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I’m Sierra. I live in the Boston area with my family.

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And then there were lice…

by Sierra on October 8, 2010 · 13 comments

in Uncategorized

So the day the kids stopped vomiting, but a day or two before they were done with the fevers and sleeping-14-hours-a-day part of their week, I found lice in Rio’s hair.

The next day I found them in mine.

Maybe shaving my head was rash, but at that point I had already done 100 loads of laundry in two weeks. I wasn’t about to get into the whole combing and shampooing and whatevering for myself when I also had to do it on the kids.

I started shaving. I realized: Maybe I should have had a mirror for this. And some skills. This was the first time I had ever tried to shave any part of my body, if we don’t count that time in 8th grade when I took a razor to my legs before prom.

Then my dinner guests arrived. I’d started with the sides and back of my head because rumor has it that’s where lice like to hang out. And by rumor I mean the CDC guidelines on how to get rid of the buggers.

So, with friends visiting and my head half-shaved, I abandoned the project.

Which left me walking around with a mohawk. A mohawk which, I’m happy to note, has been completely lice-free for weeks.

Wish I could say the same of the girls’ hair.

Dear October: no more distasters large, small or inbetween, mmmkay?

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  • Meghan

    A lot of the OTC lice meds are becoming ineffective, the bugs are becoming resistant. You can soak your daughters’ hair in oil then wrap it in saran wrap for at least 8 hours, repeat once a week to kill newly hatched lice.

    Lice also don’t like tea tree oil. It won’t help for this infestation, but try adding a few drops to their shampoo to prevent another round.

    These are pretty common tips (you’ve probably already heard them), but they do work. Feel free to email me if you want/need more information.

    Would Rio and Serena like to copy their mama’s Mohawk? It might be the easiest solution!

    [Reply]

    Sierra Reply:
    October 8th, 2010 at 1:10 pm

    I tried them on the Mohawk idea; no love. And yeah: I think the medicated shampoos didn’t do much at all. The only thing that really seems to help is nit combing.

    [Reply]

  • http://creidylad.livejournal.com/ creidylad

    Been there with the lice. If they are resistant to all the less-strenuous delousing approaches, I will tell you what works: You COMPLETELY COVER each child’s scalp and hair in oil (we used olive oil) at night time, put them in a shower cap, put extra towels (the oil WILL leek) down under them to sleep. Wash in morning. Rinse, repeat, for a week, or two weeks for particularly thick hair. The oil smothers the hatching lice. You still need to come and de-nit before bedtime for a while.

    Once you are lice-free, use one of these products (or make your own in a mister bottle at home): http://www.fairytaleshaircare.com/ These will not get rid of the lice, once you have nits, but it will discourage FUTURE lice.

    We use the spray-in conditioner as a detangler and since we started using it 3 years ago have not had a single case of lice, despite getting them every 6 months or so before that. Also, the kids have fewer tangles and scream less when we brush. Win/win!

    Meanwhile, that is one stylin’ mohawk.

    [Reply]

    creidylad Reply:
    October 8th, 2010 at 1:23 pm

    PS — the CDC and Harvard School of Public Health are hesitant to push the oil-on-hair method though if you dig deep they acknowledge that the limited double-blind studies done on it seem to be effective. However, if you hire the $300/hour delousing experts (they are out there), this is what they do. And it works.

    [Reply]

  • http://www.transparental.com m.

    I’m sure that you’ve gotten enough advice by now, but I want to cast another vote for the olive oil. Sabine had lice several years ago and the oil, though very sloppy, worked very well.

    [Reply]

    Sierra Reply:
    October 8th, 2010 at 5:56 pm

    Oil it is! Thank you!

    [Reply]

  • Jael2413

    This reminds me of when I was a kid. I’m one of seven, and one spring, we all got pink eye. As soon as one of us got better, another one would get it, until the doctor gave Mom permission to dose us all. After a month of that, one of us got chicken pox. Mom decided to get it over with as fast as possible and didn’t worry about not exposing any of us. I guess I better go show my mom some love.

    Good luck!

    [Reply]

  • Anonymous

    Having been through this all too recently … I extend you massive sympathy. I’ll ask the universe to send you fewer educational experiences this month :}

    [Reply]

    Sierra Reply:
    October 9th, 2010 at 8:42 pm

    Thank you!!!

    [Reply]

  • susanna eve

    the health food store herbal stuff works. When we had lice last time, I tried the herbal stuff and the lice really did die. You still have to pick nits no matter what method you use and keep combing and looking until you haven’t seen a live bug in 2 weeks, that is really the only way to get rid of them. Unfortunately there is no evidence that any kind of spray or product works at all to discourage catching them again. What works is not sharing, combs, hats etc. and if kids in your kids’ schools have lice and their parents are really working at getting rid of them, your kids will catch them again. You don’t have to shave your head, just go down to 1/8′ or less, easier to do socially these days for adults or boys, at least where I live. I regularly check my daughter, every few weeks, lice are also easier to get rid of if you catch them early.

    [Reply]

  • susanna eve

    the health food store herbal stuff works. When we had lice last time, I tried the herbal stuff and the lice really did die. You still have to pick nits no matter what method you use and keep combing and looking until you haven’t seen a live bug in 2 weeks, that is really the only way to get rid of them. Unfortunately there is no evidence that any kind of spray or product works at all to discourage catching them again. What works is not sharing, combs, hats etc. and if kids in your kids’ schools have lice and their parents are really working at getting rid of them, your kids will catch them again. You don’t have to shave your head, just go down to 1/8′ or less, easier to do socially these days for adults or boys, at least where I live. I regularly check my daughter, every few weeks, lice are also easier to get rid of if you catch them early.

    [Reply]

    Sierra Reply:
    October 10th, 2010 at 12:17 am

    Thanks for those great tips!

    [Reply]

    Sierra Reply:
    October 10th, 2010 at 12:17 am

    Thanks for those great tips!

    [Reply]

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