Lice is not pleasant. We are here to tell ya how to get rid of the critters naturally, painlessly and how to keep them away.
This post I wrote for The Cherry On Top and I'm reposting it here for Ausumness with just one more note at the bottom. It appears that in special needs schools, lice is more prevalent so I thought it relevant to post here at AuSumness. We're also sharing tips on how to treat kids that don't sit still so easily and may have terrible side effects of the chemical loaded shampoo treatments.
Have you ever had lice in the family? Oh, my goodness! It can be a very timely process to get rid of the crawly critters. I couldn't help to notice that since my child started going to the school with special needs, he got lice continuously. We'd finally get rid of it over the holidays and he'd go back to school and back it came.
In the beginning, we tried over the counter foam shampoo. What a disaster that was! JJ's scalp became totally inflamed and he screamed his head off. It was just terrible. I vowed never to use it again and the doctor also agreed. Have you ever read the warnings on them?! The side effects are just crazy.
The next thing I did was comb, comb, comb. That's right three times a day. At one point, everyone in the entire household had lice! Can you imagine having to use a lice comb through hair thick and curly like this, three times a day? My hair was fried!
In the morning, after school and before bed, we all got combed. Then I changed the sheets, everyday. Yip! Everyday! Goodness! All that one must do to get rid of the lice, naturally.
I tried a couple of different combs and this kind was the one I found most effective, less painless and less pull outs.
Then a friend of mine suggested mixing up tea tree oil with my combing routine. I read a bit about it and since it was an all natural product and good for your hair, I got started right away.
I combed through JJ's hair, getting rid of all of the lice I could find. JJ is Autistic. Getting him to sit the 15 minutes or so was not easy. I gave him a lollipop and stuck him on a stool in front of the TV. This seriously worked like a charm! Change it up with a popsicle or something else that takes some time to eat. A bowl of yummy nuts and raisins maybe?
I washed his hair every other day with all natural shampoo and a few drops of tea tree oil mixed in. Then every morning after the combing, I'd put a couple of drops in the nape of his neck. I'd also drop a couple drops of the oil in the palm of my hands and rub it all over his hair and scalp. Concentrating where those buggers like it most, in the nape and around the ears.
Click on this image to find more uses for tea tree oil and what it is.
Ever since I have been vigilant about keeping the lice away, this has worked. We went for years with lice and haven't seen any since I started this, in the winter. I typed up a pamphlet for the school and told them to hand it out.
It was appalling to see so much lice on so many little heads. If you see your child scratching a lot, take a peek and make sure it's not lice. If it is, for goodness sake, treat it right away before the entire school gets infected.
Lice has little to do with dirty hair. The varmints actually prefer cleaner, drier hair. Don't be stigmatised if you get it. It's really no biggie. Just take care of it as soon as possible.
New Note: I recently found, organic, tea tree oil shampoo. OK, it wasn't cheap, but 5 MONTHS later, I still have 1/2 a bottle. The shampoo is so heavenly, I use it myself! Tea tree oil makes your hair so soft and shiny. The results not only keep away the lice, but make your hair dreamy.
If you want to learn more about lice, head to these sites:
http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/lice/head/treatment.html
http://www.webmd.com/children/ss/slideshow-lice-overview
http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20641598,00.htmlhttp://kidshealth.org/parent/infections/common/head_lice.html
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