I am a Lice Lady. AMA

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP: Are lice more common now than when we were growing up in the 70s and 80s? I don't remember it being such an issue then.

FWIW, I had heard somewhere that they are more common now, probably because the DDT and some other pesticides have finally worked their way out of the environment. Is that true? If so, it's good news for our health, I hope, but maybe the reason we see more lice and bedbugs now?

That is my belief exactly. The increase in lice - and bed bugs - is actually a sign of our lest pesticide-saturated environment IMHO.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Omg I have been stressing about lice for weeks since my dd's classmate had it. I combed through dd's thin blonde hair and found nothing, but my head is so itchy!!! It was itchy before the classmate got it. I tried combing through my hair but it's thick and long. If my kid didn't get it, there's no way I did, right? Am I just being paranoid? Since it's been weeks and hasnt gotten better or worse, it's probably just my regular old itchy self, right? Aggghhh this is driving me nuts. (I am a generally itchy person with sensitive skin).

What did you put in your hair when you combed yourself out? Did you use some kind of lubricant?

No. Just did it wet. (I called lice happens and that's what they told me to do). Should I try an oil? Wouldn't I be able to see them at this point?

I don't recommend that. Ouch!

First, I would shampoo, condition, and use a regular comb to get my snarls out.

Then, get out of the shower. Put a bunch more conditioner in your hair. Use the Licemeister comb and comb it through, making sure the metal tines scrape your scalp (but not too hard). Wipe the conditioner-filled metal comb on a white paper towel. If you see little brown things, it is most likely lice.

I used a regular fine tooth comb, but didn't see anything...Still itchy!!! I'll pick up a lice comb and try again, but for identifying (not doing a full lice removal) is the regular comb probably okay???

No, a regular comb will not cut it. Get a metal lice comb.

[Anonymous]

FWIW, when my DD and I had it, I tried the Nuvo (cetaphil) technique and blow dry. After both I combed out live lice. Agree with OP, combing is the only thing that works. Sigh.

[Anonymous]

OP, my cat had fleas once and I got fairly good at using the flea comb on him. How does using a louse comb compare? dd is 1 and we have not had a lice issue yet but I am reading this thread with interest assuming I'll want to know someday!

[Anonymous]

How long do you need to do daily comb outs? When we've had lice, I combed twice a day for a couple of weeks, and it did the trick through the life cycles and catching anything I missed at first. Until the next year, when they brought them home again. . .

I've been trying to convince relatives whose kids keep getting lice over and over that they need to do more than a one-day treatment. They also think real head lice and nits are large, as they were in their native country. They shrug off the smaller nits we get in the U.S.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Omg I have been stressing about lice for weeks since my dd's classmate had it. I combed through dd's thin blonde hair and found nothing, but my head is so itchy!!! It was itchy before the classmate got it. I tried combing through my hair but it's thick and long. If my kid didn't get it, there's no way I did, right? Am I just being paranoid? Since it's been weeks and hasnt gotten better or worse, it's probably just my regular old itchy self, right? Aggghhh this is driving me nuts. (I am a generally itchy person with sensitive skin).

What did you put in your hair when you combed yourself out? Did you use some kind of lubricant?

No. Just did it wet. (I called lice happens and that's what they told me to do). Should I try an oil? Wouldn't I be able to see them at this point?

NP here. We used Lice Happens, and they were very clear that hair had to be wet and conditioned when combing. So perhaps you misunderstood them.

I have no affiliation with them, but I would hate for them to lose business over a misunderstanding. They did a great job with my extremely long, thick, fine hair, and they did a good job of teaching me the followup procedures.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, my cat had fleas once and I got fairly good at using the flea comb on him. How does using a louse comb compare? dd is 1 and we have not had a lice issue yet but I am reading this thread with interest assuming I'll want to know someday!

I had a flea comb once, it was very short and stubby. A lice comb that has longer tines is a better design for human hair. It's not that costly so why skimp?

[Anonymous]

I am so grateful for this thread. I hope the fact that I just ordered one of these lice combs ensures that it will sit unopened in a drawer for the remainder of my daughter's childhood.

[Anonymous]

What age(s) do you see the most incidents of lice? have a seven-year-old that has not had it yet, but this thread makes me think it is coming soon...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, my cat had fleas once and I got fairly good at using the flea comb on him. How does using a louse comb compare? dd is 1 and we have not had a lice issue yet but I am reading this thread with interest assuming I'll want to know someday!

I had a flea comb once, it was very short and stubby. A lice comb that has longer tines is a better design for human hair. It's not that costly so why skimp?

Lol, I may be speaking out of turn, but I don't think she's trying to recycle her cats flea comb, but just wondering how the process compares.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP: Are lice more common now than when we were growing up in the 70s and 80s? I don't remember it being such an issue then.

FWIW, I had heard somewhere that they are more common now, probably because the DDT and some other pesticides have finally worked their way out of the environment. Is that true? If so, it's good news for our health, I hope, but maybe the reason we see more lice and bedbugs now?

That is my belief exactly. The increase in lice - and bed bugs - is actually a sign of our lest pesticide-saturated environment IMHO.

I think there is a bigger problem with lice now because they have become resistant to RID and the other chemicals recommended for treatment. Hence why careful combing is so important (and better for your health than pesticides).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How long do you need to do daily comb outs? When we've had lice, I combed twice a day for a couple of weeks, and it did the trick through the life cycles and catching anything I missed at first. Until the next year, when they brought them home again. . .

I've been trying to convince relatives whose kids keep getting lice over and over that they need to do more than a one-day treatment. They also think real head lice and nits are large, as they were in their native country. They shrug off the smaller nits we get in the U.S.

Really you don't need to do daily comb outs. I like to do it and recommend it to keep people really squeaky clean.

If you think about the life cycle of lice, they hatch after about one week, and become sexually mature in about another week. So really if you comb once a week you are going to stop the new hatchlings from becoming sexually mature.

But I don't want any bugs on my head at all, so if I know there was a lice infestation in my home, I comb daily. Once it's gone I go back to weekly preventive combing.

You are right that your friends are not doing it right. Follow up care to catch the stragglers as they hatch is the key to being cured.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What age(s) do you see the most incidents of lice? have a seven-year-old that has not had it yet, but this thread makes me think it is coming soon...

With my kids, it started in about 2nd grade. It has continued now through the fifth grade.

In the last week, however, I have seen three girls in about the 8th grade.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, my cat had fleas once and I got fairly good at using the flea comb on him. How does using a louse comb compare? dd is 1 and we have not had a lice issue yet but I am reading this thread with interest assuming I'll want to know someday!

I had a flea comb once, it was very short and stubby. A lice comb that has longer tines is a better design for human hair. It's not that costly so why skimp?

Lol, I may be speaking out of turn, but I don't think she's trying to recycle her cats flea comb, but just wondering how the process compares.

LOL, it is the same process, really.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP: Are lice more common now than when we were growing up in the 70s and 80s? I don't remember it being such an issue then.

FWIW, I had heard somewhere that they are more common now, probably because the DDT and some other pesticides have finally worked their way out of the environment. Is that true? If so, it's good news for our health, I hope, but maybe the reason we see more lice and bedbugs now?

That is my belief exactly. The increase in lice - and bed bugs - is actually a sign of our lest pesticide-saturated environment IMHO.

I think there is a bigger problem with lice now because they have become resistant to RID and the other chemicals recommended for treatment. Hence why careful combing is so important (and better for your health than pesticides).

Yes, I think that is part of it, too. Too many people don't do the meticulous comb out after using a pesticide, and the survivors are the ones who, obviously, were less vulnerable to the pesticide.