[magee]

Oh, Eeeeeek! Three of the five of us have lice! My dd brought it home from Mom's Morning Out and she was infested by the time I discovered it! I've heard that they recur very easily and I don't want to go through all the cleaning of the house and washing of bedding/clothing etc...again. We've all shampooed with RID and I've done my best picking out the eggs and nits, but I know I've probably misssed some! Does anyone have any advice on how to really get rid of the things the first time around? It's been two days and I'm so grossed out that I can't sleep.

[amyfk]

My first response to your post was "UGH." I wonder if you call your child's pediatrician if they will tell you how is the best way to disinfect your home and your family?
When we adopted from Russia, our child brought back the scabies(also bugs). We ended up having to go a specialist dermatologist. If the pediatrician's advice doesnt work, then I'd go up the line.
Feel better!
Amy K, NJ

[ddahl]

I am just sending you a hug! You must be beside yourself! I think RID is what I have heard recommended before. Good luck! Can you call your pharmacist>

[momraine]

First off know that it doesn't mean anything bad about you. Lice prefer clean hair, so it does not mean you are dirty or your kids are. There is such a stigma, but any child can get it. All it takes is one child to get one bug, they can get it from trying on a hat at a store or any number of other ways, often an older sibling will get it at school and give it to the younger ones who give it to their classmates. The pharmacy will have all kinds of things. There is a special shampoo you can use, then you must wash all bedding and if possible all stuffed animals your child sleeps with, all hats, all combs and brushes and hair things, all coats etc. There is also a spray you can use around the house for things that are hard to wash. YOu will have to check the rest of your family as well. The hardest thing to get rid of is the nits (eggs) they look like dandruff, except when you jiggle the hair they are on or blow on them, they don't move, they are stuck to the hair. Dandruf is loose and can easily be brushed out. The nits are stuck and you have to use the special comb sold with or near the lice shampoo to get all the nits out. It's time consuming, especially for girls with long hair and they usually don't like it, but if you leave even one nit, they could come back. Sit them in front of the tv watching a favorite (or new) show while you do the combing. Don't forget to spray or clean the carseats too. It's not fun, but it can be handled. Good luck.

[angelkisses0102]

Last year our then 5 year old DD just got this courtesy of school. We did the 'salad treatment.' Olive oil in the hair, shower cap on, and then a bandana over the cap. Leave on at least 2 hours. Then take a towel soaked in a mixture a vinegar and water (mixed 50/50) for as long as you stand or about 15 minutes. Then use the nit comb (metal if you can find it.) The 'little buggers' are easily seen in the sun...so we did our combing sessions outside. Then a couple of washes (one with a little Dawn dishsoap.) Then the Robicomb and nit picking daily.

We washed EVERYTHING washable in the house. Toys with hair and stuffed animals, etc, bagged for two weeks. Hair clips and hats, anything that went on her head that couldn't be washed...into the freezer for a week.

DD was sent home on a Friday...on Monday she was allowed back to school (they have a no nit policy) and we have had no sign of them...and no one else got them. Lice like clean hair...so DD now wears her hair up and sprayed or down with gel in it. Oh we kept hairspray on our hair that whole weekend as well.

Down here most lice are resistant to the OTC treatments like RID...and after doing some research, I decided against putting pesticeds on her head. There are prescriptions you can get but they are very strong chemicals and we opted to try this salad treatment instead.

Good luck.

[emjay]

There was a huge lice epidemic in DD's school this past fall so treatment was a major topic in town. While she managed to escape it, we were prepared after having friends with lice (unknowingly) sleep at our house for a few days this summer. You've already used the RID...the directions say to do a treatment again 7-10 days after the first time to catch any missed nits that will be hatching. And do the nit-picking daily - it takes a very long time, but worth it to be thorough the first time.

We washed EVERYTHING soft in the house - including all bedding, towels, pillows and slipcovers on furniture. Thoroughly vacuumed anything that couldn't be washed.

During this fall epidemic, we washed our kids' hair with tea tree oil shampoo (lice supposedly don't like the smell so they stay away, but it's not a treatment for after you have lice). I also put DD's hair up and sprayed it until well after the epidemic was under control. As Angelkisses said, lice are becoming resistant to current treatments. Our town and the surrounding ones had lice in EVERY school, and it took a long time before it was gone.

My new policy is to put DD's hair up for the first few weeks of school in Sept., and after the winter holiday breaks - my best attempt at defense.