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Avatar universal

Can't get rid of LICE! HELP!!!!!

My 3 and a half year old has been battling lice for 6 MONTHS.  We have tried RID, NIX, olive oil, Licefreee, nit-picking by hand (HA, HA, she's 3--she won't even sit still for 5 mins, let alone an hour to go through every strand of hair!!.  Every time I think they are gone, they show back up again.  My other kids are clear, and DH insists he can't find any on me (thought I'm awfully itchy--could be psychological).  Doc is not helpful, says the prescriptions available are not good for kids, (fine, but....)offers no other options, just says to pick them out by hand.  I have plastic on everything, change bedding, bagged up stuffed toys.
I finally got fed up and did a no-no--I double dosed her with RID, and then Nix in one day.  When I went to comb and pick nits, I found several LIVE lice!!!!!!  I realize now that they are resistant mutants, and the chemicals aren't working, so there is no point in continuing to expose her to the chemicals, but what can I do????  I am at my wits end, and she announces to EVERYBODY that she has "buggies" in her hair, as she scratches away.  I am MORTIFIED, and want them GONE.  Any suggestions would be appreciated!!!!!  Thank You!
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Avatar universal
There is a way to get rid of them. We got it from school kids two different times and our treatments worked both times. You don't need to shave your kid's head. They can still live in a quarter inch of hair anyway. So unless you shave them completely bald there is no use. Nothing kills the nits. So depending when you discovered your kid has lice the mother has been laying 3 to 5 eggs a day. The eggs hatch in 7 to 10 days so if you are finding a good amount of eggs keep in mind that they will be hatching at different intervals so this is why you do a treatment then a few days later you find more lice. It's not that you aren't getting rid of the live ones, it's just that new ones are hatching cause nothing kills the eggs. So this is what we do when we find lice: mix two tablespoons of shampoo with one teaspoon of essential tea tree oil and three tablespoons of coconut oil. Double or triple the ingredients as needed depending on how thick and long the hair. Smother the mixture all through the hair so that it is completely saturated and cover with a plastic shower cap and leave for 8 hours. Then shampoo and rinse hair. When dry you can check for nits and try to pull out the ones you find but you'll probably miss some cause they are hard to see. No worries just repeat treatment every 7 to 10 days until they are gone. We usually do 3 treatments. In-between treatments make sure you are washing pillow cases. You don't have to get all crazy cleaning like a psycho cause they generally can't live more than 24 hours without a host anyways. I also make up a tea tree oil and lavender oil spray and spray my kids hair every day on dry hair in-between treatments. It also is a good preventative treatment to use on hair during school year. Just buy one of those smaller spray bottles and fill it with distilled water and add about 20 to 30 drops off tea tree oil and 10 drops of lavender oil shake and spray hair. I also put tea tree oil in shampoo as a preventative. It's great for the scalp anyways and if you have any issues with demodex mited it kills them in 4 minutes when used at 50% strength. This really works. Just keep in mind you are only killing the live lice. You gotta wait for the babies to hatch before you can get the next generation if there are any nits left in the hair. That's why you repeat every 7 to 10 days.
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1 Comments
Do you wet the hair before saturating in the concoction or do it with the hair dry? Also, do you comb it out after it's been 8 hours?
17028526 tn?1453147477
I am a professional head lice & nit professional. This is what I do for a living.  Do not use over the counter lice treatments.  They are toxic to children and are being banned by the CPSC and the EPA.  You don't need to use toxic chemicals on your family to rid them of head lice and nits.  You only need something to keep the hair moist for several hours and a good lice comb (terminator lice combs are the best).  Use olive oil to completely saturate the hair and go in very small sections to remove head lice & nits.  If it's a severe case, sleep in olive oil for several days (for at least 8 hours each) because lice can hold their breath for 6 hours.  The reason most people cannot get rid of head lice is because they do not get out all the nits.  If you don't remove them they will just keep hatching over and over again.  If you have long thick hair, have someone help you.  You won't be able to do it alone.  The hair has to be sectioned in very small sections.  SKIP the lice combs from the drugstore.  The tines are not close enough together to get the nits out.  Contact me at ***@**** and ask any question you want.
