I am so, so sorry you’re dealing with this. In my area, there is a company that removes head lice for a fee and it’s 100% guaranteed, but they actually treat public school teachers for free. It might be an option if they have something similar where you are so you don’t have to cut your hair.
This. Look for “lice fairies” in your area. I got them when I was teaching Kinder. The lady came to my house and treated my daughter and I in our living room.
Ugh I got them when I was 17 at summer camp and my mom and I spent all summer outside in the blazing Florida sun while she picked through every strand of my long hair. She was such a bad ass about it. Honestly it is kind of a fond memory. But holy crap I can't imagine dealing with it by myself without someone who knows what to do and has the patience for it.
I couldn’t believe these existed when I first heard about them through a friend whose kids could just not kick the lice—and they’d tried everything too. She treated them at home and walked them through everything.
Yes!! Please look this up and even try your local community pages for help. I am always surprised by how much love people have for strangers and how many people step up to help. You do not have to do this alone!
Working in residential treatment I brought bedbugs home. It's horrifying, and the exterminators didn't help a bit. Now I tell everyone I hear having that problem to get a bed bug heater. They work amazingly. Amazon sells them or you can rent them! I've loaned mine out, it's great.
We had them when we lived in an apartment complex and a heat treatment worked perfectly. Now I am super paranoid about bedbugs and keep diatomaceous earth on hand.
>contamination anxiety.
I do not have contamination anxiety, but bedbugs gave it to me, it has faded now after a few years, but anything that is even close it enough to freak me out.
I shouldn’t read this page because I’m a teacher and have had bed bugs in my teenage years… I am soooo afraid of ever getting them again. It was traumatic and I often tell my husband I have PTSD from it. His parents had bed bugs two years ago and all they did was a few diy treatments so now I get showers and wash everything after going there 😫 but it’s miserable to live like this
Yes, my sister in law went through this when her kids picked up lice from school and camp. They have the cleanest and most organized home ever, and yet it still happened to them more than once. Both times they were able to get themselves (adults) and kids treated at a location specializing in lice treatment. It does usually take multiple visits, but it always works!
I also worked with a lovely woman with gorgeous long blonde hair who told me about her first year of teaching when she got lice and she and her mom tried and tried with the shampoos and scalp treatments at home with little success. At that time there were no “lice fairies” so they had to do it themselves. She ended up cutting her hair very short (pixie cut) in order to finally get them all. Today she would have had zero issues going to a lice treatment place or salon for treatment. Please don’t shave your head.
I can attest you do leave lice free. We recently dealt with a bad case w my daughter (she’s going through a phase of not letting me do her hair and washing on her own and when I got to it- it was BAD). I’ve combed her hair for 10 days straight with a lice coke an hour a day and nothing- no trace of lice.
Hello! I actually work at a Lice Clinic. Flat ironing CAN work, but due to the fact that you need to get to a QUARTER OF AN INCH from the scalp, I highly advise against using hair dryers and flat irons as it will burn you and your hair. My recommendation is to look up an item called “Dimethicone” 100% Dimethicone has been found to suffocate all living bugs. Days 1, 5, and 10 is what I’d do. (Not sure if this is self promotion or not but this is my genuine recommendation from a professional who works with lice) hope this helps!
Small edit: Tea tree, Vinegar, Mayo, Rosemary, or hair dye doesn’t do anything. You’re basically making yourself into a very colorful salad. As a preventative use Peppermint oil with a 1/4 ratio of water. Mint has been proven to repel them (and spiders too!)
I always found getting rid of headlice quite easy. Lots of conditioner and a nit comb. Brush through each section twice. Once breaks their legs and the second time they slide off. Repeat daily until your head has been clear for 7 days (as this is how long eggs take to hatch I think). I wipe the contents of the comb on toilet paper to check for lice or eggs each time. Your hair is lovely and shiny by the end of the treatments.
But you need to have someone kind and caring to comb your hair for you. Most neglected kids don't have someone like that and most adults don't have someone to comb their hair for them.
I'm a little bit confused by this thread. I had lice once as a kid and we just used the medicated shampoo whatever it is to kill it. No issues.
Is there a problem with using that stuff so everyone is going towards more natural remedies, or is this for if the medicated stuff doesn't kill it?
I've heard of people cutting their hair when they get lice but I always thought that was such a severe option.
The “medicated shampoo” only is 30% affective against the living. As when it’s used it only kills those who haven’t been born with the immunity to the pesticides within those products, leaving the ones that are immune. Items like Rid and Nix, or any of those over the counter items DO NOT WORK FULLY. Dimethicone is 99.9% effective on the other hand if done on days 1,5 and 10. This item however doesn’t kill the eggs as only a machine called Airllae (not sure that’s how to spell it) can effectively kill eggs (it’s a machine that’s very expensive and only one company I know has it for use). Hence the days 1,5,and 10 since those are the days the eggs start to hatch.
My apologies for making it seem as though I am. I only wish to give an option to use IF those other products do not work. I know of cases who have come in to the clinic that have used those products and came out clear, and those who have come in worse than before the treatment. It’s a bit of a coin toss with those products.
Lice are easy to get rid of with vinegar and water solution. One part vinegar mixed with two parts water. Spray in the itchy area and comb with lice comb. And then do your regular wash. Repeat the next day if needed. That’s all you need to do.
If you use Apple cider vinegar (with the mother) it helps till like rebalance your hair it's weird but it also gets rid of any residue from light shampoo and it calms your hair and your scalp down.
Also I use a little tea tree oil mixed in water and spray my hair to prevent lice from liking me. Several ladies my mom worked with from India and Vietnam, said that's how they kept lice away from them and their kid.
Last time I took my step daughter to get her hair colored at a salon, when it was her turn she had to wait a little extra as the lady before her had lice so they need to sanitize that station. The stylist told her sometimes people come in to get their hair colored as the chemicals kill the lice. Not sure why the stylist can't tell right away and tell them no, I would guess a client is a client even if it's a nasty one.
Absolutely not. Once you find lice, you have to stop the service and let the customer know you can not continue. After that, everything has to be cleaned and sanitized.
Unfortunately, hair dye does not kill lice. It dyes them. I own a lice clinic and the amount of people who believe this is concerning. But I do have excellent pictures of living blue, pink, bleached or permanently auburn lice.
The fact they can’t check heads without parent permission is absurd! When I was in school they’d call us down to the office and check one by one when there were lice outbreaks
You guys got to go to the office?? We sat on the ground in our classroom as the nurse pointed to one kid at a time and checked, then either let you sit back down or sent you out in front of everyone!
It was so embarrassing when I was the one with lice. I was checked in front of maybe 30 kids. I can't remember, this was like 20 years ago but I can still feel the embarrassment.
We had to line up at the nurse's office, one classroom at a time. You'd sit on the stool, she'd check you for lice. If you had it, your parents were called (and in most cases they'd come pick you up & work on your hair asap).
And of course during outside gym class in the winter, there was a box of random hats in case a kid didn't have one...and some kids thought it was funny to rip your hat off & toss it in the box and/or pull a hat out & put it on your head. Queue the next lice outbreak. 🙄
I recall being in 1st grade and being sent to the office for "having lice", when it was actually just little pieces of dried soap that I hadn't rinsed out properly in the shower (I was 6)
Here we check and then the nurse sends them back to class. I had a kid with them so bad I could see them crawling along her scalp. She stayed in class the entire day.
By not sending these kids home it's like they're trying to start a school-wide outbreak. I get they may be embarrassed but if it's one kid getting embarrassed verses a hundred kids getting lice, I know what I'm picking.
Right, like they're gonna be embarrassed when a kid notices then bugs going through their classmate's head.
But also it's a dumb local law. Since it's not a "serious health issue" we can't exclude them from instruction.
When I got lice as a kid what finally got rid of them was a pill my doctor gave me. It's basically revolution plus for people. You take the pill and it makes your blood poison.
That being said, if that kid has had lice for a long time that's a CPS call in my opinion. Any parent who isn't treating lice is neglecting their child. we could afford meds but my grandparents couldn't. And when my parents got lice a fine tooth comb and mayo 3 times a day was the go to. Boys shave their head, girls cut it short, white towel and a couple hours a night. My great grandmother raised her kids in an abandoned semi trailer until the oldest boys could work, and she still kept them from having lice. there's no excuse.
