Hi there from the HolisticDoc!
Head lice are a perennial pain aren't they?
Well, actually you probably haven't noticed the little blighters if you don't have children, and you may have forgotten about it all if your kids are past about 13. You probably never even met them if your kids are boys - at least, if they are the short-haired kind!
But with kids from pre-school to 13, of the long haired variety of either sex, head lice will be a contented part of your life!
My daughter, Nathalie is 7 now, so I would guess I am nearing half way through the years of battle. Many's the time I have threatened her with a severe haircut - hurriedly declined in favour of painful mane-pulling, as her beautiful long curly hair is one of her greatest assets (along with her beautiful, almond shaped blue eyes - wow!). But long curly hair equals pain, pain, pain when it comes to head lice.
Those of us who hope to depend on chemical ease are disappointed. I learned through medical school that you have to rotate the chemicals used for head lice because the nifty critters gain resistance to the chemicals used. Not half! I gave up completely the day that, after exposing my daughter to what was very obviously a noxious, toxic chemical for a whole night (and I was already having my doubts about the toxicity), I came to wash it out. There, happily waving its legs at me, was a full-blown happy as Larry head louse. Yum! It might just have well have held up a glass of champagne and said "Cheers!".
Once I began my training as a spiritual healer, and my awareness of holistic approaches to health increased, I became much more aware of the chemicals that we use around us. I and my children can sniff out E-numbers from fifty paces (you know, those H*ribot packets of sweets), and I can no longer tolerate most commercial air fresheners, or even the multi-surface cleaner. The cleaners at the practice must be really damaging themselves, as when I walk in to the surgery in the morning I can hardly breath.
Anyway, back to the point.
I noticed the latest info from a local school suggests conditioner and combing daily. Well, I know from experience, there is no way that someone with a child with long curly hair will do it daily. And it is unnecessary! The eggs hatch in 3-5 days so all you need to do is comb every 3 days - much more achievable. Working in general practice soon teaches you not to insist on unworkable exercise regimes - it won't be carried out. (memo to self - remember this when you speak to your obese patients - pity real weight loss will only occur if they do exercise thoroughly 5x per week).
I digress again.
My recipe for getting rid of head lice.
1. Wash with usual shampoo. If you can add 2 drops of tea tree oil into the shampoo in the palm of you hand & mix it in first. Head lice HATE both tea tree oil and lavender oil.
2. Add conditioner - while in palm of hand you MUST add the oil now, tea tree seems better, but for a while I had to use lavender as Nathalie hated tea tree. Rub copiously through the hair, add more if needed, and keep the hair moist.
3. Use a nit comb - metal is best I have found, as the teeth buckle less. Nitty Gritty is absolutely fab & well worth the extra cost (buy from your chemist), as it has Really Long Teeth so allows you to really comb through the entire thickness.
4. Now I have to admit that Nathalie's hair is just too tangly at this point. We rinse out the conditioner, put in her hair serum (expensive stuff but boy does it make a difference to the tangles) & nit comb again- the comb goes through so smoothly now that you can be sure you have caught every strand.
5. Repeat the nit combing every 3 days to get rid of new hatchings of eggs.
6. Once clear weekly nit-combing for surveillance (ie to check if she's got it again) is really important.
And now the bonus -
There is a new chemical that works!
It's called Hedrin, you can buy it or get it on prescription, and the head lice (apparently) can't become immune to it.
It works by physical rather than chemical means. By this I mean that it is a silicon - based oily liquid which coats the surface of the head lice. Once coated the lice cannot stop themselves from absorbing water - and they burst! You leave it on overnight preferably (with visions in mind of dreams of - Snap - Crackle - and Pop) and wash it out in the morning. Only shrivelled remnants remain.
Now you may think this odd, coming from an animal healer - Nathalie used to make great friends with her head lice after all! But fair dos, and I do apologise to the little creatures as I apply the stuff.
Still I find the conditioner combing the mainstay with occasional Hedrin application is my best strategy - what's your favourite remedy? Let me know by commenting on this blog!
Love & light,
Alisonx
This is the blog of Dr Alison Grimston, a United Kingdom GP and spiritual healer who works with animals and people. Here she offers insights and information on integrating the best of complementary and scientific medicine in human and animal care. Disclaimer: The content of our website is not a substitute for professional medical advice or treatment. Always seek the advice of your doctor relating to any medical condition.
You can safely and effectively kill lice with salt water or a sauna - learn how to kill lice without killing yourself or the earth......
Pediculicide POISONS do not remove nits and are dangerous. Among the reactions to poison shampoo or lice "treatments" are seizures, mental retardation, many different allergies and respiratory problems, strange tingling, burning, itching, attention deficit disorders, brain tumors, leukemia, cancer and death.
I have used a sauna and/or salt water to safely and effectiely kill lice (but the nits remain).
I have also used ½ oz. of Safe Solutions, Inc. Lice R Gone® Enzyme Shampoo and/or their Enzyme Cleaner with Peppermint per shampoo-type application to safely remove both lice and nits.
Read how to safely control all pests at http://www.thebestcontrol2.com
Posted by: Stephen Tvedten | June 20, 2008 at 06:13 PM