How can I get lice out of my daughter's hair without paying too much to do it?????

Head lice are amongst the most common problems plaguing children. Children can be quite cruel about this. You should reassure your daughter that there is nothing to worry about and that it's not her fault. This problem has nothing to do with her being 'unclean'. These lice are nothing but parasites that are pretty difficult to spot. Typically, they spread as a result of direct head-to-head contact. There are different options for getting rid of lice and nits (their eggs). A slow manual process is the use of a specialized fine-tooth comb. You can get these in plastic or metal varieties though metal is thought to be more effective. However, chances are that you will miss a few lice and they'll simply multiply again. You can use these combs to go over the head of hair and pick out (with your nails or with the help of tweezers) any lice or nits you spot. It's best to use disposable gloves. Applying some olive oil on her head can make this process easier. Use partings to get the hair separated into little sections. Remember that nits are likely to be next to your daughter's scalp. The areas at the top of your daughter's head and behind her ears are more likely to have nits. Repeat this elimination process daily.

There are medicated shampoos specially formulated to treat head lice. These are most effective as a treatment for lice. Look for one appropriate for children. It is recommended that you use this again about 10 days later just to make sure that you've got all of them. If any nits were able to survive the first round of medicated shampoo, this will kill them. The short time doesn't give them a chance to lay eggs themselves. If even after this you still discover head lice, then you must visit your health care practitioner who will prescribe something a lot stronger. It could also recur because your daughter has got another bout due to the primary source, such as a classmate. Don't forget to examine all the others in the house. Before starting treatment, you should put all bed linen, towels and attire used by people with lice for a wash. A hot wash is preferable. You can use hot water to soak any combs or brushes that they might have used. You should consider informing other people who might have this problem. The school should be made aware to prevent an outbreak.

answered by M W

A lice infestation is medically known as pediculosis, and can be caused by one of the three types of a parasitic insect. The three kinds of lice affecting humans are pediculus humanus capitis (head lice), pediculus humanus corporis (body lice) and phthirus pubis (crab lice). A head louse (head lice is plural) is a small wingless insect with three pairs of legs located directly behind its head. The legs end in sharp claws that help the louse to feed and hold on tightly to hair or clothing. To feed, lice pierce the outer layer of skin with their sharp claws causing an irritating and itchy sensation on the surface of the skin. After lice have fed, they do not become engorged like ticks, however their color does turn to rust due to the ingestion of blood.

There are several ways to rid your hair of head lice. You can buy a quality lice treatment (also known as a pediculicide) over the counter at a local drug store and use it as instructed, or opt for cheaper home remedies like mayonnaise, pine oil, petroleum jelly, or vinegar.

You can simply use a jar of mayonnaise from your kitchen shelf or buy one from the grocery store. Apply a handful of this to the affected person's hair, making sure not to miss any spots. Apply this till the entire scalp and all the hair is covered. You can then cover the head with a plastic shower cap to keep the mayonnaise from dripping. Leave the mayonnaise on for two hours to smother the lice and developed eggs. Then soap and shampoo the hair thoroughly. It may take two or more shampoos to get the hair clean.

The pine oil, petroleum jelly, and vinegar can be similarly applied onto the head but shouldn't be kept on for too long. After you wash your hair with the conditioner, you should comb you head with a nit comb. A nit comb is a finer toothed comb as compared to a regular comb and is available at any regular drug store.

When you think you are done, you may want to use good lighting to check thoroughly through the hair once it is dry. Nits are very small, and are kind of shiny at a certain angle. If you find any nits, you can pull them off with your fingernails, comb them off with the nit comb.

answered by G M

There is no cure that is 100 per cent effective against head lice, whether commercially available chemical products or natural, home made remedies. What works for one person may not work for another, and sometimes, what worked for you the first time you were infected may not work the second time. In general however, home remedies are better than delousing medications, at least as far as safety goes. Mayonnaise is often recommended as a home remedy for lice, and is in fact often effective. However, it basically works by suffocating the lice, so instead of wasting good mayonnaise, you can try petroleum jelly, or better still, olive oil. (Remember that petroleum jelly will be extremely messy and difficult to wash out.) Coconut oil is sometimes recommended, but is not very effective. You can try tea tree oil instead, margosa oil, or even a mixture of vinegar and water. If you have access to margosa leaves, boil a few leaves in a litre of water and use the water to wash your daughter's hair.

Whatever remedy seems to work, be sure to repeat the treatment every five days for at least two weeks. If not, the lice eggs will hatch in six to eight days and result in a reinfection.

answered by G M