LICE – Everything you need to know…and how to PREVENT it!

Recently I got something I never wanted. Something I’ve, somehow, avoided my entire life.

Lice.

Yes ….lice. Ew. Yuck. Ugh. Awful. (Insert all the bad words here)

If you just want to unsubscribe right now and never be friends, I get it. I wanted to unfriend myself when I discovered I had a community of bugs building a homestead on my scalp.

September is the time when lice spreads the fastest. Kids start school without even realizing they have lice – and share it with the class before they get treated. Kid’s put their heads, their jackets and backpacks right next to each other, and lice spreads.

I’d assumed that we’d be fine. I have boys. Boys have short hair and aren’t sharing hair brushes and hair accessories. I was raised in a family with four sisters and if I could avoid it then, I could avoid it forever!

But no. I was wrong.

Here are some “Facts vs. Fiction” about head lice:

Fiction: Boys with short hair don’t get lice.

Fact: Unless you are bald, you can get lice.

Fiction: You start itching immediately after getting lice.

Fact: It may be more than a month before you realize you have lice. You’ve probably shared it by then.

Fiction: I have an allergic reaction, not lice. I thought I had an allergic reaction to hair products. My scalp itched all over, and I felt tiny little bumps on the back of my neck.

Fact: That’s what lice feels like – an allergic reaction. And they bite all over and leave tiny bumps.

Fiction: I can go to the walk-in clinic or a hairdresser for help.

Fact: The walk-in clinic and all hair dressers will ask you to leave … right away. (Keep reading for WHERE TO GO!)

Fiction: I can just use a special shampoo and they’ll all be gone.

Fact: I do keep lice removal shampoo on hand now, but you MUST have this special comb to remove ALL nits. The combs that come in the kits are useless! Combing out every nit is the key to getting rid of lice. The comb pictured here is something you should order and keep on hand:

Fiction: The term “nitpicking” comes from people who are picky.

Fact: The term “nitpicking” comes from tediously picking out little lice nits.

Fiction: Dirty people get lice.

Fact: Lice like clean hair.

Fiction: It will be easy to know if I have lice.

Fact: I couldn’t see anything in my hair. Nits look like a little speck of pepper and if you have dark hair or dark roots, they are camouflaged! I actually found a full-grown bug in my hair (almost threw up) googled what lice look like, and knew I was infected. This is a bug I found on my head, which meant I’d had it for a couple of weeks by this time.

Fiction: There is no way to prevent lice.

Fact: There are several things you can do to help prevent lice.

1. Lice do not like mint.

I purchased little spray bottles and mint essential oil to make my own water/mint mixture (you can also buy it pre-made). Spray a little on your child’s hair and on their backpack before they leave for school or camp.

Also, put a few drops of mint essential oil in any shampoo/conditioner that you use. (Or buy some shampoo that already contains mint.)

Lice prevention shampoo 

2. Tell your kids NOT to share hats, brushes, hair accessories and jackets/clothes.

3. Camp is where most kids get lice.

When going to overnight camp, you may have your kids wear a little cap to protect them. Comb their hair with the nit comb as soon as they get home!

4. Comb your child’s hair after their bath/shower every week with the nit comb to remove any nits.

Fiction: Swimming or washing my hair will kill them or get them out.

Fact: Swimming and regular shampoo do not kill lice.  Lice create a sticky glue near your scalp that hold the little nits FIRMLY in place. Water and shampoo do not wash it out. It’s nearly impossible to get them out without a very sturdy steel comb (as seen above), or literally picking out each one, hair by hair (be a nit picker!).

Fiction: There’s no one who can help me with this.

Fact:  There are people who go to SCHOOL to learn how to remove lice! You can find a professional in most cities nationwide that will help you get rid of lice. I’m so grateful that I found a registered nurse who opened the Lice Studio to check for and remove lice.  If you are in the Minneapolis area, they can help you. If you are anywhere else, google “lice removal” plus the town/state where you are located.

Fiction: Lice live in carpet/beds/furniture for up to 30 days.

Fact: Lice that are not on the head die within 24 hours.

FACT: Typing this up is making my head itch. Is yours itching too?

If you do have lice here are some tips:

• Use a sticky lint roller over fabric seats in the car and over car seats and couches to pick up any stray ‘nits.’
• Put a sheet over fabric chairs and couches for 24 hours. Nits die in 24 hours.
• Change sheets and pillowcases before bed. I changed their pillow sheet every night for 3 nights after treatment.
• Put combs and brushes in the freezer overnight.
• Re-comb hair every couple of nights for a week, then once week, then once a month.

That’s everything I know right now, but feel free to ask questions and I’ll try to find an answer!