Head lice hell

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  • #13250
    Jedt
    Keymaster

    Not much phases me as a mammy. I don’t mind being puked on or pee’d on, I can deal with tantrums, squabbling & sick children – but headlice really get on my nerves. We have been lice free for the past 5 years but on Thursday (the day we had relatives coming to stay!!) our 3 kids broke out in lice. the 3 of them on the same day :!: :!:

    rather than getting organised for my visitors, I spent the afternoon combing lice out my childrens heads. My daughters were the worst, its their first time getting it and they both have long hair (well, they did until we cut it up once we saw the lice). My 6 years old hair is very thick and it has been a total nightmare trying to get them out of her head, hers is by far the worst as she was full of them.

    When our guests arrived I was still in the bathroom, sweating in a pair of old leggings and manky t-shirt, putting the treatment in their heads and using a lice comb struggling to get the little nits & their horrible eggs out.

    Beds have been stripped and washed twice already but now, 4 days on, there are still some eggs in their heads so am repeating the cycle again today. I have a total pain in my face at this stage.

    So was wondering, how often do other mammies strip and wash the beds while dealing with headlice? have stripped & washed twice and now, am washing pillowcases again today but wondering, should I wash all the covers again?

    headlice really create a heavy workload for mums :cry: :twisted:

    #117735
    libby1
    Participant

    I know exactly where you are coming from – we had it with my dd for 3 yrs on and off, i just kept treating her the whole time… Comics and sweets were the only thing that came her sain…

    I didn’t change the bed clothes as often as you – every 10 days just, i just mad sure she had her own towels and hairbrushes , and a clean pillowcase each day… i did put a towel on the chair or in the car if her head was leaning against it…

    It was horrible… the worst thing i knew where she was getting it from, but the parents wouldn’t admit it was there children.. i spoke to them in the school yard, and they would say it wasn’t there and you could see them scratching and it in their hair…

    I tried for 3 weeks not to wash her hair but we still got it.. again
    Best of Luck

    #117744
    Taylor5
    Member

    Girls why do you do this to your kids and to yourself, the stress of the treatments and the combing it a nightmare. Go down to boots and buy an electronic nit comb, you can get cheaper on amazon.
    They sent a wave out that kills eggs and nits, i use every week on ds’s hair, i just wave through his hair and i know he doesnt have nits (it would stop buzzing if it finds something)
    We have had 4 letters between this year and last year about head lice yet he has never gotten them….. i know 26euro sounds like alot, but if you treating 3 kids with products every week that will add up to much much more, also they are loaded with chemicals and not good for kids
    Sabbi i will let you have a look at it and see what you think. oh you use this on dry hair so its stress free

    #117747
    Fabienne
    Member

    Taylor do you think it’s easy to use on girl’s long hair?

    We also get often notes from school.

    #117748
    Fabienne
    Member

    But I suspect more the school bus, carrying plenty of kids all day from various schools with no removable and washable head rests.

    Sabbi hope you’re seen the end of it.
    Just in time before starting school and bus again 😆 😆
    Ok sorry, very bad sense of humour.

    Take care,
    Fabienne

    #117749
    Jedt
    Keymaster

    Think we are clear, their heads all look ok and no scratching….hoping that’s the end of it.

    To be extra sure, will repeat the treatments again in few days to make sure all is clean. I would not want them carrying it back to school so will do out best to get rid of the little suckers before then!!!

    The only ones scratching now is me and my hubby, we are paranoid about it now!! 😳 😆

    #117750
    lyn11
    Member

    There is a treatment available in Boots called Wild Child it kills lice but is not full of very strong chemicals. Working in a creche I have often had to treat my own hair just in case and being asthmatic I cant use the really strong treatments found this one great. Have used it too on kids who needed repeat treatments as its not as harsh on their little heads too.

    #117758
    Berry
    Member

    Theres a lovely everyday shampoo available from the health food shop on stockwell st. – Faith in Nature with Neem and Propolis (if I’m really concerned about headlice i add a drop or two of tea tree essential oil into the shampoo as well). I cant be sure how effective it is but nits do not like neem oil and propolis is good for nearly everything (bees use it to keep their hives clean).My hope is that this makes my kids heads less appealing!

    There is the homeopathic remedy Staphasagria 30c which is the remedy most frequently used to deter headlice – one pillule once a week for 4 weeks (allow the pillule to dissolve under the tongue) or give 1 pillule when the note comes home in the schoolbag.

    Berry
    http://www.berniecondon-homeopathyinlouth.ie

    #117792
    CaliGal
    Member

    Girls why do you do this to your kids and to yourself, the stress of the treatments and the combing it a nightmare. Go down to boots and buy an electronic nit comb, you can get cheaper on amazon.

    Which one do you have? Am gonna invest in one of these!

    #117788
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    and don t forget to wash all cuddly toys and stuffed animals too, they make a lovely nest for head lice. We never got letters from the school in 2 years, touch wood.

    #117800
    Jedt
    Keymaster

    Went into my daughters room last night and there she was, sleeping with her teddy on her head! Needless to say, he’s in the washing machine now. It was a horrible few days with this last week. My son was grand for getting them out as he has short hair but my girls were a disaster. It took literally hours.

    am going to invest in the electronic comb, sounds like a good idea and no fussing with treatments and lotions. Although have to say, the homeopathic treatment Berry recommended was better than the one in the chemist. The oil really helped get them out and easier than the shampoos etc.

    Wonder if the electronic comb catches the eggs and small lice too? they are hard to see in the head and are a nightmare to get out. Has anyone with girls who have long hair used the electronic comb?

    I am wrecked from all the combing, checking, washing and scratching. Yuk!!!

    #117801
    Jedt
    Keymaster

    for anyone who needs it, here is the remedy i used, as recommended by Bernie Condon, our resident homeopath (and the person who had to calm me down when I first discovered these horrible little buggars!!!)

    8 drops eucalyptus
    10 drops tea tree
    7 drops thyme
    in 50mls of oil

    Use half this amount for kids under 8yrs.

    Wrap head in clingfilm for 2 hrs.

    Wash/comb with nit comb

    Repeat 3 days later and 5 days later.

    Its not much fun but it worked for us!

    #117802
    Taylor5
    Member

    God Sabbi thats a great treatment if it works… yes all the toys and pillows etc need washing. you also need to watch the baby!!

    Caligal i have the boots one, sabbi im not sure how easy it works on long hair as my boys have short hair. in the amazon link the Robi one says long and short hair, the boots one looks very like the medisana model.
    Good luck girls.

    #118280
    Jedt
    Keymaster

    We are fully headlice free now (although as I even write this, I am scratching my head!!)

    It took 2 weeks to get rid of it totally out of our 6 year olds hair because it is so thick.

    We tried lots of things but I really liked (as much as you can ‘like’ headlice products) the Nitty Gritty comb and products.

    My 6 year old, whose head was combed every day for 2 weeks with those awful little combs, said their comb was the best, it did not hurt her head. the solution & repellent smell ok and are not full of chemicals.

    Lets just hope we don’t need any of them again – although, think we’ll keep on using the repellent just incase!!

    #121767
    Jedt
    Keymaster

    There has been an epidemic of head lice over the past few months in our children’s school and every day we are using the Nitty Gritty repellant spray as well as washing with a tea tree shampoo and so far, this is working for us.

    I was very stressed dealing with head lice and really do not want to go through that again – prevention is better than cure!!

    Hope what we are doing keeps working as some kiddies we know are going through it at the moment!

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