Helpful - 1
3 Comments
A very informative piece of advice...... Thank you.
Where do u get this terminator comb
I am struggling with this as well where do i get the better comb
Avatar universal
My child has been dealing with head lice for 5 months already. You aren’t the only person going through this and I know how hard it can be to get rid of them!!! Girls in her class have them which means she keeps getting them over and over again. We keep getting rid of them till only one or two nits are left on the entire head, and then the next day she will come home from school with another infestation. The only good advice I can give  you is to go to a lice center. It is like a hair salon but for lice. They may cost around $100 but I have heard from other parents that an appointment there is very effective, the only risk is getting them AGAIN after getting rid of them. Hope this helps and good luck :)
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Roxanne wow you must not be a mother...shaving a little girls hair would be just terrible and what it would do to her confidence. My bf said the same thing..he's crazy! If you truly follow the steps exact, you will eventually get rid of the lice.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Shave her head and buy some cute Doo rags or hats
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Have you had any success?  My daughter had issues for years when she was in primary school.  She had long thick hair and it was a battle.  So much lost time from school (weeks, not days) as they wouldn't allow her back unless she was completely nit free.  After a few years of dealing with lice at least three times each school year, finally broke down and paid a professional device to come do her hair.  I bought their product and used it a couple times in the years to follow, it was so easy and hassle-free.  I have the bottle of it still tucked away so if you need me to I'll dig it out and tell you what it's called as I don't recall exactly.  On a side note, whenever my daughter came home with head lice it seemed everyone got it but me, even though she was always sleeping in my bed using my pillows and such.  The only explanation anyone could come up with, is that I was the only one in the house who used a hair dryer daily to dry my hair.  It's believed the heat kept them away; maybe bearing that in mind might help you once you get rid of them.
Helpful - 0
1 Comments
I was wondering what you used my daughter is the same she has a very dry scalp, her is also long and thick. Please help! We used Cetaphil and other different things and it will not stop coming back.
Avatar universal
I know it sounds crazy...  but I am a professional cosmetologist, my instructor taught me in school that a PERM will Kill them!! Do not perform at home with out competent knowledge and following all directions because hair can be ruined!!!  My niece had lice that wouldn't go away I put the perm solution on (no rollers just combing it straight. Left it on five minutes, rinsed...blotted really well. Neutralized.. rinsed again.. the dark nits basically got fried, turned white and I started combing them from the hair. She never had a problem again. Again use EXTREME PRECAUTION!!!  There are creams, cotton you can use to protect the scalp and hairline. Use a towel to protect the eyes and make sure you do NOT LEAVE ON TOO LONG!! I hesitate to mention because damage to hair can be done, BUT IT WORKED!!!  Hope this helps!!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Pediatric PA here. I will say this, over the counter remedies, though helpful for many, are not always effective. Prescription "shampoos" are 100% effective if used correctly. Also, most are approved for children 3 years of age so I would talk to another doctor if they are saying your child is "too young." The problem with these medications is that they are not in actuality shampoos. You do not use them in the shower. You do not immediately rinse them. Products such as Sklice and Natroba should be applied to dry hair and left on for around 20 minutes. After that point they should be rinsed out and no other products should be placed in the hair for 24 hours if possible. The reason many people fail treatments is improper usage. Follow directions closely and do not assume something is to be used like a shampoo just because it has a shampoo bottle appearance.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Use Cetaphil Skin Cleanser in a pump. Generic is fine. Drench DRY hair. Make sure to separate hair in to very small bunches. Massage into scalp. Comb through so ALL hair, long or short is COMPLETELY DRENCHED. Then blow dry. Leave on at least 8 hours. Wash out. Then comb hair to look for nits. This is a very gentle process and can be repeated frequently. At least 3 treatments every 5 days, regardless of whether or not you see any nits.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
1. Delouse

