I can't believe I'm even having to type this all out, but let me tell you. Once you get lice, it changes your life. It probably doesn't help that the first time our kids got it (September 2015), it was a BAD infestation. All I had to do was look down in to Sydney's hair and I saw countless bugs. That process took me over a week to not see anything & two weeks to finally stop finding anything every other day. It took over our life. I was an emotional wreck. I was very open about it on social media, and ever since then, I get sooo many questions or messages the second someone else's kid gets lice. It's happened so often, I figured I'd just write down all my info here as a guide for you (and for me to remember!!) when your family gets it.
Since the first time, I have found nits in some of kids here and there and have gotten it under control fast. I want you to learn how to check often and being aware so you don't get to the point of crazy!
First things first, check your kiddo's head at least once a week. You'll miss a week here or there, but you need to make a habit of checking often. You will likely find the nits before you ever see a bug. The nits look like tiny tear drops usually a couple inches from the root and if you flick at them, they won't come off. You will have to use your finger nails to slide it off the strand of hair. Check around the ears and the base of the hair by their neck, but don't just stop there. Look in thin amounts of hair.. the nits are a natural color that blend in to blonde AND brown hair very easily. They are TINY.
I honestly suggest, to buy this comb ASAP to have on hand. You can find so many lice combs out there, but nothing grabs the knits or bugs like this one. Trust me! One purchase, and then you just have it any time you're curious if you need to check. My head itches often because I have another condition that makes me itch. I will take the comb with me in the shower and check my hair all the time with conditioner in my head. I'm so glad I have it!
If you find yourself with lice in your house. Do not hesitate to buy this Clear Lice shampoo immediately. Watch THIS VIDEO to see how amazing it works. It does work! After spending over $400, with NOTHING working, this worked the first time! I'm a HUGE believer in it!
But what do you do until it ships to your house?? My biggest suggestion is to go get all our bedding/pillows/stuffed animals bagged up &/or in the dryer asap. Heat kills the little suckers. Then, do this trick at home while you wait. It's called the Cetaphil face wash lice treatment. You can also do mayo/wrap your head over night. That isn't fun because it stinks & it drips as it "melts" a bit, but you have to smother them! Also, after ANY treatment, blow dry the hair and straighten small sections of hair. The heat will kill any remaining nits. The bugs live on the scalp, so the shampoo will really help get those, as a straightener can't really get to the scalp!
Do not fall in to the money traps of the items in store you can buy. THEY DON'T WORK. The directions aren't correct and they don't kill any thing. We bought the NIX stuff and after TWO treatments, our comb was still pulling off alive bugs. After a week of trying anything a store had to offer, I called our doctor's office. Desperate for some kind of stronger "medicine," they told me the directions on those products aren't correct. It will tell you to rinse it, use condtioner, etc...when in reality, apparently it won't work if you use conditioner. Um what?? There is no way to brush your hair after a treatment without conditioner. Don't even get me started on trying to use a lice comb after shampoo without conditioner. The nurse told me those products set you up to fail to make more money. It's a joke. It's also so true. Just don't do it. There are so many home remedies that work better.
If you're an oil user, using tea tree or rosemary EO can help if you use coconut oil or mayo to slather all over. If you do those remedies, make sure you're getting everrrrrry strand slathered in it. I am always surprised when I go to cover all the hair and I pick through and still see DRY areas! Get in to ALL the hair.
Once you've treated with the Clear Lice (I'm not kidding, just get it!), you need to be checking daily until you don't find anything. Then you can do every 2-3 days to keep checking. This is where the problems come with people. They can't get rid of it, their kids keep getting it, etc. Once you think you've gotten rid of it, you probably haven't. It takes ONE stinking bug to start it all over. You don't know if you missed one on a shirt, a couch, a pillow, a blanket. You HAVE to keep checking. For a few weeks! When I hear people say, "We treated it and it's gone." I think, NOPE. You don't know! After the couple weeks of checking, what comes next? More constant checking! I know it sounds ridiculous and as time goes on and you find nothing you think you're fine. Let me tell you, I have found nits in Sydney's hair 3 times (total of 4!) since that first horrible infestation only 3 years ago! Elementary school is the worst! Probably because parent's treat them and send them on their way and aren't checking like they should be! By me checking, we keep it at bay immediately. There's a HUGE difference in getting it and taking a day or two to get rid of it vs. having to take weeks to get it out of your house. You want to keep in front of it.
Anyone can get it. Do you sit in movie theater chairs, do you ride in airplanes, do you hug people, do you get your head close in a selfie? We all all do these things. Of course my kids are so aware of not sharing hats/scarves, getting their hair close to a friend, etc...but there's only SO much you can do. You can get it from someone who isn't even aware they have it yet! Lice don't discriminate!
To prevent it, I do believe there are steps you can take, but let me tell you. There is nothing you can do that is 100%. Putting tea tree in your shampoo can help, but if you think it makes you bullet proof, I don't agree. I do these things in preparation too, but we've still gotten it.
Ways to prevent!
-Lice don't like dirty hair - don't wash your kids hair daily!
-You can use sprays like this if you want (I do, too!) just in case!
-Braids or pony tails on girls, keeps their hair away from other people's hair more than wearing it down!
-Check, check, check their hair! Yours, too!
-Adding tea tree/rosemary oil to your shampoo/conditioner or buying these
Again, I don't think you can just do all these things and you'll magically be lice free, but they don't hurt! I wish I could say buy the Clear Lice ahead of time, but it does expire after about a year or two (not exactly sure) so you don't want it to sit untouched and go bad! The second you get it though, order it. I know it's $30, but after WASTING hundreds of dollars, please trust me. This isn't sponsored. I truly love it and recommend it to every one!
Let me know if you have any more questions as I'm sure I've missed some little steps!
Don't let this be you! This was from September 2015, using Nix, not having a clue it wouldn't work!
We found the lice the day my friend came to visit. She was a ROCKSTAR and helped up pick through it all. Thank God she didn't end up with it!
The picture of Sydney shows how I slather the hair and wrap it. We use headbands to keep it snug and sleep in it like that!
- Stephanie
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