Hair lice

[Omzig]

I grew up in a warm and rural Mediterranean country and had lice often. The mitigation strategy was twofold: treat the lice with paraffin mixed with lard (I checked on the 'net, and see that some mix it with coconut oil now - how times have changed); and manually remove the nits. For this, you can either use a nitpicker (grandma) , or a special comb... Sometimes a bit of vinegar was mixed with the paraffin/oil mixture in order to lower the pH value. I can still clearly recall the smell of the whole process. It wasn't fun.

PS: This is just a historic perspective - I'm sure there exist many clinically tested and proven methods to get rid of lice...

[Gizmo]

If lice is a huge problem and your kids are picking them up frequently from school, then I suggest buying a Ryobi comb. You comb your kids hair with the comb and it electrocutes the lice!! It doesn't get rid of the eggs, but it is really useful for preventing and controling outbreaks.

In Aus, the comb is available at most of the large pharmacies - it is a bit pricey - around $50, but it will pay for itself many times over.

[De Kat]

Eegghhh now MY head is ithing. Thank goodnes I have boys, just cut the hair as short as possible. We had this prob a few years back up north, not since.

Getting rid of the eggs on girly hair is easier than it sounds. This came from the mouth of a 9 year old!

There is a lovely new invention on the market for straigthening hair. It also fries lice eggs. Simple.

[Are we there Yet?]

HI Rodz,

The problem here is the kids are not sent home to recover from the lice,they merely get given a form which we need to complete saying yes or no or treatment has begun.I use Moov now once a week (even though they do not have it) just to stop and buggers spreading!

The combs are good but cause lots of tears especially with long hair, eventually I straightened my kids hair with a hair straightner to fry the lice, it did work very well!

Good Luck

[Rodz]

Thanx to all you guys. It getting to the point where my wife want to confront the entire school!!! Some people are just plain filthy. Its so amusing to watch all these kids going around scratching. Its become a norm for them already. And they call us BARBARIC!!!

[Guest natalie3]

I just read this post and im literally "grilling"!!!...lice is something ALL kids will get at some point but i remember when i was at school they sent u home if they saw u had lice!

[Gizmo]

I just read this post and im literally "grilling"!!!...lice is something ALL kids will get at some point but i remember when i was at school they sent u home if they saw u had lice!

I have been scratching my head since I saw this post last night!

I never had lice as a child, but yes, I recall our schools sent you home if you had it.

[GraytoAuz]

Eish!!! Eish - I know how you feel - we are battling for more than a year - even dyed my oldest hair - was radeloos - needless to say it is contaigeous I have also been battling for a year - you need to be on 247 on it!! Nie grappies - you think it is gone and then it is back again!!!

May sincerest condolences!!!!

Where do I get GUMBEZ SJAMPOO in SA?

[polly]

It is spelled Gambex. Ask at the local pharmacy. That is where I get ours. (I even got it at the Clicks pharmacy in Mall@Reds)

[M&Z]

Man o man. The prices we have to pay for this utopia!! My kids hair is covered in hair lice. For all their years of schooling in RSA , not one single parasite. And they were schooling with the entire rainbow nation. We took it up with their teachers but looks like its falling on deaf ears. We are using everything we an possibly get our hands onto. My wife sits for hrs cleaning their hair.By the weekend they are clean....come Monday afternoon and the culprits are back. Its my wifes weekly routine now. Its very frustrating. My daughter is constantly scratching her head.

I would really appreciate some advice please!!

Thanx

I know how you feel. We had the same sort of experience. All the lice products really didn't work for us. Eventually I found what works really well for us : Wash their hair with Head and Shoulders shampoo. (this paralyses the lice), then dry the hair with a hair dryer (they don't like the heat so move to the top of the head - slowly as they are still semi-paralysed) then take a METAL lice comb or a fine metal comb and comb the hair really well, shaking it into the basin after each stroke. Because the nits are quite lethargic from the shampoo, you can virtually pick them out but the metal comb really gets them all aswell as the eggs. I do this two nights in a row and then give them a couple of days. Our daughters have long hair and we tie it up every day. Before they go to school, I give a light spray over the head of hairspray. (a tip I got from a teacher). Because of the sticky consistency, the nits can't move! It really worked for us and I hope it works for you! Good luck!

[alpha]

Hi

If I get lice from kids in UK

I - use teatree oil shampoo

excellent stuff..

I now use it on quite a regular basis..

or drop tea tree oil in shampoo

[VivaOZ]

Hi

I've been warned since before we got here. I've got one thing included in my shopping list every month - Quitnits. You can buy it at any Woolies store in OZ at the shampoo. It is a little blue box. It is a prevention for lice investations and you can also get the one for when you already have lice. Spray on your kids hiar everyday. It does seem to work because we've been here 11 months and no lice so far (touch wood). My fellow SA neighbour's daugter has got hair that hangs under her bum and everymorinig walking to school, you can just smell licespray but it does seem to help.

I have heard that you need to sterilise everything from clothing to bedding but do it in very hot water or let it soak for 2 -3 day because the little bugs are capable of holding their breath under water. So normal washing does not kill them.

[Monica_]

Has had my bouts with lice constantly and tried everything on the market but as soon as they went back to school it starts again as some parents dont care. I have 3 girls with long hair. After another 6 months of washing, combing etc. I asked my doctor and she actually recommended using "frontline". Yes the spray for dogs. It is safe as you can use it on puppies and baby cats under 6 weeks. I dont spray it on directly but spray it into my hands and rub it through their hair. I put a towel over and leave it for 15 minutes. That night I let them sleep on a towel and by morning I couldn't believe how many there were. I kept spraying with maintenance spray - tea tree oil. And they have not had it again. I repeat it every 3 months just in case.

Good Luck.

My head is itching just thinking about this.

steynrr

Hi thanks for your advice. I am definately going to try it. Every second week I get a letter that there is headlice in the school.

Monica

[Goldie]

Had to laugh reading this post. We have had the same problem. 2 girls at school with long hair. The first week at school in OZ and they had lice!! Have been battling ever since. Have even threathened to shave their hair off. It's a nightmare. I even got it at one stage and I was always led to believe that coloured hair was safe from the buggers. Have noticed many of the kids here scratching furiously when we've been out.

[Camper]

We have been through the problem and Frontline is the way to go, 2 treatments and havent seen them again.