Head lice...costly treatment

[littleINlpn]

I work at a school with a lot of underprivileged students and we have run into a head lice problem! Are there any resources on how to get rid of lice other than the expensive lice shampoos and such? Have you had any luck with preventing lice? (I understand that's really hard to do). Any suggestions would be a great help, thanks!

[Dacatster, ADN]

Personally about 7 years back my daughter had a horrible case. I tried everything. I even took her to her PMD and he got me in to dermatology immediately. They were in thr same building. Nothing worked.

Finally, I resorted in what my very frugal friends did. I smothered a whole jar of vasoline on her head, covered it with a shower cap, washed /vacuumed everything again. I made her sleep in the vasoline/showercap. Bammmmm no more. Never again will i waste money on the OTC or prescription stuff

[NanaPoo]

Preventing?

I've heard a lot of positive things about Tea Tree Oil as far as preventing lice. I'm not sure if it really works but I wash and condition my hair every single day with Paul Mitchell's special Tea Tree Shampoo and Conditioner. It's pricey but there are generic versions and there are cheaper tea tree shampoos and conditioners. Haven't had lice yet and we had a big lice break-out the first few weeks of school.

You can also buy an inexpensive bottle of Tea Tree Oil and put ten drops in 8 oz of your favorite shampoo & mix well. Shampoo with that everyday.

Lice doesn't prefer underprivileged or unclean students. I work at a private, tuition-based school with great, involved, wonderful families and we get plenty of lice outbreaks, too! All you need is a scalp & hair!

[kidzcare]

Lice doesn't prefer underprivileged or unclean students. I work at a private, tuition-based school with great, involved, wonderful families and we get plenty of lice outbreaks, too! All you need is a scalp & hair!

If there is a correlation between low income and infestation, I'm guessing it would be more related to children co-sleeping with siblings or parents' job class and work schedule making proper treatment more difficult. IE: lower income parents are more likely to be working non-standard schedules (second or third shift) and possibly doing more physically demanding work leading to being less inclined to continue the combing of hair or vacuuming of house nonstop for 2 weeks. Also they are more likely to be in homes where both parents work and thus spending more time in a child care setting. Also, they may be unable to afford treatments.

It's a systemic problem, same as so many problems faced by low income families.

[RainMom]

Have a friend who swears by mayonnaise. Slather it on, wrap it up in plastic, & wear all day. She says this worked after the otc stuff didn't.

«shrugs» She also swore lice could leap 2-3 feet from person to person.

[coughdrop.2.go, BSN, RN]

With preventing that's extremely difficult and the best way is to educate about sharing combs, hats, helmets, etc. Talk to parents about doing a lice check on their kids before sleepovers and away events.

As far as treatment, even Walmart has a low-cost lice shampoo that's equivalent to Nix. If they can afford a jar of mayonnaise they may be able to afford the shampoo. I believe it's about $4. Lice shampoo is also covered by Medicare but the parent would have to make an appointment. Also, the emphasis needs to be not just on the treatment but the combing. Buy a flea comb from the pet department which will be cheaper than a lice comb. Combing everyday and removing nits is just as important as whatever stuff you rub on their head.

And for your reading pleasure, here is a quick article from Mayo Clinic on oils that's marketed for lice prevention:

Head lice prevention: What works, what doesn't? - Mayo Clinic

[OldDude]

Just a few things from my lice soapbox....your school can't "do" anything about head lice other than provide education and assistance with identification. Your staff and students are provided a lice free school when they walk in the door every Monday. The parents are responsible for introducing lice into the school environment. As a school nurse, or other school role, you can't instill interest or enthusiasm into a parent regarding head lice treatment; they are what they are. Personally I don't believe the financial element is much of a factor in a parent not treating their child for head lice. Many years ago our school accepted "donations" from staff to purchase lice treatment and provided boxes of the stuff to parents. The kids who chronically had lice continued to have lice and school went on regardless.

[SnugglePuggle, MSN, RN]

If there is a correlation between low income and infestation, I'm guessing it would be more related to children co-sleeping with siblings or parents' job class and work schedule making proper treatment more difficult. IE: lower income parents are more likely to be working non-standard schedules (second or third shift) and possibly doing more physically demanding work leading to being less inclined to continue the combing of hair or vacuuming of house nonstop for 2 weeks. Also they are more likely to be in homes where both parents work and thus spending more time in a child care setting. Also, they may be unable to afford treatments.

It's a systemic problem, same as so many problems faced by low income families.

While I recognize issues faced by lower income families, even parents in affluent communities do not know how to effectively eradicate lice. It can be a tedious, time-consuming process and many parents rely too much on chemical treatments which are not 100% effective to do the job. Hence re-infestation.

Also, it is a myth that a thorough and prolonged vacuuming of the house is required. Lice cannot survive more than 24 hours without a host, weakening quickly when away from the scalp. They do not jump or fly. Just keep kids from rolling around on the floor for a day and you are good. Washing linens and bagging stuffed animals for a day is really all you need to do.

[blah_blah_blah]

I did a short rotation in an elementary school in a bad area while in nursing school. One of the 3 days I was there we had to send 8 kids home due to lice. The school nurse said that you can coat the hair (and I really mean COAT the hair) with cetaphil cleanser (or the generic brand) and let it dry and harden on the hair and leave it in for a long time. it smothers the lice. She also suggested soaking the hair in listerine.

I did the listerine trick that night because OF COURSE on the lice day I had my booty length hair down in two long pocahontas braids. I thought "the first 2 days were tame, I think I'll be safe to wear my hair in braids" and lo and behold, we had a lice breakout. I was paranoid so I soaked my hair with listerine and clipped it up in a shower cap for a couple hours. It made my head tingly and my hair smelled minty fresh for a few days.

[FolksBtrippin, BSN, RN]

Agree that lice don't prefer poor kids.

But on to your question. I effectively treated lice with hair gel. You put it on very, very thick down to the scalp and leave it on. Put on a shower cap and sleep with it. It's a lice aopocalypse. Do it again the next day after school. Lice are resistant to RID and such. And you can't keep using them over and over again because of a pesky little side effect... SEIZURES. Let's see, seizures or lice? Tough decision. Not.

I also have used a product called Licefreee. 3 e's. It works way better than rid. But it's not as cheap as hair gel.

Also, comb, comb, comb with a metal comb and get those nits out. Lice don't live that long off the head so don't spend too much time on the house. Usually it's head to head contact that does it. When my son wrestled, he just kept relapsing.

[A&Ox6, MSN, RN]

First of all, I find that it is helpful for hair to be tied back. Braids and the like. It is also important that children do not share hats, helmets or hair items. If there are school owned helmets in use, use disposable surgical caps or bathing caps for each child.

Some children seem to get lice more often than others. These children should be encouraged to comb regularly with a nit/flea comb. I have used mayonnaise and Pantene conditioner effectively as an overnight treatment with lice. Pantene conditioner is also useful for children with knotted hair prior to combing.

[lavenderskies, BSN]

I've used food grade diotomaceous earth for several critter episodes including fleas. I haven't had to treat head lice (yet) but I've heard it works on them as well. Non toxic just dusty. For lice the trick is staying on top of treatments until all the nits have hatched....truth for any method of treatment since they're becoming resistant to pesticides

Diatomaceous Earth, The Ultimate Pesticide: Success, Hype, Glory & Legend | Eco Bug Doctor

PS I got my DE on amazon, but I did see some in the garden section of Fed Meyers