<p>More info on the Cetaphil--look at the website nuvoforheadlice.com. This works. LAST SUMMER D got head lice from a hotel during a summer program.</p>
<p>The website gives very precise directions on treatment--and the best thing is because of the importance of timing, you don't have to pick out the nits. This was a true lifesaver--especially since she had never had this problem before.</p>
<p>That is really good to know about Cetaphil. I always have that around anyway (good for rosacea).</p>
<p>And I've been trying really hard to resist saying this, but you know - I feel we're only scratching the surface of this topic. :D</p>
<p>Sorry.</p>
<p>H and D2 are going to Egypt and then Tanzania this summer....using some amount of questionable sleeping locales..... I already told them they'd have to do their own lice searching/treatment (before they can come home!) We had one lice "scare" and the girls both have gone through lice "checks" over the years. I'll keep this thread in mind for reference in August!!!</p>
<p>My dad always has Cetaphil on hand (he has bad Psoriasis)...I never would have thought of putting it on my head for lice though! </p>
<p>Makes sense when you think about it...that stuff is great for skin, so I doubt it would harm your scalp.</p>
<p>A decade or so ago the head lice problem got so bad in Israel, that at some point the ENTIRE COUNTRY was asked to have their hair treated on the same day (schoolchildren had to bring an empty bottle of shampoo to school the next morning to prove that they were treated). It did not solve the problem entirely, but it helped to get it under control to a great degree.</p>
<p>astrophysics mom - for travel have you considered the sleeping bag syle bed-liner/pillowcase things that are sold in camping stores? I don't know if tightly woven clean fabric would be enough overnight to keep lice out, but it might.
I feel for all those with this in the dorm. One of mine had recurrent pink-eye in her dorm. Equally gross but no nit-picking required.</p>
<p>As a school nurse, I've seen several cases of head lice. It makes my head itch just to think about it. Fortunately, I've never had to deal with it within my own household. The pediatricians I used to work for suggest slathering the head in mayonnaise in the morning, covering it with a shower cap, and washing the hair well that evening. I don't know if it works or not, but it's worth a shot. Missing just one nit can cause the problem to start all over again. I understand the "nit-picking" can be extremely tedious.</p>
<p>As for ticks, I have removed several. Just last week I plucked one from a boy's testicle, but only after he begged me to do it and I gained permission from his parents. It is important to remember that the tick should be grasped with a pair of tweezers as close to the host's skin as possible. With steady pressure, and no twisting, pull away from the skin until the tick releases its grip. Other techniques may cause the tick to burrow in farther.</p>
<p>^Does touching a just-lit-then-put-out match to it work? That's what they told us to do when I took my CPR/First Aid class.</p>
<p>I think the problem with that is that it can cause the tick to -um - vomit its stomach contents into the host (you) which can increase the chance of infection. For ticks that cause lyme disease it is not recommended.</p>
<p>
[quote]
^Does touching a just-lit-then-put-out match to it work? That's what they told us to do when I took my CPR/First Aid class.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I asked that question to one of the doctors I worked for once because my sister (who lives in the country) wanted to know if that would work. He suggested NOT doing that because it would only irritate the tick and cause it to burrow in more. I've never tried it so I can't say. I've never had trouble removing a tick with a good pair of tweezers and steady pressure, though.</p>
<p>
[quote]
I think the problem with that is that it can cause the tick to -um - vomit its stomach contents into the host (you) which can increase the chance of infection. For ticks that cause lyme disease it is not recommended.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>That made ME want to vomit. EWEWEW.</p>
<p>Thanks for the advice...I'll remember to use tweezers (I seriously hope I never have to. ICK).</p>
<p>Can you tell I'm a sheltered suburban girl who's never even SEEN a tick? XD</p>
<p>Since I have a kindergartener, all the moms have been discussing the lice issue, periodically.</p>
<p>I've found some non-toxic alternatives (& heard some horror stories about neurological catastrophes when very toxic products are used--of course it doesn't occur often, but it's enough to scare you).</p>
<p>A few non-toxic:</p>
<p>The Cetaphil treatment (coat hair w/Cetaphil cleanser)
How</a> To Treat Head Lice With Cetaphil | eHow.com</p>
<p>Nuvo</a> for Head Lice</p>
<p>Also--an organic, rosemary-infused shampoo, leave-in-conditioner line called "Fairytales."
