Of Lice and Men
This is the post in which my two adult daughters will cringe and become mortified and appalled at the very idea of me sharing private details publicly that may one day cause embarrassment to their now six-year-old sister.
Listen, if you’ve ever had a child sent home from school because of lice then you’re probably having flashbacks and reading this with curiosity mingled with caution. You cringe at the thought of reading the details about those disgusting pests; yet much like a train wreck, you just can’t look away. Maybe someone can relate to the horrific experiences you’ve had with lice. Can it be adequately described with words? Maybe someone has some answers, a solution.
Maybe.
If your children have been spared this experience, consider yourself blessed. If not, stop scratching your head and read on, friends. This is my recent story with the bug that was sent as one of the plagues to Egypt {See Exodus 8}.
There’s never a good time for lice to show up. But during the holidays, right after school is let out for Christmas break, when weeks of sickness have only just begun, in the midst of a season of helping your mother recuperate from a broken ankle, when out-of-town guests are coming soon, and you’re emotionally spent preparing for your oldest daughter’s deployment—it’s not a good time for lice! It had been years since my two oldest daughters were young enough to be in frequent contact with those critters. I’d let my guard down. I can’t recall the last time I’d bought tea tree oil to add to the shampoo bottles for preventative measures. Why would I ever stop?
I must’ve only subconsciously noticed Sophie itching because I never stopped to check until she announced, “My head itches.” It had already been an exhausting day emotionally. My mother-in-law had a minor stroke. My family was emotionally spent after an impromptu family meeting. I had just laid down for a long winter’s nap. Upon Sophie’s announcement I jumped to my feet to see what was the matter. When what to my wondering eyes should appear? I think you know. It wasn’t the holiday story I’d hoped for.
Immediately began the extensively detailed process that should always accompany the treatment of lice. Sadly, it is quite evident that this often does not happen in some households.
The steps include but are not limited to:
- Obtaining a shampoo or treatment for the lice or using a home remedy like mayonnaise
- Treating and removing disgusting bugs and their nits {This in itself is a process that could cause a breakdown.}. This includes dividing the hair into multiple sections and securing each section with ponytail holders and/or clips.
- Washing all hair brushes, combs, and hairbows {I even wash the ponytail holders.} in the washing machine or soaking them in a sink with water and prescription strength lice treatment shampoo
- Stripping and washing all bedding, mattress covers, and clothing that has been in contact with any infested person
- Spraying mattresses, pillows, furniture, and vehicles with a lice control spray
- Vacuuming all rugs and carpet
- Spraying and bagging all stuffed animals and hoping that the kids forget they exist
- Checking and re-checking for days on end for missed nits and/or possible re-infestation
Rinse, repeat.
Are you exhausted? I have more steps that I do. Aside from sweeping and ultimately cleaning my house thoroughly because I am now paranoid and every single insect or speck I see is now a louse, I itch constantly and insist on having my head checked an excessive amount of times. All the while I continue to check every person who happens by, notice every time some scratches their nose, attempt to find new and creative ways to pull Sophie’s hair back, and constantly quote Psalm 91:10.
The fact that the lice nits are difficult to see and that this child ’round my eyesight is failing and I’m working with reading glasses in a well-lit area with the aid of a flashlight means checking, checking, checking. It’s become our new not really favorite past time. There’s nothing like lice to bring a family together. One missed nit can mean a possible re-infestation. Just one.
Here’s the thing—the over the counter shampoos and treatments DO NOT WORK. Hear me. They DO NOT WORK! Not only do they not kill the nits—they DO NOT KILL THE BUGS! Even the most expensive treatments fail to work. I’m looking at you, Nix! You’re lucky if the bugs are drunk at best. It’s a waste of time and money. From my last experience many years ago, the prescription shampoos killed the nits. That may have changed since. Those varmints may have become immune. Regardless, you don’t want those nasty nits left in your child’s hair anyway.
Imagine this process happening three times in one month’s time. And I’m not talking about just retreating at random times after the initial treatment because when, oh when will possibly missed nits hatch? Nits laid on various days will hatch on various days. It’s insanity! But this isn’t the case for this story. Two additional times Sophie came home from school after having been checked for missed nits and/or new bugs the night before with new cases of lice. Full grown nasty bugs all in one confined area indicative of a new infestation. *Shudder*
Let me attempt to dispel a couple of myths before I continue. It’s true that lice may love clean wispy hair and find it easier to lay their eggs. It’s true that pulling hair back helps in that it keeps it out of harm’s way. It’s true that spraying it down with hairspray may also help keep wispy hair from begging the lice to climb on board. However, skipping washings excessively because you believe that lice do not like dirty hair is not a full proof preventative. They may love clean hair. But they will not refuse a head of dirty hair. I’ve witnessed this. No head is immune.
It’s been said that black people cannot get lice. I’ve always believed this and been envious. But I’ve changed my thinking. And although this is not proof that the opposite is true, a recent episode of The Office in which most of the entire office staff was infested with lice showed Stanley among the staff members infested. A good friend of mine who shall remain unnamed went through her own recent bout with lice with her children. She texted me about that episode because she knew about my lice woes and I’ve watched it three times since. It is hilarious! One of those three times I watched it during nit removal. Laughter is medicine, people. Picking nits from your child’s hair for hours can send a mama over the edge. So add this to your list if you should have the unfortunate news that lice is upon you, um, your children, that is:
- Watch lice episode of The Office
Here’s what I learned over the past month. Most options are either ineffective or too costly. Over the counter treatments don’t work. Prescription shampoo is outrageously priced. With Sophie’s insurance it would’ve cost me $174. No! Just no. Mayonnaise does work effectively to kill the bugs. Four hours later and smelling of vinegar, the bugs were dead in Sophie’s head. Four hours might’ve been a little excessive. But her hair sure is shiny now. My husband did have to eat his sandwich at lunch the next day without Hellman’s. Bless his heart. Hellman’s isn’t cheap, people. Those bugs don’t deserve my mayonnaise.