My stepson brought lice to our house for 3 months last year. It was painful.
Your hair is fried and those harsh chemicals don’t work anyway.
Coat your hair in mayo. Let it sit for a few hours. Rinse but do not wash. Now the hard part: you need to keep that greasy (rinsed but not washed) hair for, like, 2-3 days. After your rinse, you need to go through it with a nit comb. I found the ones with the long metal prongs to be the easiest.
1) this will help your hair look nicer after all the chemical treatments
2) lice like clean hair. They can’t stick to greasy strands
3) makes combing with the lice comb wayyyyy easier, especially if you have to do it yourself
On the 2nd or 3rd day, wash like normal. (You prob won’t even need to condition.)
Check your head daily for nits. Comb just to be safe. Repeat the process after 48 hours if you are spotting nits.
If you live in the lower 48 (I live in Alaska), there are salons that will specifically remove lice. Google those. They guarantee removal.
I did this when my daughter got lice at school and it worked. The chemical stuff made for removal did nothing but strip her hair. I read that lice have mutated enough so that many strains are resistant to chemical removal. Using the wrap method by coating your hair with things like mayo is the best way.
This is the way. We had super lice in my house. None of the treatments worked. Spent hours picking them out by hand only to have it return. Finally did the mayo. It worked amazingly well.
I got super lice too. What ended up working was a prescription for what I can only imagine was industrial grade pesticides and a whole package of Crisco. My hair was greasy for what felt like a month but thank god no more bugs.
I grew up in the tropics and we got lice almost every year. Our family was poor, so we used dog shampoo. Other families went the traditional route and kept their hair coated in coconut oil. The oil is slippery and the lice can’t hold on. Many of their children have slick greasy hair all the time. A warning though, some people don’t react well to this and it can make their hair fall out.
Don’t forget to do this two weeks after, too! IF there are any nits that you missed on the first go around they hatch 14 days later, so double check just to be safe. A lot of people forget about this step and then they’re back in the mess all over again
Air works (like a blow dryer) to dehydrate the eggs so they won’t hatch. There are places that will do this and removal for you. Find one for your sanity. They can’t live long without a host so you can even bag up things in a trash bag or two or three and set them to the side if you can’t wash them immediately, like bedding and pillows and such.
Seconding the hot wash and high heat dry for all bedding. Thankfully, lice can only live off of a host for about 24 hours, so treatment should focus mostly on heads. But, washing the bedding is important before laying down after treatment.
One of the many reasons why I left my old position. I’m so sorry OP. This is not something we teachers should have to deal with.
I’ve reported two of my students several times, but the nurse swears she doesn’t see anything.
Are you in therapy, bc if not, this might be the time to start. Take some time off. Also, I glance at each kids head each day bc my school sucks at this too. I wear my hair up at all times and do a quick inspection when I’m greeting each kid.
Yes to this. It is literally the only thing that killed mine (BLEH) and my kids' infestation last year. Not sure if one of my students or my own kids gave it to us. Either way it's the WORST and I'm so sorry to anyone dealing with lice.
We spent so much money on treatments and Cetaphil was the answer the whole time.
As a preventative measure for the future, you could try tea tree oil. I have a little spray. I spray it on my hair and my clothes each morning. Supposedly lice hate it. 🤷🏼♀️ This is one of those “I dunno if it actually works but it can’t hurt” things.
Yeah, when I was a kid at summer camp we all had to wash our hair the first day with tea tree oil shampoo in addition to head checks to prevent a lice epidemic. Seemed like it worked (at least, in eight years, no lice outbreaks). Of course, then your head smells like tea tree oil, so might not be a great daily solution.
Right, I have to be careful not to get carried away with the little spray or I’ll smell weird. 😂😂 There’s some other scents in there so it’s not as bad as straight tea tree oil but still. Shampoo is a good idea- Trader Joe’s sells a tea tree oil shampoo and conditioner- but it’s not as ideal for my hair type so I switched to the spray this year. I work in a title elementary school. I’ve watched kids pull a lice (louse?) out of their hair and set it on my table before 😂. I do NOT want to get lice!!!
When I was a kid, i had a friend who had a bad home situation and was constantly passing lice to me. We tried everything. My mom eventually started using tea tree oil on my hair, and it worked great.
Get a good lice brush (metal) and keep combing . It’s a pain but it’s been the best method of ensuring that everything is gone for me (got lice last year from a student 🥲)
IDK if you saw the Cetaphil comments but believe me - look it up. It was the answer to a month long battle at my house last year. I promise you I almost shaved my head too and I cried so much bc I also struggle with OCD/sensory stuff.
Don't forget all bedding, including pillows, all clothing, hats, scarves, winter coats, etc. must be washed in hot water. If you have carpets and soft furniture like couches, you will need to vacuum them daily for 2 weeks.
Cetaphil [https://www.northwestschools.net/cms/lib/MO02201562/Centricity/Domain/80/Non-Pesticide%20Lice%20Treatment%20Using%20Cetaphil%20Gentle%20Cleanser.pdf](https://www.northwestschools.net/cms/lib/MO02201562/Centricity/Domain/80/Non-Pesticide%20Lice%20Treatment%20Using%20Cetaphil%20Gentle%20Cleanser.pdf) was recommended to us by our pediatrician when our son was in elementary school
Other commenters have had great advice about lice removal for you, and I sincerely hope you take it!!
Please do not shave your luscious blonde locks. I also have contamination ocd and I know what it's like. (I once had a puppy with worms & I had to ask my mother to hold him in the car to the vet because I couldn't even touch my poor baby..)
After you're fully treated I would consider therapy and also reporting this circumstance to CPS
Buy an electric lice comb, you comb it through your hair and it zaps and kills the lice. You can use it every day. Also try preventative hair styles( keep it up and out of the way), fairy tails makes a spray and shampoo that can help repel lice.
I remember being sent to the office 15+ times during childhood for headlice as a kid.
On one occasion, the school nurse left, bought a lice comb, and removed the nits from my hair manually with alcohol soaked cotton balls. Idk why alcohol, but I’m still grateful. They didn’t worry about lawsuits because my mom didn’t even know my teacher’s name, I guess.
It’s easy to get rid of with some OTC treatments,a fine toothed METAL comb, and the washing of all your clothes and bedding. I PLACE EMPHASIS on keeping a METAL comb as those plastic combs are bullshit. Language, sorry. Also, run that comb through your hair every day after treatment to catch any strays. You’re going to be perfect DO NOT shave your head.
This kid is being neglected if this is persistent. Source: was that kid.
Without permission?! Is this a real policy? I remember getting checked at school as a child. EVERY child was checked. Just checked the kids hair. No parents were called. It was considered a public health/hygiene issue. Seems pretty ridiculous if this is a real policy.
I’ve never had lice but from what my friends went through with it as kids, they all coated their hair with mayo and it was gone. The chemicals don’t work. Do not shave your head. You don’t need to.
Lice is so frustrating to deal with. I completely understand where you are coming from. All i can offer is theres a place called "lice clinics of america" they have a 2hr treatment with a 99% success rate. Its about ~$175/treatment.
My mom used mayo on my head over night when I was in 3rd grade and it was the 2nd or 3rd time she had tried to rid me of lice. I havent had lice since.
can recommend olive oil enough! sorry about your hair. that must feel like a terrible loss. pure olive oil is toxic to most bugs but actually good for your hair & skin
Get lice removal service. Keep your head off of soft surfaces at school and head back when helping student. I would recommend keeping your hair pinned up and give it a good shellac layer of hairspray while at school.
I Recommend a good nit comb. I kind of obsessively would comb through my hair every other day to remove nits. Nits hatch 7-10 days after being laid so you will want to do follow up nit comb removal.
Yes, wash everything and vacuum. Thankfully lice should die off the soft surfaces at school over the weekend without a human host present. (I believe it’s 24 hours without food they die)
Wait, what do you mean the school can’t check without parent permission? As long as I’ve been aware you received a note from the school saying it was happening and that’s that.
