The Low-Down on Lice

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Monday, September 12, 2011

lice, back to school by Rachel Lincoln Sarnoff, Executive Director/CEO, Healthy Child Healthy World

It’s back to school month and as any experienced parent will tell you that means one thing. I don’t know if it’s the hot weather, or the fact that everyone’s showing off their summer highlights by wearing their hair long and loose, but during four out of the last five Septembers, at least one of my three kids has come down with—click away if you’re squeamish—lice.

(It has to be psychosomatic, but just say the word “lice” and your head itches. Go ahead, try it. See?)

The first time my daughter was infected, I turned—in desperation—to an over-the-counter chemical treatment chock full of piperonyl butoxide, designated a “low hazard” for cancer and reproductive toxicity on the Skin Deep database, which also shows a 70% data gap in testing—I suspect it’s more toxic than that.

This year, in honor of National Head Lice Prevention Month (yes, it’s for real), I did some pre-emptive sleuthing and found disturbing news. Not so much about the creepy-crawlers themselves—the fact that they affect between six and 12 million kids every year and are pretty much pesticide-resistant at this point is old news (although recently reported by MNN).

No, I’m more concerned about the chemicals we use to treat lice. New information is now out about prescription-only treatments containing the pesticide lindane, which is banned for use on crops and animals because it has been linked to cancer, seizures and deaths. “It’s not permitted to put lindane on your dog in the U.S.,” said Joe DiGangi, PhD, a senior science and technical advisor at the International POPs Elimination Network who was quoted on iWatchNews. “But they’re still allowing it to be put on your child’s head.” Although lindane is a “second line” treatment—meaning it’s only prescribed if other methods fail—according to this source, sales of the chemical topped $10 million last year, which seems to indicate that doctors aren’t shying away from prescribing the stuff.

And though a new pesticide was approved this year by the FDA for use in treating head lice, according to ThirdAge, with over-the-counter options like the one I turned to, the problem becomes compounded when parents re-apply the product too soon after they discover the true horror that is pesticide-resistant bugs.

So what’s a mom to do? Here are a few tips (and answers):

1. Keep kids’ hair short or, if that’s not possible, make sure they put it back into a tight ponytail, bun or braid. This will keep the lice from crawling from another child’s head to your child’s—p.s. lice don’t jump or swim, in case you were wondering.

2. Spray! Some parents use hair spray; I found a natural rosemary and tea tree lice spray that I love. Either way, spray your kids’ hair to keep it in place and deter with a scent that lice don’t like.

3. Although head lice can only live a day or so off the human head and nits (head lice eggs) die within a few days without a human host, unless you’re sure that baseball cap your child wants to borrow has been quarantined for at least a week, don’t risk it during lice season. Same goes for wigs, although according to the CDC, helmets and headphones aren’t at risk. Go figure.

4. Check your kids’ heads. Get your hands in there and separate the strands all the way to the root. Look especially at the nape and behind the ears, where eggs like to hide. Look for teeny-tiny yellowish dots—they almost look like pieces of sand. If you wiggle the hair and the piece falls out, don’t worry about it. If it clings to the hair shaft, you may have a problem—especially if you see a clump of two or three. At that point, you might want to look for bugs.

5. If your child does have lice, don’t panic! There are several natural options to kill live lice, but the main thing you have to remember is patience and diligence in picking out those eggs once the live ones are gone. Take your time. Use a nit comb. Do this for two or three days after the outbreak, and then for two or three days seven days later (when any nits you missed may have hatched). This doesn’t have to be a horrible experience! I actually found it was a great way to talk to my typically reticent tweenaged son. (The lengths we’ll go, right?)

6. After you’ve done the first comb-through, vacuum all floors, rugs, pillows, carpets and upholstered furniture, wash all sheets and towels and dry them on hot.

These preventative measures may take some time but trust me, they’re worth it!

Looking for safe products for preventing and killing lice? Check out Shop Healthy!

Posted by Toni on 10/15/2011 at 04:28 PM

Slather your child’s head in mayonnaise, not miracle whip not enough oil, squeeze it through. We wrapped plastic wrap around his head to keep it from dripping, the oil starts to run, put on an old tee shirt. Keep on for about 2 hours. It’s not that hard to wash out. It only takes 2 or 3 shampoos. Then comb with lice combs bought at a drug store. We found we had to do this every Saturday 3 weeks in a row or else they return. The school had it so bad they were going to check all the kids.

