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

[imcrazy2]

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!

[junebug1969]

I should mention that I bought a generic version of Cetaphil at Dollar General for half the price. If you don't own a flat iron, then the blow dryer on high heat should be sufficient. You can protect the scalp with tea tree oil, coconut oil or even vitamin E oil on sensitive areas. And there may be moments where your child squirms from the heat. This happens, adjust the position of the blow dryer and wave it back and forth so you don't hit one spot relentlessly. Try to reassure your child that it's necessary even if you must offer them a lolly-pop, chocolate, etc. Whatever you do don't give up at these "heated" moments. Try to be patient and do whatever it takes to keep your agenda in order, after all it's in their best interest. It's not fun and takes a strong constitution to handle a jumpy child but in the long run it's well worth it.

[junebug1969]

I have been battling my daughter's lice problem for eleven months now and felt hopeless after trying many over the counter products, mostly medicated shampoos that did not work. Also tried olive oil and nit picking which may work however my daughter is mixed race and has unbelievably thick curly hair mid-way down her back. Nit picking was an extremely time consuming and daunting task, especially once the infestation became very severe. I cried about it many times and often felt completely hopeless. It was nearly impossible to comb out all the eggs. I would think that I had but the stubborn things would come back.

I finally found some great tips online (I will try to locate the exact site and post it) that discussed scientific research studies on effective ways to get rid of lice. I tried two methods together and it seems to have worked. I'm not sure which method was most effective since I did both together. Here's what I did: I bought Cetaphil and lathered an ample amount all over her hair. Then I blew it dry on the HIGHEST HEAT setting. I put a shower cap on her head and let her sleep with the dried Cetaphil on her head. In the morning I washed her hair and then blew it dry again, high heat is very important. Because her hair was so thick I sectioned it off to see the eggs better and used the blow dryer as a blow torch aimed directly at the eggs and fried those suckers off!! Dead bugs were falling out of her hair. Next I flat ironed every section of her hair, again the heat is on the highest setting.
I believe we killed all the eggs and bugs the first time but just to be sure I repeated the entire process with the Cetaphil/blow-drying/flat-iron a week later. We still have to pick out all the eggs, which must be in the thousands but at least we have stopped the infestation from getting worse.

I really hope this helps, I know how dreadful lice can be and how frustrated a mother can feel but know that there is hope and this method is very cheap and effective.

[nursegirl6572]

While this thread is very old, it contains a lot of useful tips.  I just wanted to post a link to a great article about myths vs facts:

http://www.ndhealth.gov/head-lice/publications/myths_and_facts.pdf

There is a good bit of inaccurate info in this thread, commonly believed ideas to be "fact" when it comes to lice.  Hopefully the article will shed some light.  For instance, lice do not (cannot) live on stuffed animals.  Lice don't "jump" from person to person.  Direct contact is necessary to spread lice.

Also, I think a good reminder is necessary that one should be cautious what they're using to treat lice.  Most CERTAINLY people shouldn't be using pesticides, or the products used on pets for fleas and ticks!  When in doubt, it's always best to consult your child's doctor.

Treating lice can be very frustrating and tedious, but there ARE ways to do it.  Good luck!

[Dudelston00]

You might not want to use mayo because of salminia. But there are a bunch of different ways.

[Dudelston00]

Hey, try using this shampoo in a purple bottle with a white cap. I don't know the name. but mix it with baking powder and put it in your kids hair for at least thirty minutes try keeping it occupied then use a nit comb to get everything out then wash his/hers hair.

[Dudelston00]

Hey, try using this shampoo in a purple bottle with a white cap. I don't know the name. but mix it with baking powder and put it in your kids hair for at least thirty minutes try keeping it occupied then use a nit comb to get everything out then wash his/hers hair.