Hair Troubles!!!!

[newtovintage]

Hello, I need some more advice. I may have to cut my hair, and I need some ideas on possible styles. Right now it reaches my shoulders, but it is also in varying lengths in the front. Any suggestions? The reason I may need to cut my hair is because a friend's son (he's 3) had lice and wanted to give me a present of the little wretches. So if the lice shampoos don't work, I will have to cut my hair. Any pohotos or sites with advice would be helpful too.
Sarah

 

[pretty faythe]

In response to your "presents" lol, aside from using the shampoo, drench your head in mayonesse and wrap it in plastic wrap or plasic baggy. I'm not sure of the "official" length of time your supposed to use, but when my daughter gave me that "present" a few years ago I left it on for a half hour. It smothers them, makes them come out easier, and leaves your hair nice and healthy after a few washings to get the mayo out lol I did it a few times, just in case, paranoia!

 

[Vanessa]

Hello, I need some more advice. I may have to cut my hair, and I need some ideas on possible styles. Right now it reaches my shoulders, but it is also in varying lengths in the front. Any suggestions? The reason I may need to cut my hair is because a friend's son (he's 3) had lice and wanted to give me a present of the little wretches. So if the lice shampoos don't work, I will have to cut my hair. Any pohotos or sites with advice would be helpful too.
Sarah

Wait - hold the shears! Don't cut your hair because of the little buggers - there are several household ways (besides the store bought shampoos & such) to get rid of lice. I believe vinegar, tomato juice and olive oil can been used as well.

 

[Miss Neecerie]

Do not cut hair....


The shampoo -will- work....but you also then need to comb out the eggs with the special comb. If you do not remove the eggs mechanically...and by some slim chance one survives....

I came back from the Amazon once with a major majorly terrible case...and my hair was well past shoulders and I have -super- thick hair.

You need a very patient friend or relative. You might be able to manage by yourself...but will be much harder to -see- where you have been combing already etc.

I spent the better part of two days in a chair in her kitchen getting my hair combed and shampooed with the stuff. But that was it...no relapse happened.

 

[Sydney Loren]

If the lice shampoo doesn't work try what they use for dogs. I know it sounds terrible but it was the only thing that worked for my hair when I was a child. And, on the bright side, it prevented me from having to cut it (it was past my butt)!

 

[ShoreRoadLady]

You don't have to cut your hair, but you may have to have someone go through - very patiently - with one of those combs to deal with the nits or whatever they're called.

Ask me how I know. :rage:

On the other hand, if you've always wanted a bob...

 

[Laura Chase]

As all the other ladies are saying, you don't have to cut it.

But I do have to say that those shampoos aren't the most effective way to get rid of lice, not on their own, anyway. The good old combing routine is the most effective way. Have someone comb your hair every evening for a week. I got rid of them in less than a week by having my boyfriend comb my hair - we continued combing until I was 100% sure there weren't any eggs left. Trust your eyes on this, lice aren't that small.

I didn't use shampoo, because another thing about these shampoos is that they are quite harsh and the more shampoo we use, the more resistant the lice get to it. That's why shampoos don't always work.

Oh, and you don't need to get one of those metal-combs, they'll just ruin your hair, the plastic ones with really dense teeth are good.

Good luck! And if you still want to cut your hair, look around in the "Show us your hair do's" thread, or do a search, loads of ideas here.

 

[newtovintage]

Well, you see this isn't the first time I've had lice. I got them from Thomas (little 3 yr old), quite a few months ago and I've used the shampoos, combing (my mother has helped me with all of this), herbal cures, mayo, about the only thing I haven't done is use peroxide, dye or cut my hair. We get rid of them completely, but within a month or two they're back, the little nasties. My mother is the one who said I might have to cut my hair, because it is so thick and hard to find the nits. If I have to cut it, I need something that will grow back in relatively well.
Sarah

 

[Laura Chase]

Well, you see this isn't the first time I've had lice. I got them from Thomas (little 3 yr old), quite a few months ago and I've used the shampoos, combing (my mother has helped me with all of this), herbal cures, mayo, about the only thing I haven't done is use peroxide, dye or cut my hair. We get rid of them completely, but within a month or two they're back, the little nasties. My mother is the one who said I might have to cut my hair, because it is so thick and hard to find the nits. If I have to cut it, I need something that will grow back in relatively well.
Sarah

Oh my, what a shame. I'm sorry nothing's working.

If you do decide to give up and cut it, I uploaded some cutting diagrams for you, they are from the much talked-about Daniela Turudich 40's hairstyles book (click on them for large size):

 

[Lareesie Ladavi]

Well, you see this isn't the first time I've had lice. I got them from Thomas (little 3 yr old), quite a few months ago and I've used the shampoos, combing (my mother has helped me with all of this), herbal cures, mayo, about the only thing I haven't done is use peroxide, dye or cut my hair. We get rid of them completely, but within a month or two they're back, the little nasties. My mother is the one who said I might have to cut my hair, because it is so thick and hard to find the nits. If I have to cut it, I need something that will grow back in relatively well.
Sarah

You know...It sounds like they are in other places, like your bedding, clothing (that hasn't been washed in hot water) and linens. For them to keep comming back, sounds like they are infesting from somewhere. They say to bag your pillows up and let them die, but I would just throw them out, as well as blankets (if there isn't any sentimental value to them). I think it's something over-looked, honestly.