2. Remove nits by completely saturating hair with any cheap conditioner and then use lice comb

3. Repeat #2 one week later to make sure all nits are out.

My friend skipped step 1 and was able to get rid of lice by doing step 2 a few times. It works. LIce are stuck in conditioner and nits easily slide off hair.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Clearlice is the best product. I had tried all the others too and this one is the only and best one out there. You don't have to pick out the eggs they fall off with using the combination they send with the shampoo. When you order it order the small kit it comes with everything you will need. Make sure after the first time you wash all bedding and spray down everything in the house she sits on with the spray that comes with it. Good luck
Helpful - 0
1 Comments
Comb*
Avatar universal
they only live in realy clean hair dont wash it as much.
Helpful - 0
1 Comments
This is not true because if it was my daughter wouldnt get lice and we unfortunately are going crazy it seems every month we are coming home with lice, and I can promise you my daughter does everything in her power to not wash her hair but twice a week if so its more its because I made her.the school wont send kids home anymore when I was growing up they did checks if one person had it and sent kids who had it home.
Avatar universal
OK so my family has head lice and body lice. This may sound crazy but your whole family is probably infested. We have no idea how long we have had it but you can tell if your family has it by buying this stuff called lice free spray you can get it at the dollar general and you spray it on your skin and rub then they will come out of your skin(a lot). But we can not get rid of them we have read that there is a new strain that are immune to most over the counter stuff they are called super lice and they are infesting 25 states right now so even if someone does get rid of them your kids will go back to school and get more so honestly I don't know what the USA is going to do (you may not live here but they are probably in your country two)but if someone has the same thing please respond....
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2 Comments
I believe my daughter has super lice.  I have tried rid shampoo, dr prescribed shampoo, vinegar, vegetable oil, and peroxide(not diluted). And brush through her hair with nit brush. And nothing has worked, or even slow it down at all.  I don't know what to do.  I you or anyone can help or have any suggestions I would greatly appreciate it.  Thanks
Australia
:'(
My daughter has for the past three months
Cried so much
I have become her full-time hair picker
Hair dryer one hand nit comb nit vacuum in the other
I'm so past over it

