Head Lice at School - Remedies

I have read that tea tree oil shampoo and hair spray ward off lice. They like a clean head with nothing on it. So if you use hair spray, or if you have used shampoo with tea tree oil you are much less likely to get lice.

I use Castille Oil Soap I get at Super Supplements with tea tree oil every day, because I can't use shampoo (makes me too itchy). They have one with tea tree oil in it. It's also great for dry scalp. The smell is only really apparent when you are shampooing, and mild afterwards.

The little neighbor girl down the street had it and my daughters were exposed, so we did the tea tree oil. None of us has gotten it so far.

Shampoo with Tea Tree Oil in it. don't know why it works, maybe the smell? but it seems to work. also hair gel seems to deter the eggs from sticking to the hair folicles, providing you wash it out each day and re apply the next day. Lucky you, you have a boy.....YOU can shave his head LOL and us with girls, just deal with the mass hair, drama and crying!

You are lucky you have a boy. If he get lice just shave his head. Boys are less likely to get it because they don't share clothes, brushes and hug like girls do. You will probably be fine. If he does get it, its not that big a deal. Try not, you will live we all do.....

This seems to be going on a lot this year, I am hearing it all over the place.
Preventatively you can use a shampoo that has Neem in it. Dr. Hauschka sells one in PCC, maybe Whole Foods. There is also Tea Tree in some products or you can get the oil and mix it in your current shampoo. These should really help. I also find that people using classical homeopathy for a while do not get them.
Good luck,
Liz

Hi D.,
I've had to deal w/ head lice several times both due to kids and the field I work in. The last time I was exposed, I found out about an organic shampoo, called NEEM, which is far less toxic than the standard medical ones and has tea tree oil in it, and is just as effective. It works nicely as a preventive as well. You can get it at health stores; not all of them carry it but, if you are in Corvallis, I found it at Country Vitamins at Circle and 9th. If you get them, don't forget to treat the rest of the family and house as well: the dryer, the freezer, and bagging things up for a couple of weeks help a lot, so only main furnishings need to be treated with insecticide.
L.

Head lice is one of natures unfortunate reminders that we live in community. As such, anyone can get headlice.

My in-home day care provider swears that adding the plant oil "Neem" to an organic basic shampoo and conditioner prevents her family from getting headlice when there is an outbreak. The oil is available at Radiance in downtown Olympia or on-line. I have to warn you, it has a strong scent, which might be part of it's repelent properties. it comes in a small (4 oz) brown glass bottle.

Since you are checking already, get yourself a good metal nit comb and go through your child's hair as a matter of routine. This will pick up any nits much easier than just looking.

Also wash his bedding in hot water at least once a week.

Head lice is an unfortunate part of living in community, and they are not picky about who they choose - crossing socio-economic and hygene habits.

Tea tree oil - it smells awful but I believe you can find shampoos that have it as a base that you can use to get past this. Your local health food store should carry them. Best of luck!!

You already have a lot of ideas but I don't have time to read though them all. I just wanted to put in my two cents :-)
When I was a little girl I remember my mom using white vinegar on my hair, then washing it with regular shampoo when the store bought stuff didn't work. Whenever a letter was sent home about headlice she would use the vinegar again and check my head (ugh!) for a few days. The vinegar seemed to really work because I never had another break-out with it. Hope this helps!

I used to teach school and always heard Lavendar scented shampoos worked.

Get a BugBag for your child. It is the only product I know that prevents head lice from spreading. You can find it on www.bugbagusa.com
Good luck

cooking oil helps with combing out nit or dead eggs, mayo rid dont work they have stronger shampoo u can use ask your doctor or peditricion

I would get a new hair cut for him.

Then vacuum your house thoroughly

like you have never done it before.

Every piece of furniture, under everything, and over.... wash all your linens, and clothing. Go to the pharmacy and there is head lice shampoo there. Have it in hand in case you need it.

If your son starts itching his head, or body, see if you can find lice.

Put him on a white sheet, get a lice comb and check next to his ears. If you find lice do the vacuuming thing again. And shampoo his head. Clean out your vacuum bag each time. If anyone in your house starts itching shampoo their heads.

Through out all his hats.

Period,

washing is not good enough.

Do not allow him to wear hats to school. Get a coat with a hood. Ask the teacher if he can put his coat on his chair instead of next to the other coats--that is how lice is spread.

I had to deal with lice a couple years back. My then 7 year old (who has the thickest, most dense head of hair) came home with one of those notices and when I searched her head, I found a crawler! It was the worst feeling. I tried Nix. That absolutely did not work (come to find out, the lice are starting to become resistant to the over the counter treatments) and I didn't like the chemical residue it left in her hair. I tried the mayo trick and that got rid of them (it smothers them) and it helped with the nit removal process. As a preventative measure I (to this day) use olive oil. They actually make hair products that contain olive oil in them and we've lived through 3 lice scares since then and she's come out of it lice free. So, it's worth a try. It works for us. I've also heard tea tree oil works, but I don't like the smell. Good luck to you!