But the most effective product that I found is not a chemical or a homemade remedy.
It’s the Robi Comb.
It’s an electronic battery operated comb that zaps lice on contact. You simply comb through the hair {I did it in sections to ensure coverage of all the hair.} and listen for the high-pitched buzzing to stop. {Be careful around the ears so as not to zap the ear. Trust me, it hurts. It might’ve happened to me.} Once the comb comes in contact with a louse it zaps it dead and stops buzzing. The comb will often aid in pulling the bug right out. But if you don’t see it right away you’ll know to look within the area that the comb stopped buzzing. It’s amazing! It detected three bugs that I had missed after going through Sophie’s hair post mayonnaise treatment. Granted, the bugs were likely already dead but somehow they eluded my methodical process of sectioning off Sophie’s hair and checking for nits and/or bugs that I hoped were dead already.
Listen, it’s enough that the nits are easy to overlook. But lice move quickly and have easily eluded us. Dang them! This product bypasses the time that it would take to treat hair with chemicals or mayonnaise. It can be used over and over so that you can check your child frequently or if you’re like me EVERY SINGLE DAY. Forever. Not really. Just a year within a given infestation. *wink*
It comes with a brush and instructions for cleaning. At around $30 it is an absolute must have! Where have you been all these years, Robi? No one told me about you. And that’s why I’m posting, people. If you have children or work with children you need Robi in your life.
That being said, the removal of the nits is still a must. The Robi Comb does not claim to kill the nits. And even if it did, why would you want those nasty things left in your child’s head? Even if you go with a prescription shampoo that is said to kill the nits, please, for the love of your child remove those nits. There are products that aim to aid in the removal of nits. There are nit removal gels that are supposed to loosen the “glue” that binds the nit to the hair shaft, thereby helping to comb or remove the nits more effectively. I say hogwash! And it’s not just because the aforementioned brand with expensive yet ineffective lice treatments makes it. If you cannot see the nit leave the head, how do you know it’s not still there? There are combs designed to help grasp the nits well. Use them if you must. I prefer to remove them one by one with my fingernails and put them on a piece of heavy-duty boxing tape where they cannot escape. And then scrub my fingernails multiple times daily because I’m paranoid that a nit might’ve lingered. *Shudder*
The washing of linens and other details mentioned earlier or also still necessary. It’s a lot of work but in the long run it means the road to being lice free. Preventative measures mean aiding in staying lice free. Lice Free is just one line with products to aid in the prevention or repelling of lice. You can check out their products at licefree.com. Tea tree oil and eucalyptus oil are products that aid in repelling lice. I’ve used tea tree oil for extended periods and believe it to be a tried and true means of prevention. And keeping long hair pulled back during school or camp does help.
Finally, if money is not an issue there are lice removal services available. Nit-Picky.com charges $95 a person for the first hour of treatment. This may cost upwards of a few hundred dollars in the long run but if money is no object I say call the bug busters. Most females willingly spend hundreds of dollars on their hair maintenance. I don’t think it’s unreasonable at all to put that money toward lice treatment services if you can afford it.
Overall, the Robi Comb is my #1 choice. It’s effective and the cost for this product with indefinite use is low in my opinion.
The experience of lice is disheartening and frustrating. But it is compounded by the fact that many children are not properly treated. Shaving a child’s head is not the answer. People need to be properly educated. And sadly, some need to be motivated by their child’s need and take action. Unfortunately, we live in a world where that won’t always happen. One elementary principal once told me that his staff had a fund set up at a local drugstore for parents whose children needed treatment that they could not afford. But you can’t follow those parents home to ensure they properly treat their children and follow through with the procedures entailed in lice removal.
If your child is sent home with the dreadful news of lice, there really is hope. Early detection is always best so teach your children the importance of reporting itching. The Robi Comb is an inexpensive and effective means of detecting and removing lice. With time and effort {efficiency may be improved with the aid of some products but I haven’t proven them} nits can be removed. And with preventative products on the market as well you can finally let your child hug you. Just kidding on that last part.
{This is not a paid endorsement for the Robi Comb or any other product. Just advice from a “nit-picky” mama, grandmother, and Nanny.}
I so posted a comment this am from my phone but Disqus and I were not getting along, being as I forgot my information. It just cracks me up to see that picture up top. I seriously think you should advertise for these people. I mean, you deserve royalties and all that. At least some free product. 🙂
Uh…I’m itching just thinking about this. (scratch, scratch). Going to let my anti-tea-tree-oil husband read this. He’ll never complain about the smell again if he has to endure one psychotic mother going through this process!
I’ve conquered them! http://slackermomof3.blogspot.com/2008/04/works-for-me-wednesday-conquering-lice.html It wasn’t easy, but I swear it worked and was cheap. We spent SO MUCH MONEY on treatments. Alcohol worked FINALLY.
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