Posted by Valerie Cookson-Botto on 10/06/2011 at 09:25 AM

@SammiKat Here are some links.

Organic Rosemary essential oil
http://betterchoices.mionegroup.com/en/product/13820
Organic Tea Tree essential oil
http://betterchoices.mionegroup.com/en/product/13823
Organic Buzz Free spray
http://betterchoices.mionegroup.com/en/product/16101

Posted by Michelle Livengood on 10/05/2011 at 10:35 AM

I had lice several times during my school years and the Nix and Rid never worked. I used any cooking oil and wrapped my hair in seran wrap and kept it overnight that way. Washed it out and combed out the nits and I never had a problem with them again.

Posted by Valerie Cookson-Botgto on 09/17/2011 at 06:31 AM

Buzz Free certified organic personal spray works great as a preventative measure for lice. It also keeps away mosquitos, and ticks. My kids love the smell, so they don’t mind me spraying their heads before they head out the door.

If you are going to make your own spray make sure that the essential oils are certified organic because not all essential oils are and therefore they don’t hold the same potency.

Valerie

Better Choices
www.MiBetterChoices.com

Posted by Cynthia Norris on 09/16/2011 at 01:37 PM

There are also natural products from Lice Treatment Centers. They have professional nit pickers who will come to your house and treat you. It cost me $625 and took 5 hours to do my 2 daughters and myself. Best money I ever spent since there was no way the problem would have resolved without them. I had no idea what lice even looked like or how small the nits were. I treated the kids several times with OTC stuff and combed them and even used my flat iron on them thinking that would cook the suckers…and it still didn’t work. I make sure to spray them every day before school.

Posted by Caryn on 09/15/2011 at 06:16 AM

I use a Robi Comb once a week (can now be found at drugstores) and Fairy Tales Hair Care leave in conditioner and Rosemary Repel hair spray. We got lice the week before school let out and went to daily Robi combing for about a week. Nipped it in the bud. Last summer, we had it 3 times before I finally bought my Robi Comb.

Posted by Mindy Allen on 09/13/2011 at 12:46 PM

We spray our pillows with Mission Essentials 100% Natural Insect Repellent. It keeps all bugs away and smells great! www.mission-essentials.com

Posted by Courtney on 09/12/2011 at 05:30 PM

There are lice prevention products made by Circle of Friends and the rosemary products are by Fairy Tales.

Posted by debra on 09/12/2011 at 05:23 PM

This is the natural remedy my friends and i used during a recent infestation. IT WORKS!!

3 T olive oil
1 t Tea Tree
1 t Eucalyptus essential oil
your shampoo.

mix well. apply with gloves and saturate scalp and hair. wrap in shower cap and wait 2 hrs. Then shampoo/rinse multiple times to remove treatment. Put conditioner on but dont rinse out. I used conditioner with coconut as Ive read lice are repelled by it.

When combing out - buy metal nit comb - and clean in bowl of water after each swipe and wipe well with paper towel. Then dip in apple cider vinegar. The ACV removes the glue that holds the nits/eggs. In fact, a lot of sites recommend doing a rinse of acv, or adding 3 T of acv to the initial concoction. Do this outside if possible. Back to the shower to rinse off conditoner and any loose debris.

Blow dry hair after treatment. then FLAT IRON - this will kill any remaining eggs/nits.

Repeat every day for 2 weeks for infested child Comb each time. Treat entire family.

Wash everything in hot water. What cant be washed can be put in dryer for 30min or bagged in garbage bags for 48hrs - or a week if your freaked out like i am. Include stuffed animals! Vacuum house.

Posted by SammiKat on 09/12/2011 at 03:14 PM

Can you please post a link to the rosemary and tea tree spray that you use?

Posted by megan on 09/12/2011 at 02:23 PM

My mother in law has a remedy that works wonders. It’s an old Puerto Rican recipe that I have never seen fail.
What she swears by is to take 5 or 6 avocado seeds and cut them open and boil them until they are soft. Remove the seeds from the water and soak the hair in the water. It repulses the lice and you can literally see them trying to get away from the water. I don’t know if it works for the eggs or if it eventually kills the lice, but watching it work was quite possibly the most disgusting thing I have ever seen. I didn’t believe it until I saw it. As the lice were trying to get away from the hair on my niece’s head, my mother in law just pulled them off with the comb and dunked the comb in boiling water for a moment and then went right back to hunting. Like I said, majorly gross.

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