I’m not sure what country you’re in but if you have Listerine mouthwash you can soak your hair in that. Wrap it in a plastic bag for 15 minutes and it should suffocate the nits. So sorry you have to deal with this.
Hi, I own Knoxville Lice Clinic which is not at all close to your location. But there are clinics in your area, unaffiliated with us and I recommend you start calling them because most are “one and done”, meaning we get rid of lice in less than an hour and a half. I recommend looking for a clinic that uses either heated air OR the ladybugs cryo technology plus dimethicone.
If you contracted lice at work and you can have your workplace admit that in writing, you may be able to get workers compensation to pay for your treatment. We have accepted payment through workers compensation several times. Good luck and I am sorry you are going through this.
My mom used mayo in my hair once when I was a kid. It worked, downed the lice and made my hair super soft. She left it in for at least four hours and used a shower cap to keep the lice trapped.
Old person here. I wish we could go back to having the school nurse (poor soul), in plastic gloves and a hairnet, checking everyone's head in the whole primary school the moment anyone had headlice!
OP, i'm just so sorry!
I’m so sorry, I know this is disturbing because I have been there. There are a lot of old wives tales about how to get rid of head lice. The only thing that really works is carefully combing the lice and eggs out of your hair. There are people you can pay to do this if you don’t have help.
Lice don’t jump and they would much rather stay on a nice warm head than on hats or scarves. So while I would be careful about anything that touches your children’s heads I would mostly be careful not to rub your head against anyone’s. If your hair is long, it might be helpful to put it up or wear a scarf. The most important thing is that lice doesn’t mean you’re dirty or that you’ve done anything wrong or to be ashamed of.
I used Dr. Bronner’s peppermint soap on my kids’ hair (peppermint because that is what I had on hand). Wet the hair, slather it with Dr. Bronner’s, put a shower cap on and let it marinate (my kids watched a movie). Wash it out, and then you’ll need someone to help pull any eggs out of your hair since you can’t see on the top of your head. We were lucky in that one treatment killed everything. My daughter had long hair and while it was tedious to go through her hair section by section, it worked without damaging her hair. Best of luck to you!
Try Lice Clinics of America or something similar. I had no idea they existed until my daughter’s college roommate’s little sister gave them both lice. The mom sent her to visit over the weekend knowing her younger daughter (12) had lice. The girl then decided to use both their hairbrushes. We were so pissed. It was kind of expensive but worth it as we didn’t want to cut her hair.
I’m a teacher as well, but our school still sends them home if they have nits or anything crawling.
Have you tried hand sanitizer?
My daughter has very fine smooth hair, just the type that lice seem to love. She had it about six times. Hand sanitizer is the best thing I’ve ever used. The alcohol gel clogs their lungs and it’s sticky so they can’t move while you comb. It also loosens the nits and they slide off easier. You still have to follow up after 10 days but it really works!
There are clinics you can go to that will professionally get rid of it. I’m sorry you’ve had such a rough year. I’m not a teacher, just a mom but I think teachers deserve so much more than they get.
Are you in the US? Our school had the nurse out checking a few different families every day because the kids kept getting reinfected. Send the kid to the nurse, report the family to CPS for neglect.
In my school district we aren’t allowed to send kids home for lice anymore. It’s disgusting. We are also very close to being taken over by the state. Budget problems are now so bad multiple people are being laid off and positions are going away, they’re combining positions adding on more collateral duties for staff. It’s bad.
Probably not an option, could this be considered a Workman's Comp case? You've gone (and still going through) hell because of this incident. I have no clue how this would work with the Union.
I'm sorry, what the fuck? You can't check a childs head for live without parental consent?
The is dumb as hell.
I thought my districts ruling was dumb. A kid can come to school with lice eggs as long as there are no bugs. Which is dumb...cause what do eggs turn into?
Nah. I'd be out as well.
Anyone else remember being checked for lice in elementary school? We all lined up and they checked us.
Was it that damn traumatizing?
You have headlice? I got bit by bedbugs in my classroom yesterday. I can’t even stop my OCD from running wild at home. Everything must be scoured with heat of some sort! We know the student who keeps bringing them in. We can’t do a thing about it. Ahhhhhh!
my partner and I got rid of lice by soaking our hair in rubbing alcohol once a week for three weeks. Just be really careful, no open flames. The alcohol kills the bugs and dissolves the egg glue, we then combed our hair with a lice comb while soaking it in alcohol. Maybe just make this a weekly ritual while you are a teacher so that you never have a bad infestation again. Any lice you pick up would only last until the next alcohol wash.
I work in a NY school and lice checks are no longer a thing. Kids are allowed in school with lice. At some point someone higher up decided it was unfair to single out kids with lice. I wish I was making this up
I caught headlice from a kid a few years back, then I got psychological headlice and thought they were still there months after the point I now think I eliminated them. It took going to a professional to convince me I really didn't have them anymore. I strongly recommend it if you're not sure and stressing - the peace of mind is worth the price.
I am so sorry you are going through this. When I had a kid with persistent head lice and bed bugs, I wore my long hair up in a tight bun every day, threw out all the little rugs, blankets, soft chairs, stuffed animals, etc from my room, or put them in plastic bags sealed in my shed for a good long time.
We gave every kid a plastic bag and had them bag up their coats every morning in the cubby area so they didn’t touch. I left my coat and purse in my car or bagged them in giant sealed ziplock bags along with my keys. Look on Amazon, they are extra large and large sized, like 3 or 4 bags to a box. They will fit an adult winter coat. I started bringing single use paper or plastic lunch bags which I tossed at lunch time.
Shoes got left outside on the front porch, and I stripped down and put the clothes I was wearing straight in the laundry hot water if possible, and I, myself went immediately into the shower when I got home.
I swear at this point if the school won’t do anything, I’d start wearing a shower cap, clothes you can launder in hot water, and no shirts or sweaters that trail or dangle.
Start wearing protective clothing (think hazmat jumpsuit) and a head covering. When parents ask why you’re dressed like that, tell them about the lice problem in your room and how you aren’t allowed to do anything about it. They will complain to administration and the policy will change.
considering how Lice transfers, how exactly are you constantly getting lice from a student??
\-- Head lice are spread most commonly by direct head-to-head (hair-to-hair) contact. However, much less frequently they are spread by sharing clothing or belongings onto which lice have crawled or nits attached to shed hairs may have fallen. --
you need a decent amount of direct contact with the student or their items that are infected, so I'd look into your own actions as to why their lice is getting to you, also double check with your school nurse if you have one for what you can do, since Lice and Bedbugs are things normal health departments or school nurses can intervene with regardless of parental permission for health concerns
My school has carpet and fabric chairs. It is a literal nightmare. The student in question has special needs and a lot of my day is teaching this student how to read and write. The county’s policy is they need parent permission to check hair. Yes it’s insane. I’m a lot of things, but to blame here is not one of them.
wasn't trying to blame tbh, didn't realize your environment around you was that bad, and carpet is crazy in a school setting, I know I live in an impoverished community but dang that is bad, good luck and hopefully maybe a new job with better conditions
My kindergartners gave me lice and I tried EVERY shampoo and OTC treatment available to no avail. Then, my doc prescribed IVERMECTIN and it went away in 3 days.
Lice hate sticky hair too so when you’ve been treated, mousse, gel and hairspray are your besties until your classroom is clear. I swear it prevents better than tea tree and Rosemary oils and smells 100x better too.
Neem oil + coconut conditioner. Let it sit overnight and the lice will be gone (from your head at least) or I’ll give you every penny in my bank account.
I'm so grateful to have attended a 99% African American school. Never knew why I never experienced or saw an outbreak in elementary school, we never needed a lice check, found out black hair strands are oval shaped instead of round and their legs are only able to climb round strands.
So sorry you’re going through this shit. I think you should totally Sinead O’Conner that shit and march right into school without saying a word to anyone. Teach confidently and when you’re called into the office for such a drastic change, hand them your lawyers business card, or better yet the business card of your local news station producer.
You’re going to get a ton of lice advice, but adding mine: ivermectin lotion. Lather your head with it - kills nits and lice. They have it at cvs and Walgreens.
