ACK - help - lice prevention???

[Minnifer]

Just got an email that there is one confirmed case of lice at DD's day camp. I live in absolute fear of lice b/c, as a single parent, I have no one who could help me if god forbid I got them myself.

Can I please get quick tips on prevention for DD and for myself? We both have long, straight, super fine and relatively thin hair. Am I supposed to start using a nit comb now on DD as a preventative? (I bought the Terminator a while ago just in case - see, I'm paranoid!). Anything else I can do? I've seen various products recommended from time to time but I haven't really been able to sort everything out so that's why I'm posting :o . Thank goodness DS is still totally bald so hopefully he won't have an issue.

I feel panicky (and itchy, lol) - I'm sure I'm overreacting, but there are some things that are SO hard to deal with as a single parent and this just seems like one of them.

TIA!!!

[vludmilla]

Keep her hair up as much as possible while at camp (pony tail or even a bun). Remind her not to share hair products with anyone. Don't wash her hair too frequently. Use tea tree oil products in her hair or just buy a little bottle of tea tree oil and a few drops to her shampoo, etc. I also put a little drop of it on the skin behind DD's ears and the nape of her neck.

[JustMe]

I know how you feel. Dd has had lice 5 times. I ended up getting it one of those times. I was lucky in that I was able to get rid of mine with just combing and about 5 different times of different friends coming over. Dd always takes so much more than that when she gets lice.

Anyway, yes, if you want to be extra careful use the Terminator comb. If any lice end up in you dd's hair they will comb out. I don't use a comb as a preventative with dd, as her hair is so thick it takes a lot to be able to get it through her hair (we do make sure we do this when she has actually gotten lice). I use the hair fairies spray on dd and now ds everyday. Knock on wood and everything else that does along with that, it seems to work for us. This is the first year in a long time dd has not gotten lice, and it was going around in her school for quite a long time. Hair fairies has a website. You can order their stuff, but you can also put in your zipcode to search if they sell it any where near you.

One more thing about you. Not sure if you color your hair or not, but I do and some say this keeps lice away. I don't know if that's true or not, but I can say it is amazing I only got it from dd once. We rest together every night and I don't think we caught it early based on how much she had when we discovered it. So, if you color your hair or would consider it that may be a good preventative for you.

[newmomto1]

I love love love Circle of Friends Lice Defense line.
http://www.cofbath.com/Retail/Lice-Defense
I use the shampoo on my kids year round.
In fact, last year we ran out of it and I didn't replace it right away....and boom, DS got a MILD case of it when it hit his school.
I will never run out again!
Also, my DD has long hair...I braid it to keep it from getting too exposed.

[hillview]

Yes I'd comb now -- and check
See my post here
http://windsorpeak.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=417932&highlight=lice

Then I'd do a bun or pony tail if you cannot do a bun == slicked back like a ballerina dancer.

[Minnifer]

Thanks everyone, and hillview, that thread is great! A couple more questions:

How the heck to comb properly??? I tried it yesterday dry (just a cursory combing), and today wet w/the slathered on conditioner and attempted to be really thorough. Both times were an absolute nightmare and I doubt would have been effective at all if DD had them. Her hair is long, super fine and SUPER stretchy and tangly - despite tons of conditioner I could barely get the comb thru, esp not from the root down which I would think is pretty critical, and wound up pulling out a fair amount of hair in the process. And she was hysterical sobbing through most of it - she's a bit of a drama queen anyway but I do think it was a pretty miserable experience, and I wound up losing my temper a lot :( .

W/r/t the preventative products, I see most contain lavender and/or tea tree oil - given the recent info re the link between these and early onset puberty, I'm a bit wary of using them on a daily basis. What do you think, is it just that it's worth the risk to not have to deal w/the lice nightmare?

Ugh...

[hillview]

hummm -- did you use about a half CUP of conditioner? You use WAY WAY too much to make it effective. The boys have short cuts and we used about 1/4 of a cup. With long hair I'd guess about half a cup or a 1/3 cup. I park the kids in front of a TV show and they don't whine much.

IMO the tea tree oil is good and all but really it is about removing any lice and also avoiding head to head contact.

GOOD LUCK!