Sydney Loren mentioned dog shampoo..I've done that before. I use to work daycare and I discovered half of the kids had lice. I was poor and only had dog shampoo. I used it as a preventitive measure....it worked...

 

[Laura Chase]

You know...It sounds like they are in other places, like your bedding, clothing (that hasn't been washed in hot water) and linens. For them to keep comming back, sounds like they are infesting from somewhere. They say to bag your pillows up and let them die, but I would just throw them out, as well as blankets (if there isn't any sentimental value to them). I think it's something over-looked, honestly.

I agree that it could be something overlooked, but! Bedding and towels and things like that can't contain the lice. Lice can't live there long enough for it to matter, and furthermore, the lice don't just jump out of the hair willingly. Of course I understand that you might want to change bedding more often than usual and so forth, but there is really no need to get paranoid and start throwing stuff out.

Therefore, what you need to watch out for is things like combs, brushes, hats and other things that would pull them out of the hair. These things you don't need to throw out, but rather just soak in soap-water or, to be sure, leave in the freezer for 24 hours. Hope this helps... I know how awful it is to have lice.

 

[Lareesie Ladavi]

Hmmm I don't know...People spend a huge amount of time in bed...that isn't much of a time lapse. Families spread it this way.
Actually, while I was working daycare, I had discovered the lice climbing around on a table, that I happened to put my head down on... I promptly had myself checked. I was clean, but promply resorted to dog shampoo...lol
Personally, I think the brush thing is common knowledge, but whom knows...

 

[Laura Chase]

Alright, might be if you spend a lot of time in bed.

I just know that my doctor told me it was unnecessary to do anything out of the ordinary to my bedding and other linen, as I got really paranoid when I got them as an adult a couple of years ago. So I chilled, and it went fine.

However, I was told that if you had fleas, then you had to clean everything and freeze your linen and mattress.

But hey, what do I know, you should just do whatever you feel most comfortable with. Personally I just freaked when I had lice and would have burnt down my entire home if my doctor hadn't told me that they can't spread through linen and sofas and so forth.

 

[Antje]

This might be a tip, you could put some peter oil onto you scalp it stinks like hell but even my boss tells customers to do that and it works.
and you pillows and jackets and all sorts of things have to be left in a big plastic bag secured that its closed and left for 3 weeks or some, so you now for sure the lice are dead

good luck

 

[newtovintage]

Hmmm I don't know...People spend a huge amount of time in bed...that isn't much of a time lapse. Families spread it this way.
Actually, while I was working daycare, I had discovered the lice climbing around on a table, that I happened to put my head down on... I promptly had myself checked. I was clean, but promply resorted to dog shampoo...lol
Personally, I think the brush thing is common knowledge, but whom knows...

What type of dog shampoo? Just ordinary shampoo? Or special flea shampoo?

 

[ShoreRoadLady]

Well, you see this isn't the first time I've had lice. I got them from Thomas (little 3 yr old), quite a few months ago and I've used the shampoos, combing (my mother has helped me with all of this), herbal cures, mayo, about the only thing I haven't done is use peroxide, dye or cut my hair. We get rid of them completely, but within a month or two they're back, the little nasties. My mother is the one who said I might have to cut my hair, because it is so thick and hard to find the nits. If I have to cut it, I need something that will grow back in relatively well.
Sarah

So...the real question (beyond the immediate get-them-out-of-my-hair issue!) is whether the recurring source is your friend's son, or lice remaining in your own house. I guess I'm not totally clear - does the 3-year-old keep getting lice and passing them on to your family, or is he clear and *you* keep getting them? In that case it's something in the house. This pagehas some tips on that. I know when my family got lice as a kid, we sealed up a bunch of stuff in huge trash bags. It was a miserable experience, so believe me, I can sympathize!

My head feels like it's crawling as I write this... lol

 

[Emmababy]

I used to to have lice for ages and none of the shamppos worked for me. I had very long hair and I kept missing a few everytime I tried to comb them out and so they would breed again. THe only thing that absolutely killed them stone dead is any hair dye with ammonia. I would really really recommended that. Nothing's going to survive that! It's a great chance to change your hair and style a little.

 

[lizylou]

I totally agree

I used to to have lice for ages and none of the shamppos worked for me. I had very long hair and I kept missing a few everytime I tried to comb them out and so they would breed again. THe only thing that absolutely killed them stone dead is any hair dye with ammonia. I would really really recommended that. Nothing's going to survive that! It's a great chance to change your hair and style a little.

I did the same thing and I would recommend it also! I would say also to keep your hair pulled up whenever you are over at their house or in their vehicle. Maybe they could have reoccured from someone else's home? Well, Im sure you have been going through every possible place you've been. Good Luck Honey, let us know what happens!