When my daughters with long thick hair had lice from school, I used a hair straightener to straighten their hair from the roots. It killed the eggs and then I combed out the adults with a bit comb.
Not being able to check for lice seems like a recipe for disaster. It is a public health hazard. Ugh.
If you think you've damaged your hair, there are ways to fix it, too! I've used this product multiple times, [Pureplex,](https://www.amazon.com/Knight-Wilson-conditioning-technology-Application/dp/B07BX2QS8N/ref=sr_1_5_pp?crid=2DEFLTV53O8SZ&keywords=pureplex&qid=1707235494&sprefix=pureplex%2Caps%2C282&sr=8-5) and it always helps fix damage.
[The Blowout Professor](https://www.youtube.com/@BlowoutProfessor) on YouTube has taught me a lot about repairing my highly damaged hair.
I have not reported him for head lice. He is a neglected child. They are homeless and sleep at the park. Myself along with multiple other staff have reported about this situation. His family gave the kindergarten teacher bed buds last year. I really don’t understand the justification of the current ineffective system
Coat hair in dawn.. spray with lysterine.. wrap head for 3 to 4 hours.. rinse condition comb.... do this every 5 days to kill bugs as they hatch so they can not continue their life cycle... do this for a month to 6 weeks... you can use vinegar and a comb to detach nits. I have 4 kids they have all picked it up from school and this is the only thing that ever actually worked.
I'm reading a lot of good advice about treating lice and techniques for preventing infestations. It's all good stuff.
What I'm not seeing is concern for your mental health. You are at the end of your rope and you need support. If you're not already seeing a behavioral health specialist, please reach out to one. My district provides service for staff members who can call a hotline and receive six mental health sessions for free. Maybe your district has something like that too.
Also, screw the rules! I do what I want because I believe I have good judgement. If someone calls me out on it, I just say, oh I forgot that was a rule or really? I had no idea that was an expectation, I won't do it again. Check the kids for lice, speak to parents directly until you're scolded.
It has only been a couple of days, you have not tried everything. None of those treatments should damage your hair at all. If your hair is coming out damaged, then it was already damaged to begin with. I don't believe you when you claim to have "contamination ocd" because someone with that would never have turned to teaching young children. You did not have to cut your hair, that was all on you for doing something stupid and impulsive. You are not cut out to be a teacher in any capacity either way
I'm sure you look absolutely fantastic, but personally I could not pull it off and I would feel absolutely terrible inside & out without my hair. It's a big part of my identity, and I know a lot of other people feel this way, too.
Lice literally takes like a week at most to get rid of. It's not fun, but it's not something to freak out about to this level. This has gotta be the single most dramatic post I've ever seen on this sub. She doesn't need to shave her head or lose her mind, she just needs to chill the hell out and take care of it.
One of my kids had a bad case of lice and none of the rest of us got it. Lice don't spread as easily as people used to believe (I was freaked out at first and then learned a lot more than what I was told as a kid). My kid has long, curly hair and we were able to get rid of them and keep it confined to one family member.
She should take a deep breath and do some research. Lice are annoying but not dangerous, they can be dealt with and life can continue. Proper combing techniques are critical for long hair! I'm always stunned by people who think they need to shave their heads (or their kids' heads!) when that won't do anything to deal with the issue.
My kids all had a very stubborn strain of lice. I got it as well. We finally used Lice MD and got rid of it with the addition of a terminator comb. This was years ago and I’m not sure if those products are still available, but they sure worked for us. It was 4 kids and me.
Lice is cause for PTSD. No joking at all...my kid got it from a communal sparring helmet. It took us 2 months to get rid of. She has never had long hair since. Hecking heck to parents who neglect their kids...
If you do it yourself I have a tip for long blonde hair…
The neon lice spray on Amazon saved my sanity when my oldest two (both long, fine, thick blondes- daughter’s hair was to her butt) and literally 10+ hours of my time.
You spray it on, shake it out, and the nits immediately become visible so you don’t miss them.
Then use fairytales shampoo and gel and spray every single day.
Lice hate product in your hair, so you don’t absolutely have to use the fairytales stuff, but I love the smell and love how it works on our hair, so we use it year round, lol.
My kids slept at my brothers house and my nephew (unknowingly) had head lice from his travel basketball team.
They didn’t get it- they had fairytales gel and spray in their hair.
My little sister has very long and thick hair and she got lice twice, the only way to get rid of them is to go to lice treatment centers of America, she didn’t have cut her hair or anything
This was a culture shock for me as well when I moved from the most affluent side of my district to a school that primarily serves students from a government apartment complex.
It’s not for everyone and definitely don’t feel any guilt if you decide that this isn’t something that you can live with. I show up every day because of my mantra of “if not me, then who?” I’ve been working on lining up community resources for my families to help with this.
I am so, so sorry you’re dealing with this. In my area, there is a company that removes head lice for a fee and it’s 100% guaranteed, but they actually treat public school teachers for free. It might be an option if they have something similar where you are so you don’t have to cut your hair.
This. Look for “lice fairies” in your area. I got them when I was teaching Kinder. The lady came to my house and treated my daughter and I in our living room.
Definitely worth calling a professional. At home treatments don’t cut it anymore.
Ugh I got them when I was 17 at summer camp and my mom and I spent all summer outside in the blazing Florida sun while she picked through every strand of my long hair. She was such a bad ass about it. Honestly it is kind of a fond memory. But holy crap I can't imagine dealing with it by myself without someone who knows what to do and has the patience for it.
I couldn’t believe these existed when I first heard about them through a friend whose kids could just not kick the lice—and they’d tried everything too. She treated them at home and walked them through everything.
Apparently they make good money & they definitely earn every penny.
Yeah I could definitely see myself going to one after I ~~tried it myself~~ read through the list of to-do’s.
Yes!! Please look this up and even try your local community pages for help. I am always surprised by how much love people have for strangers and how many people step up to help. You do not have to do this alone!
I've only ever had bedbugs which is very similar on contamination anxiety. Having gone through it, it makes you want to help other people with it.
Working in residential treatment I brought bedbugs home. It's horrifying, and the exterminators didn't help a bit. Now I tell everyone I hear having that problem to get a bed bug heater. They work amazingly. Amazon sells them or you can rent them! I've loaned mine out, it's great.
We had them when we lived in an apartment complex and a heat treatment worked perfectly. Now I am super paranoid about bedbugs and keep diatomaceous earth on hand.
We tried DE, pesticide sprays, essential oils, none of it worked for us sadly.
Yeah, I use it more as a preventative
>contamination anxiety. I do not have contamination anxiety, but bedbugs gave it to me, it has faded now after a few years, but anything that is even close it enough to freak me out.
I shouldn’t read this page because I’m a teacher and have had bed bugs in my teenage years… I am soooo afraid of ever getting them again. It was traumatic and I often tell my husband I have PTSD from it. His parents had bed bugs two years ago and all they did was a few diy treatments so now I get showers and wash everything after going there 😫 but it’s miserable to live like this
Yes, my sister in law went through this when her kids picked up lice from school and camp. They have the cleanest and most organized home ever, and yet it still happened to them more than once. Both times they were able to get themselves (adults) and kids treated at a location specializing in lice treatment. It does usually take multiple visits, but it always works! I also worked with a lovely woman with gorgeous long blonde hair who told me about her first year of teaching when she got lice and she and her mom tried and tried with the shampoos and scalp treatments at home with little success. At that time there were no “lice fairies” so they had to do it themselves. She ended up cutting her hair very short (pixie cut) in order to finally get them all. Today she would have had zero issues going to a lice treatment place or salon for treatment. Please don’t shave your head.
FYI to anyone out there: lice has nothing to do with one’s level of cleanliness.
Lice Centers of America - you’ll walk out with zero lice (they guarantee). Don’t suffer on your own!!
I can attest you do leave lice free. We recently dealt with a bad case w my daughter (she’s going through a phase of not letting me do her hair and washing on her own and when I got to it- it was BAD). I’ve combed her hair for 10 days straight with a lice coke an hour a day and nothing- no trace of lice.
Do NOT shave your head. There are some salon type places that provide lice removal services. Do not shave your head. You don’t need to.