Avatar universal
Try LiveMD it worked twice in my home. These little critters wont be coming back after using this!!! LiceMD has odorless poison. Also, instead of chemicals, you can use vinegar.It almost instantly gets rid of them! Sure its stinky, but it works!
Helpful - 0
18029885 tn?1462499024
After months of dealing with lice, spending over $1000 on my 2 step daughters lice, we even hired a "specialist" to come into our home and get rid of it, tried all sorts of over the counter treatments and DIY treatments. We were at our wits' end when I came to the conclusion that the ONLY way we were going to get rid of it was by manually removing nits and bugs. I would spend an hour combing them and nit picking every morning and every night, then douse their hair in olive oil or vaseline and have them sleep with a shower cap. I would wash with the lice shampoo in the morning and re do everything again. I would count each nit one by one. When I started doing this they had over 150 eggs each! and several bugs, by the 5th day I was only finding 2-4 eggs and no bugs. After that I combed them and nit picked them once a week for 2 more weeks and found little to nothing. Never had to deal with lice again. So after so many months, I got rid of it in 5 DAYS by good old fashioned nit picking. Moral of the story is, stop exposing them to tons of harmful chemicals that don't work, make the sacrifice every day, yes 2 hours a day nit picking per child. But it will save you SOOOO much time and money and utter frustration it's not even funny.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
My daughter got lice about a year ago.  Because I had no idea right away that it was lice since I'd never seen it before, by the time I did realize what it was, she had it bad and I had it too.  Her entire scalp was covered.  I tried the name brand lice treatments and looked online but they were all expensive and the store bought ones I tried left live lice and the nits were left so stuck on our hair I couldn't get them off.  I searched on line for at home solutions and came across some information about vinegar.  I came up with my own experimental solution to rid my self and my household of lice and it turned out to be my miracle solution to get rid of lice.  The next day I picked the last two nits that I had missed out of my daughters hair and they were gone.  If you're having trouble getting rid of lice, read my blog post titled "The worst thing your kids can bring home from school - LICE" at neighborhoodmommy.com.  If you follow all of the instructions and don't miss a step, the lice will be gone instantly and you can get everything you need to do it for very cheap at any dollar store.  I promise it works.  I added it to my blog just a few days ago because I want everyone to be able to get rid it so it stops spreading and the only way to do that is to spread the word when you find a solution.
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1 Comments
Trying to get to your blog. Keep getting "can't open server" please send me another way or email me ***@****
Thank you
Avatar universal
I had lice for about half a year once, because no matter what I did they kept coming back. Well, I decided to wait it out, and after about 4-5 months I stopped seeing them, my head stopped itching, and I haven't seen one in about 2 years.
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Avatar universal
Water soluble Tea Tree oil! Pour it onto her hair to saturate it...I tried everything but I have never seen lice jump to get away from it as fast as tea tree!!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I SWEAR by Licefree Spray (not the gel, not the shampoo, the spray is easier.)  I know you said that you tried Licefree but I am wondering if you saturated the hair enough.  It's physically impossible for lice to survive if they've been completely soaked in Licefree.  My children's father is remarried to a woman who has seven lice infested children.  My kids come back from his house with lice almost every time they visit him (which is every two weeks) Ever since I started using Licefreee, I've taken them to the doctor before and after treatment to verify that they had lice to begin with, and that I eradicated it with Licefreee.  When you use Licefree, you have to completely DRENCH the hair.  What I do is put a towel around my daughters shoulders,  take a small section of hair (like one inch by one inch), spray all sides of it from the scalp all the way down to the tip, until it's completely DRIPPING wet.  Move that section to the side and take another section, etc.  If you miss any of the hair, there could be a bug hiding in that one spot and it will not get soaked, so it's extremely important to soak every centimeter of her hair and scalp. Then put her to bed (on a freshly cleaned pillow and freshly washed sheets and blankets).  Lay a towel on her pillow and just let her go to sleep that way.  In the morning her hair will be dry and all of the bugs will be dead. The reason I say that's IMPOSSIBLE for lice to survive once they've been drenched in Licefreee, is because it literally ***** all the water from their bodies.  It's is non-toxic because it's NOT a poison like Rid or Nix. The reason Rid and Nix don't work is because the lice have been evolving to be able to withstand those poisons. I really doubt that lice will ever be able to develop an immunity to dehydration. Every living creature needs water and Licefree won't let them keep it inside their bodies. If you ever use Licefree and seriously drench your daughter's hair with it, you will probably notice that your fingers have "pruned" like they do if you are in the bath too long, and if you touched one of those fingers to your tongue, you'd taste salt.  Your fingers prune up that way because the Licefreee has sucked the water from your skin. It takes me about 15 minutes to fully drench each of my daughters' heads, but those lice have no chance because I make sure to get every little piece of hair and scalp.
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1 Comments
Do you comb in the morning or just wash it out?
Avatar universal
So here it is.... A RID treatment and literally strand by strand combput with a METAL nit comb. After that, white vinegar under a shower cap also a comb out strand by strand process. And new matresses, sheets everything. These docs have no idea that these little tiny alienated mutant bugs don't die unless you literally murder them. I was having the same issue my twins (who are black don't let that fool anyone) kept on month after month getting them. My house is OCD spotless so I'm like wth took em to the doc doc said Yea you did know blacks cannot get lice right I'm like lady I seen the d*** things crawling! So I took matters into my own hands. I purchased new blankets, sheets, mattresses etc threw out all toys (they didn't play with them anyway) and while they were at school I put my gear on vacuumed (I have marble tile lol) bleached scolding hot water on everything I was determined. Haven't seen them little bastards (the lice) in quite some time. It is a pricey process if you do not want to purchase new mattresses buy the zip cover but spray the beds with bed bug spray the immediately cover to suffocate them mugs..  I mean bugs lol I do have 6 children, but only the twins were getting them. And to clear up the white vinegar, the acid in the white vinegar kills them so soak away (smells gross) wash after
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Avatar universal
If you have a boy, just shave their heads. The lice can not live without hair.
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Avatar universal
It may sound crazy but when all of the lice shampoos stopped working i bought Denorex extra strength dandruff shampoo and it works every time on my daughter! I wet her hair, apply Denorex, leave it on for 10 minutes,then rinse. Condition with a coconut and/or tea tree oil conditioner. Then do it all again a week later.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
You should go for Jungle Formula head Lice & Eggs Lotion. It kills the lice & also damages their eggs just to ensure they won't re-occur. It is really very effective. Can be used on Baby's scalp too. Just give it a try & lemme know about it over the comments.

Available online at www.safetykart.com.  
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I have had lice for the past 3/4 years and can not get rid of them no matter how hard I try. I have used just about every product on the market, combed my hair for hours (it is extremely long and thick so very time consuming) and have even cut it all off twice. I am constantly scratching and often have to force myself not to do so in public so people will not become suspicious. I know it is a minor problem compared to what other people are going through, but it causes me major anxiety and worry to the point that I look at every other person and wish more than anything that I can have normal, lice free hair like them. Somebody please help me, I am at breaking point and nearly in tears while writing this.
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