Since you have a boy it would be a little more easier. Well, I guess I should assume his hair is mostly short. Because the lice actually lay their eggs and inch away from the scalp. But take some tea tree oil and put some drops of it in your shampoo. Something about the tea tree, Lice doesn't like it. Good luck.

Tea tree oil; tea tree oil shampoo. Patch test your child's skin for a reaction to the tea tree oil -- but aside from a possible skin reaction, it is safe to use on a regular basis. My daughter taught head start, and used that to keep the frequent infestations from affecting her. She never had any lice.

Hairspray. Everyone I know who uses it swears by it as a preventative measure.

Having a boy was a blessing for us when this happened at our son's school, because we were able to keep his hair cut REALLY short - a simple and effective preventative measure. Also - add 10 drops of tea tree oil to his regular shampoo. Make sure he washes his hair regularly and blow dry it for the next week or so (lice hate heat and clean hair). We were able to avoid it using tea tree oil and also taking garlic pill supplements (one pill once a day with dinner). This is safe for the little one and wards off lice because they don't like clean blood. If he does happen to get it, cover his hair in olive oil, blow dry, and apply a plastic bag (like you get from the store) tight over his head. Leave it on for as long as he will tolerate it. Do this every day for a few days, it will smother the lice. And of course, wash all the bed clothes every day until the lice are gone. Good luck!

The fact that you have a son instead of a daughter with long hair sharing headbands with her girlfriends makes the biggest difference. But, there is a really good and easy way to protect your son. Buy some hair gel and start styling your son's hair with it every day that he goes to school. Lice hate hair products and will be much less likely to set up home where there is gel.

I am not sure if it works I have not yet had to deal with this, but I was told that if you cover thier head in mayo it helps. But I would say Nix(the shampoo stuff) is the best way to go.

I have heard that Tea Tree Shampoo will help you avoid head lice. Apparently the little guys don't like the peppermint smell of it. We've used it off and on and our daughter has always avoided being a victim of lice!

I have heard and used these suggestions... keep hair short or tight against the head (like a ponytail if it were a girl) and then spray with hairspray or use some "product" in hair. Lice has to be able to attach to the base of the hair and prefers flowing natural hair. I have also heard that they don't like perfume smells. I have used all of these on my kids when there is an outbreak at school and they seem to work. Hope this helps some.

I would not use tea tree oil on a boy. There are several articles on the subject, such as:
http://www.nih.gov/news/pr/jan2007/niehs-31.htm

I know lice really squick most people out, but they are really just one more parasite in a whole universe of parasites--they are just more visible LOL!

Also, just know that lice are attracted primarily to warmth. They don't like to hang out in cold beds, carpets, etc. The main cause of infestation is that they are great jumpers and tend to hop from one kid to another when they have their heads close together--working or playing in a little huddle. You might tell your kid not to get in too close until this subsides.

Yuck is right, only, be prepared for your son to come home with head lice. Not that he will, but my daughter is in first grade, we are exceptionally clean and hygienic, and she has come home with it from school TWICE. Ick.

First and foremost, make sure you stress how important it is that your son knows that it's not okay to share hats and sunglasses as well as coats and sweatshirts and clothing that needs to be pulled on over the head. Secondly, I do not believe that anything will get rid of lice completely other than the over the counter products specifically for lice, but I know that they do not like tea tree oil and that you can comb that through the hair and that should ward them off. I have heard that you can cover the head in tea tree oil and then a shower cap or something of the sort, over night and that should take care of them, but I have not ever wanted to risk not getting them all the first time around so I haven't tried it. I've also heard that oils like olive oil work too.
I sincerely hope that you two are fortunate enough to completely avoid head lice and if not, I hope these things work!

HI D.,
I heard that taking Tea Tree oil and mixing it with your childs shampoo will help prevent the lice...Tea tree oil is very strong so you only need to put a few drops in with the shampoo before you lather their hair. You can find it at any health food store. It may even be available at Fred Meyers in the health food/vitamin section.
Hope this may help!
J.

First make sure he can put his coat and hat in his backpack and zip it up. If not show him how to put them into a plastic bag that can close at the top. That way those little buggers can't "migrate" to his coat and hat. Remind him not to share is clothes or combs or brushes.
Cut his hair short. I was always glad to have boys, hair can be cut really short.
I had friends that got lice, they had 3 girls that had never had their hair cut. It took them 6 weeks to get rid of the lice. The school district that had the no nits policy reported them for the oldest daughters extended absence. They had their home fumigated. The baby got sick and was in the hospital. They lived in a hotel until the house was cleaned. If they had just cut their hair life would have been easier. It took her 2 hours a girl to comb through the hair! She was supposed to do it a least 2 times a day.
Good luck!

