posted on October 5, 2001 06:00:19 PM
Tiggress--the nits are eggs, and most of them that you are seeing probably don't even have anything in them as they have already hatched---but the shell stays stuck on the hair shaft.
The louse lays the egg right next to the scalp--so if you see any of them farther down the hair shaft, it probably empty. So just think of them as egg shells and not bugs or baby bugs
I feel for you ... been there, done that. Poor baby! She is crying because the Rid, etc is burning on the bites from the lice.
The lice get into the rug and mats at school. Tell your child not to share hats or combs, not to hug people.
One of Hayley's friends had to shave her head because of lice. I will talk to her tomorrow and see how long it took for the hair to grow back.
Two years ago we were at girl scout winter camp ... and noticed a child that was infested with lice. Can you imagine the chaos .. checking heads and cleaning mats for all those little girls?
Our new rule:
At any camping trip all children are checked upon arrival to camp ... if they have any lice, they are going home.
posted on October 5, 2001 11:00:03 PM
Oh, Tigress, I feel for you, too! Having raised three kids, I've been through many a lice scare. The worst was one summer I took in a little girl (long story) for three weeks, she showed up with about a billion nits in her head.
This little girl had the thickest, curliest hair imaginable. And to top it off, it was blonde and the nits were really hard to see. In the meantime, I had my own three kids to worry about! I disinfected every piece of bedding, every stuffed animal, the carpets, the furniture, everything, DAILY !! for two weeks. I don't know where I got the energy. After that, I checked my kids almost daily clear through junior high! Occasionally I would find a louse, but would catch them before too many eggs were laid. LOL.....they joke about it now, how often I would pick at their hair!
Boy, do I wish I had known about the oil treatment back then. Let us know how your daughter does.
posted on October 6, 2001 03:29:17 AM
I've luckily only had to deal with head lice once. My youngest boy had them. I shaved his head and used Rid. That took care of it, but my whole family was scratching like crazy for weeks afterward.
I'm pretty sure I know where he contracted it, though, and those of you who shop at Goodwill may want to hear this.
I usually take my boys with me when I shop for e-bay things at Goodwill. The day before I found the lice, my son had gone with me and while I was looking at something, he grabbed a sock hat that was for sale and put it on. I didn't think anything about it until the next day.
There were one or two cases of lice going around at his school at the time, but none of his friends had it, and no one who rides his bus had it. His brothers were never infected.
I don't let my family wear any hats from any store now, not even brand new hats from Walmart, until they're washed in hot water and dried in a hot dryer.
Too many kids running around the stores, trying things on and then putting them back on the shelves.
Robin
Edited to add..This is especially true for garage sales. No one tries anything on until it's been cleaned.
posted on October 6, 2001 03:06:02 PM
Not just hats, but anything with high collars, ear muffs, hair doodles, head bands, bandanas etc. Kids pick that stuff up in the stores and try it on all the time.
We've never had a case here, but I know some who have, and each year they seem to go around in the grade schools.
posted on October 6, 2001 06:39:17 PM
In our local elementary school they were in the gym mats ... and the carpeting. The little ones spend alot of time sitting on the floor in circles.
I was talking today to my sister about this thread. She told me her nephew came home with ringworm from wrestling.
I have 3 girls and have had the lice problem off and on for forever. I found the most amazing thing at CVS pharmacy. It is called LiceGuard Robi Comb Electronic Head Lice Detector and Remover. The phone number on the brochure is 888-994-8213. It is a small battery operated bug zapper. You comb through hair for 5 minutes a day for 2 weeks I think and then every once in a while after that. It saved us! They also have lice repellant spray but I haven't tried that. This comb costs 29.99 but really compared to all the money I wasted on treatments this is nothing. I think I read in the phamplet that the shampoo treatments can't kill the newly hatched lice because their nervous systems aren't developed. Anyway have fun with this - you will feel so much better because you have actual proof that all the lice are gone! You will notice right away when the itching is gone.
posted on October 7, 2001 11:18:30 AM
hello, my sister is a school bus driver and a few day ago there was a mother ask if she could spray the seat were her child sat.my sister sprayed all the seats later that day..(dont forget car seat too..)
posted on October 9, 2001 10:17:36 AM
Great News!!! Cheap, effective and low-tech!! and soft shiny hair as a bonus.
Mineral Oil, Vegetable Oil, Olive Oil, Vaseline--whatever ya got in the cupboard
Don't forget to retreat with the oil in 7-10 days. Any nits you may have missed may be hatching out and you can catch them before they lay anymore.
[ edited by Zazzie on Oct 9, 2001 10:23 AM ]
posted on October 10, 2001 10:16:36 AM
My landlord found out about the problem via nosey neighbors and we got into a heated discussion about the matter on the phone. He was pissed at me over it, for bringing them into his apartment. Like it was planned that way. He says he's going to let me know in a few days whether or not I'm expected to move out. I just moved in a few wks ago! If he were to evict me, as set up in the lease, he gets to keep the $450 security deposit. Nice incentive. I don't know what I'm gonna do because I used all my savings to move into this place because I could keep my dog. I bit my tongue on a lot of things he threw at me, but geez, it's not like I infected my daughter with the stuff!
posted on October 10, 2001 10:35:32 AM
If he tries to evict you look in the phonebook and you should have a free legal agency available. If not some health care organization or shelter organization should be able to help direct you. A local hospital might be able to direct you.
Believe it or not this is something that is quite common with land lords. They are quick to wish to evict people over the stupidest things. We had a landlord here last year tryoing to evict an old woman with cancer. He acted like she was going to contaiminate the home and he would have to burn it down after.
posted on October 10, 2001 10:45:37 AM
very uneducated landlords
by stipulation of my lease though, it's a 30 day notice lease, so one doesn't have to stay X amount of months. All he has to do is give 30 day notice that he wants me out. But if he requests me to leave, he gets to keep the security deposit. I'll try to contest it anyway, if he does go that route, to buy more time.
I'm pretty sure now that I have the things eliminated from my apt. I spent 4 days spraying and washing everything. Except for the ebay/computer room. There's no floor to see to do anything with it because of all the stuff stacked up everywhere. She never really went in there anyway.
posted on October 10, 2001 11:19:52 AM
What kiind of lease is it? Most leases specify a period of time - 6 months, 1 year, etc....it's not much of a lease if your landlord can give you 30 days notice to move.
Talk to a local magistrate and ask about the "Landlord-Tenant" Act. He is not acting accordingly by their guidelines and laws. Your lousy (pun intended!) landlord probably is counting on you not knowing anything concerning your rights.
FYI - If you call a local real estate company, they should be able to get you a copy of the Act. Also, your state board of realtors is another resource...
posted on October 10, 2001 12:27:48 PM
Tell the JERK not to confuse Head Lice with Body Lice. The Cleaner the Hair the happier the lice are to take up residence on a scalp. They can not survive off a person's head for very long, I believe it is less than 30 minutes.
Body Lice are different story--even Pubic Lice (Crabs) are different than Head Lice--and they can only survive you know where. Sounds like your Landlord has far to much intimate knowledge of the nasty lice and not Head Lice
She no longer has any nits or lice.