by It's Me

Created on: June 08, 2008   Last Updated: June 11, 2008

There are many things to know. Some parents do their best to avoid their child getting lice but when in a school or around kids then there are times when it just happens. What you need to do is be sure your child understands the risk of sharing clothing, brushes, combs, hats, etc. If they share those things then they can share lice as well. Getting to close to another child can infect your hair, laying on the floor where another child has been could give you lice. So avoiding those things can help you not transfer lice. I also put tea tree oil in my daughters shampoo to deter lice. So now you know some ways to avoid getting lice.

Lice are hard to spot but if your child is scratching their head then that is a good sign they could be infected. Lice are bugs so you will see them if you look. The eggs are harder to see, you need good lighting to see them, I use the sun. The eggs are tiny so look close to the scalp so you will be able to spot them, then use your nails to grab them and slide them out of the hair. They stick to the hair so you will have to be careful not to lose them. You can kill the egg or bug by smashing them or put them in something they can't get out of and leave them in the sun. When my children are in school I do a quick check every other week. If you catch them early then it is not as hard to get rid of them. A few minutes to scan through the hair is worth the time. You can use over the counter and they have different options. One may not work so you may need to try more than just one. I for one like to go through my kids hair and remove the lice and eggs individually. This is time consuming but I know that I am not bringing any back into my house. I get a spray bottle or lice spray for hair, a fine tooth comb or lice comb, a glass of water, and a hair clip . I go outside and brush her hair well, put the cup of water to the side, then I take out a small section of her hair and pin the rest up, I wet the section and go through it with the comb, rinse the comb in the water, and I then go through her hair with my hands and remove every egg and lice from her hair. I then move on to the next section until it is completed. Once I finish that I make one more run through to double check. I wash her hair with the treatment and then take the brushes and put them in a pot to boil. I boil the brushes, combs, and all of her hair items. As those things boil I wash her clothes, put her pillows outside in the sun, and I put her cover on to wash in hot water and then dry them on high heat for two cycles. You have to get them hot enough to kill the eggs. It is best to take your mattresses outside in the sun as well. If you have feather pillows it is best to smother the lice by putting your pillows in a trash bag and closing it off for a few days. Then I spray the house with a lice spray. I call everybody she has been around to let them know to check their kids so they don't come back around. Lice can be hard to get rid of but with patience and time you can get rid of them.

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