Blow drying hair is good to help prevent infestation, lice are intolerant to temperatures hot or cold they like warm bodies. If you do get lice in your family wash everyones bedding in hot water and vacuum well. The Lice Meister comb,is the best way to get rid of lice and nits in hair. That comb specifically works better than any of the other metal combs. When I was in nursing school one of my nursing instructors swore by that comb and when my girls got lice I tried every product even look alike combs, but it was the only one that got the nits I could not see. The chemical shampoos did nothing to the bugs, they were still crawling after an hour. After my oldest got lice twice from school, I started combing with the comb once or twice a week just to make sure there weren't any new nits. It is great at getting rid of them before they can breed. Good luck.

Tea Tree Oil is a good one. You can add it to shampoo or conditioner. For a five year old..maybe three or four drops to a tablespoon of conditioner or shampoo. It not only prevents but helps get rid of existing ones. Lather up and leave it on for at least a minute. Rinse and let hair air dry. Don't do it too often as his hair will smell awful! Its a strong smelling stuff so warn him first..and you can mix it with some honey or vanilla to make it smell better as well. (Neither will hurt his hair. ) Just be careful not to get it in his eyes. It stings worse than shampoo.

My son had head lice in pre-school, and it was horrible, i didn't want to use the harsh over the counter products, but I wanted it taken care of right away. My pediatrician suggested rubbing vaseline in his hair at bedtime, and in the morning use the blue dawn dishwashing detergent. I don't know why the blue, but they said to use that one so I did. It worked!! i did have to go thru his hair picking out the dead nits. I continued for weeks to check his head, fortunately he had very short hair and very light hair so it was easy to see the lice. I also found checking him outside in the sunshine made it easier to spot the eggs and lice as well. Wash all bedding in hot water, if that is not possible put in a large plastic bag for a week, also stuffed animals. Good luck to you.

I have worked with kids for six years(which means I have dealt with lice countless times) Last year at this time my elementary class of kids had, at one point, 12 kids out with lice. Needless to say, I have really long dreadlocks and did NOT want to catch them. Every day before school, I sprayed a solution of several essential oils in my hair. The crucial ones are tea tree and rosemary. You may or may not like the smell, some folks hate it, but i don't mind it at all. My dreadlocks are so big and heavy I cannot wear them up, and they fall to my waist. Elementary kids' heads are tall enough to reach them. There's no way to know if I was exposed for sure, but I'm pretty sure I was, and I never got lice. My daughter is not old enough for school, but when she is I will for sure use this rememdy. Just get a little spray bottle, add some filtered water, and several drops of the rosemary and tea tree oils (just make it strong enough to smell) spray it on the hair and scalp near the neck hariline and behind the ears.

hi,
my kids have not had lice yet.. but i am worried.. i asked my hair dresser tonight while i was getting my hair done and she said nothing will ward off lice.. i keep checking for lice all the time too.. they say to look behind ears and along neck line.. lice like moist warm areas. they grow about an inch out on the hair shaft.
lenc

I always used Weleda brand Rosemary hair oil:

Ingredients (INCI): Arachis Hypogaea (Peanut), Trifolium Pratense (Clover), Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender), Arctium Lappa, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary), Limonene*, Linalool*, Geraniol*, Coumarin*.

* from natural essential oils

My children never got head lice and I'd rub a bit of oil on their hair when I'd hear about a case in the classroom. That's my experience with it, and we never put clothes that had been worn already back in the drawer.

my granddaughter in florida is exposed to this daily and would come home with them,using white vingar after washing her hair and using some kind of hair gel did them under.making them aware of the facts no exchaning hats,combs,ect.. is allowed.she no longer comes home with the little things!!!!!bug free4years!!!!lol

Hi D.,

This is something I know about!!! I so wish I didn't LOL Anyway, there is a company called Lice Knowing You which is fantastic! They have a website which is I believe Lice knowingyou.com :) The techs come to your house and treat you. They are a bit pricey...but it totally works and is all natural treatments!

Blessings,

K.S.

Trader Joe's sells a good tea tree shampoo. I didn't know it was good for lice, until reading this post/ responses.
We've managed to escape three lice scares at school, though!

Tea tree oil in your shampoo helps ward off those little critters. I put a few drops of the stuff in my bottle of shampoo and it seems to help with critter control. It is used in all the home remedies for head lice. Also I hear that rosemary oil is good too though I personally don't have any experience with it. My pharmacist told me that the local shelter came and bought out all the rosemary and tea tree oils because they had a bad case of lice going around there. Apparently it worked wonders.

Tea tree oil will keep lice away, but it has a STRONG odor.

Being moms we want things to be quick and easy. There was four of us kids growing up and my mom always broke out and used the "Head and Shoulders" shampoo if there was ever a break out in school or with a sibling. My sister and I all use it on our kids if there is ever a child around at school or daycare who has it and I promise it keeps the lice off your child. I will also use it on myself for a week or so until I can get everything in the house washed. My girlfriend swears by coconut shampoo and conditioner to keep away the lice.