry sheets all sheets daily, bag up all stuffed animals. Vacuum upholstry and carpet daily. If you have a boy, I'd just buzz them. Once lice are gone, you need to commit to braiding hair and weekly thorough checks.

I'd let the teacher and aftercare/daycare know, they may need to store back packs and jackets individually in plastic garbage bags.

[Anonymous]

Very short hair cuts and tea tree oil shampoo and conditioner

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Very short hair cuts and tea tree oil shampoo and conditioner

and no hat sharing - ever

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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.

+1

+1 more

We never had lice (touch wood), but DD spent her first few years of school with the requirement that her hair had to be up and braided. No sharing haribands/ hats/ hoods/ etc. with even best friends.

One of our friends also uses a tea tree oil spray on her child every day.

[Anonymous]

The only solution is amputation of the head