Argghh, lice! My daughter brought it home from school, now...?!
Question: Argghh, lice! My daughter brought it home from school, now!.!.!.!?
I can't seem to get rid of it! We got the medicine wash and the spray and the comb!.!.!.!.I washed her hair Thursday as directed, then combed with the nit comb (took 3 hours)!. I got about 5 live bugs out and just a few eggs - thought I did a really good job!. We also did the laundry thing, sprayed the sofa's, chairs, mattresses, and vacuumed!. I have checked her the next day and then again on Saturday - didn't see anything, so thought we were safe (yes I was going to do another shampoo treatment in 7 - 10 days as directed, but it isn't time yet)!. Well just before bed tonight I thought I should check her again - OMG! No lice, but tons of eggs (ok I think I got about 20) - this time we combed her hair strand by strand for about 4 -5 hours! I know I got them all!. And durning that time my husband rewashed her bedding!.
Question is, is this normal!? Do I need to retreat whole house!? Since she was up so late with me getting the eggs out, she is staying home tomorrow and I think I shouldWww@Answer-Health@Com
Question is, is this normal!? Do I need to retreat whole house!? Since she was up so late with me getting the eggs out, she is staying home tomorrow and I think I shouldWww@Answer-Health@Com
Answers:
Don't shampoo more often than it says to!. Used too often it's a neurotoxin, and you really just shouldn't!.
I'm surprised you found as many as 5 bugs and only a few nits!. Usually people find tons of nits (I found only 1 bug, and about 60 nits when my daughter got them this summer), and fewer bugs!.
The spray is really unnecessary!. A metal comb is the best idea; if you're using the plastic comb that came with the shampoo, you should probably buy a metal comb!.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends the creme rinse (Nix), not the shampoo (Rid)!. I found the shampoo didn't work as well!. But if you've used the shampoo, wait a week before using the creme rinse!. Also, CVS has a store brand of it, which is cheaper!.
The success with lice is in the nit picking!. You should pick her over every night for 2 weeks, and don't panic if you find nits you've missed!. Then do the second treatment!. Check her each week after that, but don't obsess!.
When you say "retreat the whole house," that's just overkill!. Houses don't get lice, people do!. But have you checked every other family member!? This may be quite important!. Plenty of moms get lice you know!.!.!.!.:-)
It's probably good that you washed her bedding again!. Hot water and drier dried, right!? I like to vacuum the upholstery, then run a hot iron over it, using a setting that won't ruin the upholstery of course!. And personal items that can't be washed (stuffed animals!?) should be put in a sealed plastic bag for 2 weeks!.
It's always scary when they show up again, but you will get rid of them eventually!. Really!. :-) Good luck!.
Also!.!.!. pets do NOT carry lice, so don't worry about that!. And don't bleach your house!. It's not going to help!. If you're worried about the car upholstery (and most of the experts agree there's little need), just vacuum it, and if you want, iron it like you did the indoor upholstery!. If it's vinyl or leather it's unnecessary!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
I'm surprised you found as many as 5 bugs and only a few nits!. Usually people find tons of nits (I found only 1 bug, and about 60 nits when my daughter got them this summer), and fewer bugs!.
The spray is really unnecessary!. A metal comb is the best idea; if you're using the plastic comb that came with the shampoo, you should probably buy a metal comb!.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends the creme rinse (Nix), not the shampoo (Rid)!. I found the shampoo didn't work as well!. But if you've used the shampoo, wait a week before using the creme rinse!. Also, CVS has a store brand of it, which is cheaper!.
The success with lice is in the nit picking!. You should pick her over every night for 2 weeks, and don't panic if you find nits you've missed!. Then do the second treatment!. Check her each week after that, but don't obsess!.
When you say "retreat the whole house," that's just overkill!. Houses don't get lice, people do!. But have you checked every other family member!? This may be quite important!. Plenty of moms get lice you know!.!.!.!.:-)
It's probably good that you washed her bedding again!. Hot water and drier dried, right!? I like to vacuum the upholstery, then run a hot iron over it, using a setting that won't ruin the upholstery of course!. And personal items that can't be washed (stuffed animals!?) should be put in a sealed plastic bag for 2 weeks!.
It's always scary when they show up again, but you will get rid of them eventually!. Really!. :-) Good luck!.