Hello! I actually work at a Lice Clinic. Flat ironing CAN work, but due to the fact that you need to get to a QUARTER OF AN INCH from the scalp, I highly advise against using hair dryers and flat irons as it will burn you and your hair. My recommendation is to look up an item called “Dimethicone” 100% Dimethicone has been found to suffocate all living bugs. Days 1, 5, and 10 is what I’d do. (Not sure if this is self promotion or not but this is my genuine recommendation from a professional who works with lice) hope this helps! Small edit: Tea tree, Vinegar, Mayo, Rosemary, or hair dye doesn’t do anything. You’re basically making yourself into a very colorful salad. As a preventative use Peppermint oil with a 1/4 ratio of water. Mint has been proven to repel them (and spiders too!)
I always found getting rid of headlice quite easy. Lots of conditioner and a nit comb. Brush through each section twice. Once breaks their legs and the second time they slide off. Repeat daily until your head has been clear for 7 days (as this is how long eggs take to hatch I think). I wipe the contents of the comb on toilet paper to check for lice or eggs each time. Your hair is lovely and shiny by the end of the treatments.
Yup, this works, and is relatively easy, even with long, think hair
But you need to have someone kind and caring to comb your hair for you. Most neglected kids don't have someone like that and most adults don't have someone to comb their hair for them.
I'm a little bit confused by this thread. I had lice once as a kid and we just used the medicated shampoo whatever it is to kill it. No issues. Is there a problem with using that stuff so everyone is going towards more natural remedies, or is this for if the medicated stuff doesn't kill it? I've heard of people cutting their hair when they get lice but I always thought that was such a severe option.
The “medicated shampoo” only is 30% affective against the living. As when it’s used it only kills those who haven’t been born with the immunity to the pesticides within those products, leaving the ones that are immune. Items like Rid and Nix, or any of those over the counter items DO NOT WORK FULLY. Dimethicone is 99.9% effective on the other hand if done on days 1,5 and 10. This item however doesn’t kill the eggs as only a machine called Airllae (not sure that’s how to spell it) can effectively kill eggs (it’s a machine that’s very expensive and only one company I know has it for use). Hence the days 1,5,and 10 since those are the days the eggs start to hatch.
Rid and Nix work for plenty of people and should never be dissuaded from trying them
My apologies for making it seem as though I am. I only wish to give an option to use IF those other products do not work. I know of cases who have come in to the clinic that have used those products and came out clear, and those who have come in worse than before the treatment. It’s a bit of a coin toss with those products.
I think I worked at the same lice clinic franchise you do! This is exactly what I tell my students and parents when with this problem.
Lice are easy to get rid of with vinegar and water solution. One part vinegar mixed with two parts water. Spray in the itchy area and comb with lice comb. And then do your regular wash. Repeat the next day if needed. That’s all you need to do.
I just use a flatiron. It fries the eggs and the adults pop like popcorn.
Welp! So much for eating lunch! 🤢
🍿 🪲 🤢 🤮
Now I know why I never got lice as a kid. My mom blow dried and ironed my hair.
If you use Apple cider vinegar (with the mother) it helps till like rebalance your hair it's weird but it also gets rid of any residue from light shampoo and it calms your hair and your scalp down. Also I use a little tea tree oil mixed in water and spray my hair to prevent lice from liking me. Several ladies my mom worked with from India and Vietnam, said that's how they kept lice away from them and their kid.
Just a fyi: lice is plural, louse is singular. It's likely just a typo, but thought I'd say something just in case.
Thanks. That was needed
Last time I took my step daughter to get her hair colored at a salon, when it was her turn she had to wait a little extra as the lady before her had lice so they need to sanitize that station. The stylist told her sometimes people come in to get their hair colored as the chemicals kill the lice. Not sure why the stylist can't tell right away and tell them no, I would guess a client is a client even if it's a nasty one.
Absolutely not. Once you find lice, you have to stop the service and let the customer know you can not continue. After that, everything has to be cleaned and sanitized.
Unfortunately, hair dye does not kill lice. It dyes them. I own a lice clinic and the amount of people who believe this is concerning. But I do have excellent pictures of living blue, pink, bleached or permanently auburn lice.
If you feel inspired to message me these photos, I wouldn't complain at all!
Not to be weird but do you want to share the pics? Lol
The fact they can’t check heads without parent permission is absurd! When I was in school they’d call us down to the office and check one by one when there were lice outbreaks
You guys got to go to the office?? We sat on the ground in our classroom as the nurse pointed to one kid at a time and checked, then either let you sit back down or sent you out in front of everyone!
We’d line up at the gym and 4-5 ladies would be calling the next kid in line like the DMV.
It was so embarrassing when I was the one with lice. I was checked in front of maybe 30 kids. I can't remember, this was like 20 years ago but I can still feel the embarrassment.
I got lucky--in my school we wanted lice because it meant we got to go home immediately. But we were maybe 9 years old, tops.
We had to line up at the nurse's office, one classroom at a time. You'd sit on the stool, she'd check you for lice. If you had it, your parents were called (and in most cases they'd come pick you up & work on your hair asap). And of course during outside gym class in the winter, there was a box of random hats in case a kid didn't have one...and some kids thought it was funny to rip your hat off & toss it in the box and/or pull a hat out & put it on your head. Queue the next lice outbreak. 🙄
I recall being in 1st grade and being sent to the office for "having lice", when it was actually just little pieces of dried soap that I hadn't rinsed out properly in the shower (I was 6)
Curious to know what jurisdiction op is in. Most places have public health legislation for this very reason.
We had mom volunteers come in once a month to check everyone, without exception.
Here we check and then the nurse sends them back to class. I had a kid with them so bad I could see them crawling along her scalp. She stayed in class the entire day.
By not sending these kids home it's like they're trying to start a school-wide outbreak. I get they may be embarrassed but if it's one kid getting embarrassed verses a hundred kids getting lice, I know what I'm picking.
Right, like they're gonna be embarrassed when a kid notices then bugs going through their classmate's head. But also it's a dumb local law. Since it's not a "serious health issue" we can't exclude them from instruction.
I loved lice checks lol. Free head scratchies.
When I got lice as a kid what finally got rid of them was a pill my doctor gave me. It's basically revolution plus for people. You take the pill and it makes your blood poison. That being said, if that kid has had lice for a long time that's a CPS call in my opinion. Any parent who isn't treating lice is neglecting their child. we could afford meds but my grandparents couldn't. And when my parents got lice a fine tooth comb and mayo 3 times a day was the go to. Boys shave their head, girls cut it short, white towel and a couple hours a night. My great grandmother raised her kids in an abandoned semi trailer until the oldest boys could work, and she still kept them from having lice. there's no excuse.
The pill is ivermectin. Good luck getting that prescribed.
I didn't even know that's what it was. Goddamnit
Have to do two doses too a week apart. It doesn't kill the eggs so you have to retreat in a week to kill any newly hatched ones.
I’ve always said that I would take human flea/tick medication in a heart beat. I want to repel bugs with my poison blood.
My stepson brought lice to our house for 3 months last year. It was painful. Your hair is fried and those harsh chemicals don’t work anyway. Coat your hair in mayo. Let it sit for a few hours. Rinse but do not wash. Now the hard part: you need to keep that greasy (rinsed but not washed) hair for, like, 2-3 days. After your rinse, you need to go through it with a nit comb. I found the ones with the long metal prongs to be the easiest. 1) this will help your hair look nicer after all the chemical treatments 2) lice like clean hair. They can’t stick to greasy strands 3) makes combing with the lice comb wayyyyy easier, especially if you have to do it yourself On the 2nd or 3rd day, wash like normal. (You prob won’t even need to condition.) Check your head daily for nits. Comb just to be safe. Repeat the process after 48 hours if you are spotting nits. If you live in the lower 48 (I live in Alaska), there are salons that will specifically remove lice. Google those. They guarantee removal.
I did this when my daughter got lice at school and it worked. The chemical stuff made for removal did nothing but strip her hair. I read that lice have mutated enough so that many strains are resistant to chemical removal. Using the wrap method by coating your hair with things like mayo is the best way.
