Head Lice Angst

[Ilovegiraffes]

Has anyone ever referred students & parents head lice treatment service ?? ARE THERE any treatment services in your area??? I've been wondering that might a business venture for me after I retire from school nursing!

I'd be interested in experiences any have had!

[river_song]

The school nurse that I shadowed during a clinical experience told me that you have to concentrate on the nits. She would recommend that parents of children with long uncuttable hair have the hair gone through for 45 nights straight. If you miss a night ... you start over.

[NanikRN]

advertised on Craig's list -- Detailed person wanted are you nit-picky? We have the job for you. Xxx lice management company

So services like this do exist

[schooldistrictnurse]

I just had to google nit/lice removal services to see some of the names--at least people have a sense of humor!

liceknowingyou

lousecalls

nitnurse

licehappens

nitfreenoggins

nitwits

hairwhisperer

liceaunties

nitpicky

hairangels

NOT an endorsement! NO I do not work for any of the above!

[bell1962]

Never used or recommended a company but I can see where there could be a need, especially in families where the issue recurs.. and recurs... and recurs...

[Nurse ABC]

Not around here and the population that repeatedly gets/keeps lice can barely afford the shampoo to treat so I know they couldn't afford a company. One school I worked at actually appointed a social service worker to work with families truant due to lice issues. She would make home visits, teach, loan a vacuum cleaner, help pay for laundry services and lice shampoo if needed etc. It didn't help. The problem was either the family would visit other family that had lice and would not be diligent about keeping on top of the problem. Also, it just didn't seem to bother some people that their family had lice so after a couple years of working with these families and one of them breaking her vacuum they did away with the program. Sad really.

[Alex Egan, LPN, EMT-B]

I work at a summer camp and we have a company that comes in and does our lice checks and treats all cases found. They come within 24 hours if we have an outbreak. They basically use cinnamon oil and nit picking to treat. I'm not sure what they get paid but they basically work all the camps in our area so whatever they make times six or so camps must equal quite a business.

[RN4STUDENTS]

The kids in my school couldn't afford to go to a place like that. I did refer a parent who had her son out over a week she ended up shaving his head which she should have done day one. At camp we used them for 3 separate cases of lice we had parents were freaking out. It was 3 kids out of 900 campers. Two girls were sisters and the 1 was just an itchy head. They came in and screened the whole entire camp in one afternoon. They found no further cases of lice except for the 3 we already knew about. I heard it was expensive but camp director thought it was worth the money.

[JenTheSchoolRN, BSN, RN]

I, too, have many kids that cannot afford to pay for those services. In the younger grades here, we had one student whose family couldn't afford the shampoo, kept sending kid to school with lice. We bought them the shampoo, but they refused to use it! Instead, dyed their child's hair to "kill the lice." Lice still there...after child was sent home for the 4th time, family finally used shampoo and kid was able to come back to school.

I'd love to be able to use these services, though, especially in a case like this!