Also!.!.!. pets do NOT carry lice, so don't worry about that!. And don't bleach your house!. It's not going to help!. If you're worried about the car upholstery (and most of the experts agree there's little need), just vacuum it, and if you want, iron it like you did the indoor upholstery!. If it's vinyl or leather it's unnecessary!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
Be sure to include any pets as well, cats and dogs can keep the cycle going!.
Try spraying the entire house with a mix of 1gallon of water with 1/2 cup of bleach and 1/2 cup of vinegar!. Place this mix in a spray bottle and spray it in hard to reach areas including any closets, appliances, shoes, base boards and heater/cooling vents!. Also make sure you do your cars as well, many people forget to do their automobiles!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
Try spraying the entire house with a mix of 1gallon of water with 1/2 cup of bleach and 1/2 cup of vinegar!. Place this mix in a spray bottle and spray it in hard to reach areas including any closets, appliances, shoes, base boards and heater/cooling vents!. Also make sure you do your cars as well, many people forget to do their automobiles!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
The best thing to use is a thick white conditioner (like Pantene), it frees the eggs from the hair and makes it easy to comb them out!. Also remember to wash all bedding and towels in hot water!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
Firstly, I wouldn't worry too much!. Our pediatrician told us that finding eggs only isn't an indicator of an "active infestation"!.
Secondly, if you didn't find any live lice, then shampooing isn't going to help much!. The shampoo only kills the live lice - it doesn't affect the eggs!. That's why you have to repeat in 7-10 days!. It takes about 6-9 days for a "baby" lice to hatch out of its egg, so if you repeat the treatment in 7-10 days, you (in theory) kill all the newly-hatched lice before they have a chance to mature and copulate and lay more eggs!.
Maybe you just missed some eggs the first time you went through!. I know from personal experience that combing hair for lice gets boring and frustrating after only about 20 minutes - I can't imagine doing it for hours!.
Did you wash her hats/coats!? Did you you soak her hairbrush or comb in hot soapy water (dishsoap works excellently)!? Did you wash all of her blankets!? Are all of her stuffed animals either sprayed the heck out of with the spray or in plastic garbage bags for two weeks!? Lastly, I would suggest putting her pillows in the dryer on the medium/perm-press setting!. (Personal experience has revealed that lice can apparently live in the pillows!.!.!.)Www@Answer-Health@Com
Secondly, if you didn't find any live lice, then shampooing isn't going to help much!. The shampoo only kills the live lice - it doesn't affect the eggs!. That's why you have to repeat in 7-10 days!. It takes about 6-9 days for a "baby" lice to hatch out of its egg, so if you repeat the treatment in 7-10 days, you (in theory) kill all the newly-hatched lice before they have a chance to mature and copulate and lay more eggs!.
Maybe you just missed some eggs the first time you went through!. I know from personal experience that combing hair for lice gets boring and frustrating after only about 20 minutes - I can't imagine doing it for hours!.
Did you wash her hats/coats!? Did you you soak her hairbrush or comb in hot soapy water (dishsoap works excellently)!? Did you wash all of her blankets!? Are all of her stuffed animals either sprayed the heck out of with the spray or in plastic garbage bags for two weeks!? Lastly, I would suggest putting her pillows in the dryer on the medium/perm-press setting!. (Personal experience has revealed that lice can apparently live in the pillows!.!.!.)Www@Answer-Health@Com
I feel your pain!. I was staying at my sister's a few years back and there was a lice epidemic at school and I couldn't believe the amount of laundry and combing through hair we ended up doing!. Just reading your post and thinking back makes my head itch!.
Yes, it is normal!. I would treat any area that your daughter's head has been near since the last treatment - spray the whole house again!. And I would do the shampoo again tomorrow!. Lice die after a couple of days without a human host so areas that she hasn't been around should be fine, but her room is probably a hot zone!.
Also found this website that was pretty helpful!.
http://www!.drgreene!.com/21_640!.html
Good luck!Www@Answer-Health@Com
Yes, it is normal!. I would treat any area that your daughter's head has been near since the last treatment - spray the whole house again!. And I would do the shampoo again tomorrow!. Lice die after a couple of days without a human host so areas that she hasn't been around should be fine, but her room is probably a hot zone!.
Also found this website that was pretty helpful!.
http://www!.drgreene!.com/21_640!.html
Good luck!Www@Answer-Health@Com