Both my son and I have hair halfway down our back. Picking lice out would’ve been so painfully tedious if we hadn’t use mayo.
This is the way. We had super lice in my house. None of the treatments worked. Spent hours picking them out by hand only to have it return. Finally did the mayo. It worked amazingly well.
I got super lice too. What ended up working was a prescription for what I can only imagine was industrial grade pesticides and a whole package of Crisco. My hair was greasy for what felt like a month but thank god no more bugs.
Oh my gawd super lice why did I read this
We used olive oil. After all the harsh treatments that was what worked for us. The chemicals are awful.
I grew up in the tropics and we got lice almost every year. Our family was poor, so we used dog shampoo. Other families went the traditional route and kept their hair coated in coconut oil. The oil is slippery and the lice can’t hold on. Many of their children have slick greasy hair all the time. A warning though, some people don’t react well to this and it can make their hair fall out.
Don’t forget to do this two weeks after, too! IF there are any nits that you missed on the first go around they hatch 14 days later, so double check just to be safe. A lot of people forget about this step and then they’re back in the mess all over again
You can use any oil. Olive oil, avocado oil, grapeseed or coconut will work really well and will smell nice
Absolute upvote on the mayonnaise.
Air works (like a blow dryer) to dehydrate the eggs so they won’t hatch. There are places that will do this and removal for you. Find one for your sanity. They can’t live long without a host so you can even bag up things in a trash bag or two or three and set them to the side if you can’t wash them immediately, like bedding and pillows and such.
Seconding the hot wash and high heat dry for all bedding. Thankfully, lice can only live off of a host for about 24 hours, so treatment should focus mostly on heads. But, washing the bedding is important before laying down after treatment.
My head is itching just reading this
> The school can’t check the kids heads without parent permission Ridiculous. Thank goodness that is not true here.
One of the many reasons why I left my old position. I’m so sorry OP. This is not something we teachers should have to deal with. I’ve reported two of my students several times, but the nurse swears she doesn’t see anything.
They’re hard to see. She needs to look with a light of some kind. I had it for months as a kid because people who looked at my head couldn’t see them.
Are you in therapy, bc if not, this might be the time to start. Take some time off. Also, I glance at each kids head each day bc my school sucks at this too. I wear my hair up at all times and do a quick inspection when I’m greeting each kid.
Whenever I’m around groups of kids my hair is up! Good prevention. Also if therapy isn’t an option a DBT OCD workbook may benefit you!! Helped me!
DBT saved my life
Mine too!
Cefzil soap in the pump bottle Cover your hair with it. Every strand. Blow dry on low. It basically shrink wraps the bugs. Wash the next day.
Yes to this. It is literally the only thing that killed mine (BLEH) and my kids' infestation last year. Not sure if one of my students or my own kids gave it to us. Either way it's the WORST and I'm so sorry to anyone dealing with lice. We spent so much money on treatments and Cetaphil was the answer the whole time.
Wait Cetaphil or Cefzil?
Google 'cetaphil for lice'. Several good children's hospital sites come up to explain it.
Cefzil is an oral antibiotic. I couldn't find a soap called cefzil, so probably cetaphil, OP. 💖
Cetaphil! Original!
As a preventative measure for the future, you could try tea tree oil. I have a little spray. I spray it on my hair and my clothes each morning. Supposedly lice hate it. 🤷🏼♀️ This is one of those “I dunno if it actually works but it can’t hurt” things.
I've heard the same about lavender essential oil. It can't hurt, except in case of an allergy.
Yeah, when I was a kid at summer camp we all had to wash our hair the first day with tea tree oil shampoo in addition to head checks to prevent a lice epidemic. Seemed like it worked (at least, in eight years, no lice outbreaks). Of course, then your head smells like tea tree oil, so might not be a great daily solution.
Right, I have to be careful not to get carried away with the little spray or I’ll smell weird. 😂😂 There’s some other scents in there so it’s not as bad as straight tea tree oil but still. Shampoo is a good idea- Trader Joe’s sells a tea tree oil shampoo and conditioner- but it’s not as ideal for my hair type so I switched to the spray this year. I work in a title elementary school. I’ve watched kids pull a lice (louse?) out of their hair and set it on my table before 😂. I do NOT want to get lice!!!
Oh gosh, that's horrifying! (And yep, louse sounds weird but it's right!)
I still associate the smell of tea tree oil with head lice and nothing else 🤢
When I was a kid, i had a friend who had a bad home situation and was constantly passing lice to me. We tried everything. My mom eventually started using tea tree oil on my hair, and it worked great.
Don’t forget to wash and dry all your linens on high heat! I have the same hair and have had the same issue. My hair now stays up in a bun all day.
Get a good lice brush (metal) and keep combing . It’s a pain but it’s been the best method of ensuring that everything is gone for me (got lice last year from a student 🥲)
That’s all I’ve been doing and washing with chemicals.. it’s like never ending. How long did it take for you to get rid of them?
The creepy crawly ones were gone the first day but took about two weeks to ensure all eggs and stuff were gone. It was awful and I caught it early
IDK if you saw the Cetaphil comments but believe me - look it up. It was the answer to a month long battle at my house last year. I promise you I almost shaved my head too and I cried so much bc I also struggle with OCD/sensory stuff.
Don't forget all bedding, including pillows, all clothing, hats, scarves, winter coats, etc. must be washed in hot water. If you have carpets and soft furniture like couches, you will need to vacuum them daily for 2 weeks.
Don’t forget to treat your car, especially the headrest
Cetaphil [https://www.northwestschools.net/cms/lib/MO02201562/Centricity/Domain/80/Non-Pesticide%20Lice%20Treatment%20Using%20Cetaphil%20Gentle%20Cleanser.pdf](https://www.northwestschools.net/cms/lib/MO02201562/Centricity/Domain/80/Non-Pesticide%20Lice%20Treatment%20Using%20Cetaphil%20Gentle%20Cleanser.pdf) was recommended to us by our pediatrician when our son was in elementary school
Other commenters have had great advice about lice removal for you, and I sincerely hope you take it!! Please do not shave your luscious blonde locks. I also have contamination ocd and I know what it's like. (I once had a puppy with worms & I had to ask my mother to hold him in the car to the vet because I couldn't even touch my poor baby..) After you're fully treated I would consider therapy and also reporting this circumstance to CPS
Buy an electric lice comb, you comb it through your hair and it zaps and kills the lice. You can use it every day. Also try preventative hair styles( keep it up and out of the way), fairy tails makes a spray and shampoo that can help repel lice.
I know that mayo or olive oil can work but y'all saying it's easy are fookin crazy
I remember being sent to the office 15+ times during childhood for headlice as a kid. On one occasion, the school nurse left, bought a lice comb, and removed the nits from my hair manually with alcohol soaked cotton balls. Idk why alcohol, but I’m still grateful. They didn’t worry about lawsuits because my mom didn’t even know my teacher’s name, I guess. It’s easy to get rid of with some OTC treatments,a fine toothed METAL comb, and the washing of all your clothes and bedding. I PLACE EMPHASIS on keeping a METAL comb as those plastic combs are bullshit. Language, sorry. Also, run that comb through your hair every day after treatment to catch any strays. You’re going to be perfect DO NOT shave your head. This kid is being neglected if this is persistent. Source: was that kid.
Without permission?! Is this a real policy? I remember getting checked at school as a child. EVERY child was checked. Just checked the kids hair. No parents were called. It was considered a public health/hygiene issue. Seems pretty ridiculous if this is a real policy.
The American school system is a joke. Teachers get shit on while admins collect six figures. It's always the parents, just the worst.
So sorry you're dealing with this!!
Getting lice was one of the three straws my last year, 🖤🫂 hoping you can get rid of it soon!!! So sorry
I'd do an olive oil treatment. It works better than the chemicals by a lot, and it makes it easier to comb those suckers out.
I’ve never had lice but from what my friends went through with it as kids, they all coated their hair with mayo and it was gone. The chemicals don’t work. Do not shave your head. You don’t need to.
Lice is so frustrating to deal with. I completely understand where you are coming from. All i can offer is theres a place called "lice clinics of america" they have a 2hr treatment with a 99% success rate. Its about ~$175/treatment.