Fairy</a> Tales Hair Care for Children</p>
<p>We've been using the Fairytales as a preventative for a few weeks.</p>
<p>My experience with head lice was about twelve years ago..my then kindergartener brought them home to share with sister and my husband and I we started with the over the counter shampoo..when they came back two weeks later, used the presciption treatment..finally used the over the counter treatment that was a conditioner, making the nit combing a lot easier and we finally got rid of them.</p>
<p>My sister had a problem with her daughter a few yrs back and tried to mayo method ...it killed the lice, but not the eggs so the came back..</p>
<p>This year in my youngest's elementary school, the went around ( a lot in her class ) they didn't subside until December and began in June..the same family had them for the entire time and it got to the point where other parents were calling the school to ask what they were doing to keep the girl home until the mother got it under control.</p>
<p>We were lucky and my daughter never got them. We tried some suggestions that we heard, even though we didn't know for sure if they were just old-wive's tales. One was shampooing with Selsun Blue ( a tip I got from a teacher I know that teaches in a special service school where they frequently battle lice )
Another was braids and hairspray in the hair...
At any rate, my daughter never did get them in her infested classroom</p>
<p>Ticks, we get them ( sigh ) just removed one two weeks ago from the back of my knee. I smothered it with Vick's Vapor Rub because I couldn't find any Vaseline. They are easy to get off when you kill them first and it seems like you don't have to worry about the heads remaining.</p>
<p>One more icky thing :</p>
<p>Last year, we has to battle chiggers !!
I had not previous experience with these little nasties.
Talk about itchy !</p>
<p>I think I am going to bathe in bleach now after reading this thread</p>
<p>I have used Fairy Tales when my D's were in elementary school after a couple of particularly bad infestations. I never ever want to go through that again. The first time it was awful my oldest D has very thick hair and was itching for about a week before I realized it was not dandruff but headlice!! Anyway, the nurse said the best prevention is to go through the hair every night for a couple of weeks after treatment and pick out any nits you can find. Worst part is that we were going to Disney the following week and we had to go through airport security (pre-911) with Lice Shampoo in our carry-on!!</p>
<p>I know headlice very well! I always have 3 or 4 children with chronic lice in my class. It's awful, but we deal. Kids keep their jackets on the back of the chairs, we don't use headphones on computers, no naps (therefore no napmats to cross contaminate), I encourage braids for girls, outlaw hugging and playing with hair :( The problem for low-income parents is the cost of washing all the clothing and bedding, transportation to the laundrymat to do the washing, and persistence of effort. The last is the clincher. I have parents treat their kids hair, but never follow through with the combing out the nits - in spite of my continuing entreaties. In chaotic homes with too many kids and not enough order and discipline, the combing doesn't happen. Every year I get "psychological lice" :), but after 15 years, I have yet to get real lice - in spite of many hugs from children with lice. Lice are not as contagious as you think... still, they are a major PITA!</p>
<p>When my 18-year-old was in kindergarten at an expensive school, he came home with lice. His baby brother (who hated to get his hair washed) and his father (large bald spot) didn't get them but I did. I read this thread late last night and I swear I dreamt I had lice. What we did was try the toxic pesticides, and when that didn't get rid of them, we shaved his head. (Apparently in the 1940s, the cure included kerosene!) As for me, my husband thought I'd gone nuts. Shaving my head wasn't an option, so I spent hours combing the things out. You could find me at three in the morning obsessively doing this. The smallest comb did the trick eventually, but TG we never got them again! Anxiousmom, you must be such a sweet teacher. I'm afraid I'd be scared to hug the kids for fear the bugs would jump.</p>
<p>I always burn ticks after removing them, they make a lovely popping sound. </p>
<p>A friend got an email from her son's college on what to do with the bedding they bring home in case they are also bringing home bed bugs. YUCK</p>
<p>Normally, if you buy Nix or any of the other OTC lice treatments, they come with nit combs. You can buy the combs separate, too. LiceMeister</a> Comb A lot of people forget that you are supposed to do a second treatment 7-10 days after the first treatment. Also, if you have lice in your eyebrows, you have to use petrolatum to get rid of them.
Malathion is the old prescription lice killing drug. It is flammable.</p>
<p>Some moms at work (hospital pharmacy) were discussing this topic last week. A fellow pharmacist told us she was spraying the Lavender oil all over. Two of us reminded her of the NEJM article about gynecomastia. I wish my garden lavender would scare off a few pesky bugs. I use lavender in my closet but I wouldn't spray it all over a young son's bedding and clothes.</p>
<p>Reminds me of the phone menu on the campus advice line back in the dinosaur age (pre-computers for the masses)- "Lice Aren't Nice" was a prerecorded what to do message.</p>