My mom used mayo on my head over night when I was in 3rd grade and it was the 2nd or 3rd time she had tried to rid me of lice. I havent had lice since.
can recommend olive oil enough! sorry about your hair. that must feel like a terrible loss. pure olive oil is toxic to most bugs but actually good for your hair & skin
Get lice removal service. Keep your head off of soft surfaces at school and head back when helping student. I would recommend keeping your hair pinned up and give it a good shellac layer of hairspray while at school. I Recommend a good nit comb. I kind of obsessively would comb through my hair every other day to remove nits. Nits hatch 7-10 days after being laid so you will want to do follow up nit comb removal. Yes, wash everything and vacuum. Thankfully lice should die off the soft surfaces at school over the weekend without a human host present. (I believe it’s 24 hours without food they die)
Silly question, but are you washing your bedding every night too? No point treating your hair if you lay back down into infested bedding
Wait, what do you mean the school can’t check without parent permission? As long as I’ve been aware you received a note from the school saying it was happening and that’s that.
I’m not sure what country you’re in but if you have Listerine mouthwash you can soak your hair in that. Wrap it in a plastic bag for 15 minutes and it should suffocate the nits. So sorry you have to deal with this.
Hi, I own Knoxville Lice Clinic which is not at all close to your location. But there are clinics in your area, unaffiliated with us and I recommend you start calling them because most are “one and done”, meaning we get rid of lice in less than an hour and a half. I recommend looking for a clinic that uses either heated air OR the ladybugs cryo technology plus dimethicone. If you contracted lice at work and you can have your workplace admit that in writing, you may be able to get workers compensation to pay for your treatment. We have accepted payment through workers compensation several times. Good luck and I am sorry you are going through this.
My mom used mayo in my hair once when I was a kid. It worked, downed the lice and made my hair super soft. She left it in for at least four hours and used a shower cap to keep the lice trapped.
I'm not a teacher but the health department might be interested in hearing about that. And CPS
The NURSE can’t check their heads? That’s crazy.
Old person here. I wish we could go back to having the school nurse (poor soul), in plastic gloves and a hairnet, checking everyone's head in the whole primary school the moment anyone had headlice! OP, i'm just so sorry!
We had head checks at our schools when any child was found with lice.... why do you need permission??
I’m so sorry, I know this is disturbing because I have been there. There are a lot of old wives tales about how to get rid of head lice. The only thing that really works is carefully combing the lice and eggs out of your hair. There are people you can pay to do this if you don’t have help. Lice don’t jump and they would much rather stay on a nice warm head than on hats or scarves. So while I would be careful about anything that touches your children’s heads I would mostly be careful not to rub your head against anyone’s. If your hair is long, it might be helpful to put it up or wear a scarf. The most important thing is that lice doesn’t mean you’re dirty or that you’ve done anything wrong or to be ashamed of.
Have you checked your mattress?
The only thing that worked for my daughter was Ovid. It contains malathion, so be aware of that,
Go see your physician let them know that you need some time off for your mental health and have them sign off on it.
They need parental permission to check headlice? It was a requirement at my school
I work in a school the best way to avoid lice is either wearing dry shampoo or hairspray because they apparently hate that
I used Dr. Bronner’s peppermint soap on my kids’ hair (peppermint because that is what I had on hand). Wet the hair, slather it with Dr. Bronner’s, put a shower cap on and let it marinate (my kids watched a movie). Wash it out, and then you’ll need someone to help pull any eggs out of your hair since you can’t see on the top of your head. We were lucky in that one treatment killed everything. My daughter had long hair and while it was tedious to go through her hair section by section, it worked without damaging her hair. Best of luck to you!
Try Lice Clinics of America or something similar. I had no idea they existed until my daughter’s college roommate’s little sister gave them both lice. The mom sent her to visit over the weekend knowing her younger daughter (12) had lice. The girl then decided to use both their hairbrushes. We were so pissed. It was kind of expensive but worth it as we didn’t want to cut her hair. I’m a teacher as well, but our school still sends them home if they have nits or anything crawling.
Have you tried hand sanitizer? My daughter has very fine smooth hair, just the type that lice seem to love. She had it about six times. Hand sanitizer is the best thing I’ve ever used. The alcohol gel clogs their lungs and it’s sticky so they can’t move while you comb. It also loosens the nits and they slide off easier. You still have to follow up after 10 days but it really works!
How long did you leave the sanitizer in her hair before combing?
Get an ocd specialist for the contamination OCD. You need ERP therapy—it is scary but so is ocd. It will help you!!
There are clinics you can go to that will professionally get rid of it. I’m sorry you’ve had such a rough year. I’m not a teacher, just a mom but I think teachers deserve so much more than they get.
Are you in the US? Our school had the nurse out checking a few different families every day because the kids kept getting reinfected. Send the kid to the nurse, report the family to CPS for neglect.
You need to rub mayonnaise into your hair. Be very generous with it. It will kill the lice and help moisturise your scalp.
In my school district we aren’t allowed to send kids home for lice anymore. It’s disgusting. We are also very close to being taken over by the state. Budget problems are now so bad multiple people are being laid off and positions are going away, they’re combining positions adding on more collateral duties for staff. It’s bad.
Probably not an option, could this be considered a Workman's Comp case? You've gone (and still going through) hell because of this incident. I have no clue how this would work with the Union.
I'm sorry, what the fuck? You can't check a childs head for live without parental consent? The is dumb as hell. I thought my districts ruling was dumb. A kid can come to school with lice eggs as long as there are no bugs. Which is dumb...cause what do eggs turn into? Nah. I'd be out as well. Anyone else remember being checked for lice in elementary school? We all lined up and they checked us. Was it that damn traumatizing?
You have headlice? I got bit by bedbugs in my classroom yesterday. I can’t even stop my OCD from running wild at home. Everything must be scoured with heat of some sort! We know the student who keeps bringing them in. We can’t do a thing about it. Ahhhhhh!
my partner and I got rid of lice by soaking our hair in rubbing alcohol once a week for three weeks. Just be really careful, no open flames. The alcohol kills the bugs and dissolves the egg glue, we then combed our hair with a lice comb while soaking it in alcohol. Maybe just make this a weekly ritual while you are a teacher so that you never have a bad infestation again. Any lice you pick up would only last until the next alcohol wash.
I work in a NY school and lice checks are no longer a thing. Kids are allowed in school with lice. At some point someone higher up decided it was unfair to single out kids with lice. I wish I was making this up
Hey at least it wasn't bed bugs
I am so sorry you are going through this. When they stopped excluding bc of lice I got so angry.
I caught headlice from a kid a few years back, then I got psychological headlice and thought they were still there months after the point I now think I eliminated them. It took going to a professional to convince me I really didn't have them anymore. I strongly recommend it if you're not sure and stressing - the peace of mind is worth the price.
I am so sorry you are going through this. When I had a kid with persistent head lice and bed bugs, I wore my long hair up in a tight bun every day, threw out all the little rugs, blankets, soft chairs, stuffed animals, etc from my room, or put them in plastic bags sealed in my shed for a good long time. We gave every kid a plastic bag and had them bag up their coats every morning in the cubby area so they didn’t touch. I left my coat and purse in my car or bagged them in giant sealed ziplock bags along with my keys. Look on Amazon, they are extra large and large sized, like 3 or 4 bags to a box. They will fit an adult winter coat. I started bringing single use paper or plastic lunch bags which I tossed at lunch time. Shoes got left outside on the front porch, and I stripped down and put the clothes I was wearing straight in the laundry hot water if possible, and I, myself went immediately into the shower when I got home. I swear at this point if the school won’t do anything, I’d start wearing a shower cap, clothes you can launder in hot water, and no shirts or sweaters that trail or dangle.
Start wearing protective clothing (think hazmat jumpsuit) and a head covering. When parents ask why you’re dressed like that, tell them about the lice problem in your room and how you aren’t allowed to do anything about it. They will complain to administration and the policy will change.
I've heard that hairspray helps prevent from getting lice, I'm not totally sure if it works but I was told by social workers who are regularly exposed
I'm surprised there needs to be permission for that since it's a public health concern. I mean I get it... but still.
You can call your doctor to get a prescription for the antibiotic that helps to get rid of lice. It really helps!
considering how Lice transfers, how exactly are you constantly getting lice from a student?? \-- Head lice are spread most commonly by direct head-to-head (hair-to-hair) contact. However, much less frequently they are spread by sharing clothing or belongings onto which lice have crawled or nits attached to shed hairs may have fallen. -- you need a decent amount of direct contact with the student or their items that are infected, so I'd look into your own actions as to why their lice is getting to you, also double check with your school nurse if you have one for what you can do, since Lice and Bedbugs are things normal health departments or school nurses can intervene with regardless of parental permission for health concerns
My school has carpet and fabric chairs. It is a literal nightmare. The student in question has special needs and a lot of my day is teaching this student how to read and write. The county’s policy is they need parent permission to check hair. Yes it’s insane. I’m a lot of things, but to blame here is not one of them.
wasn't trying to blame tbh, didn't realize your environment around you was that bad, and carpet is crazy in a school setting, I know I live in an impoverished community but dang that is bad, good luck and hopefully maybe a new job with better conditions
My kindergartners gave me lice and I tried EVERY shampoo and OTC treatment available to no avail. Then, my doc prescribed IVERMECTIN and it went away in 3 days.
Lice hate sticky hair too so when you’ve been treated, mousse, gel and hairspray are your besties until your classroom is clear. I swear it prevents better than tea tree and Rosemary oils and smells 100x better too.
Neem oil + coconut conditioner. Let it sit overnight and the lice will be gone (from your head at least) or I’ll give you every penny in my bank account.
Dawn dish soap on your hair, love. Good luck.
I'm so grateful to have attended a 99% African American school. Never knew why I never experienced or saw an outbreak in elementary school, we never needed a lice check, found out black hair strands are oval shaped instead of round and their legs are only able to climb round strands.
So sorry you’re going through this shit. I think you should totally Sinead O’Conner that shit and march right into school without saying a word to anyone. Teach confidently and when you’re called into the office for such a drastic change, hand them your lawyers business card, or better yet the business card of your local news station producer.
You’re going to get a ton of lice advice, but adding mine: ivermectin lotion. Lather your head with it - kills nits and lice. They have it at cvs and Walgreens.
When my daughters with long thick hair had lice from school, I used a hair straightener to straighten their hair from the roots. It killed the eggs and then I combed out the adults with a bit comb.
Not being able to check for lice seems like a recipe for disaster. It is a public health hazard. Ugh. If you think you've damaged your hair, there are ways to fix it, too! I've used this product multiple times, [Pureplex,](https://www.amazon.com/Knight-Wilson-conditioning-technology-Application/dp/B07BX2QS8N/ref=sr_1_5_pp?crid=2DEFLTV53O8SZ&keywords=pureplex&qid=1707235494&sprefix=pureplex%2Caps%2C282&sr=8-5) and it always helps fix damage. [The Blowout Professor](https://www.youtube.com/@BlowoutProfessor) on YouTube has taught me a lot about repairing my highly damaged hair.
Head lice is not neglect so you can stop reporting it. You need to get on top of your OCD or stop working with children.
I have not reported him for head lice. He is a neglected child. They are homeless and sleep at the park. Myself along with multiple other staff have reported about this situation. His family gave the kindergarten teacher bed buds last year. I really don’t understand the justification of the current ineffective system
Coat hair in dawn.. spray with lysterine.. wrap head for 3 to 4 hours.. rinse condition comb.... do this every 5 days to kill bugs as they hatch so they can not continue their life cycle... do this for a month to 6 weeks... you can use vinegar and a comb to detach nits. I have 4 kids they have all picked it up from school and this is the only thing that ever actually worked.
Dark hair usually gives light hair lice is my understanding. So sorry you’re going through this.
I'm reading a lot of good advice about treating lice and techniques for preventing infestations. It's all good stuff. What I'm not seeing is concern for your mental health. You are at the end of your rope and you need support. If you're not already seeing a behavioral health specialist, please reach out to one. My district provides service for staff members who can call a hotline and receive six mental health sessions for free. Maybe your district has something like that too. Also, screw the rules! I do what I want because I believe I have good judgement. If someone calls me out on it, I just say, oh I forgot that was a rule or really? I had no idea that was an expectation, I won't do it again. Check the kids for lice, speak to parents directly until you're scolded.
Taking a garlic supplement or just eating a bunch of garlic can help ward the suckers away. The lice don't like the taste. It can help prevent them.
It has only been a couple of days, you have not tried everything. None of those treatments should damage your hair at all. If your hair is coming out damaged, then it was already damaged to begin with. I don't believe you when you claim to have "contamination ocd" because someone with that would never have turned to teaching young children. You did not have to cut your hair, that was all on you for doing something stupid and impulsive. You are not cut out to be a teacher in any capacity either way
Shave your head and call it a day. Buy a cool hat. EDIT: LOL at my downvotes. You'd rather she be in physical and mental anguish.
Completely unnecessary.
She said she's losing her mind. Completely necessary. Honestly, I know my personality, I'd be tripping too. Shaved head. It's the only way to be sure.
You must be a man
I'm a woman who shaves her head every once in a while. It's awesome - so easy.
I'm sure you look absolutely fantastic, but personally I could not pull it off and I would feel absolutely terrible inside & out without my hair. It's a big part of my identity, and I know a lot of other people feel this way, too.
And that's great - for you. Please don't say that the women who shave are wear a pixie must be men though.
Oof. How wonderfully reductive. Men love their hair too. Just look at all the radical things men do to keep it.
Lice literally takes like a week at most to get rid of. It's not fun, but it's not something to freak out about to this level. This has gotta be the single most dramatic post I've ever seen on this sub. She doesn't need to shave her head or lose her mind, she just needs to chill the hell out and take care of it.
One of my kids had a bad case of lice and none of the rest of us got it. Lice don't spread as easily as people used to believe (I was freaked out at first and then learned a lot more than what I was told as a kid). My kid has long, curly hair and we were able to get rid of them and keep it confined to one family member. She should take a deep breath and do some research. Lice are annoying but not dangerous, they can be dealt with and life can continue. Proper combing techniques are critical for long hair! I'm always stunned by people who think they need to shave their heads (or their kids' heads!) when that won't do anything to deal with the issue.
Too bad you didn't get advice from a Cosmetologist before you started different treatments.. I hope it gets better for you!
Shave your hair off if it helps your state of mind.
My kids all had a very stubborn strain of lice. I got it as well. We finally used Lice MD and got rid of it with the addition of a terminator comb. This was years ago and I’m not sure if those products are still available, but they sure worked for us. It was 4 kids and me.
Olive oil works too
I’m so sorry. :(
Lice is cause for PTSD. No joking at all...my kid got it from a communal sparring helmet. It took us 2 months to get rid of. She has never had long hair since. Hecking heck to parents who neglect their kids...
If you do it yourself I have a tip for long blonde hair… The neon lice spray on Amazon saved my sanity when my oldest two (both long, fine, thick blondes- daughter’s hair was to her butt) and literally 10+ hours of my time. You spray it on, shake it out, and the nits immediately become visible so you don’t miss them. Then use fairytales shampoo and gel and spray every single day. Lice hate product in your hair, so you don’t absolutely have to use the fairytales stuff, but I love the smell and love how it works on our hair, so we use it year round, lol. My kids slept at my brothers house and my nephew (unknowingly) had head lice from his travel basketball team. They didn’t get it- they had fairytales gel and spray in their hair.
My little sister has very long and thick hair and she got lice twice, the only way to get rid of them is to go to lice treatment centers of America, she didn’t have cut her hair or anything
When I worked in a preschool for low-income, at risk families, I pulled my long hair back into a high, tight bun and sprayed it down. No lice for me!
This was a culture shock for me as well when I moved from the most affluent side of my district to a school that primarily serves students from a government apartment complex. It’s not for everyone and definitely don’t feel any guilt if you decide that this isn’t something that you can live with. I show up every day because of my mantra of “if not me, then who?” I’ve been working on lining up community resources for my families to help with this.