Question:
I hope someone can help me with a problem:
We are undergoing our second bout with head lice in our two young (about
2.5 and 4.5 years) girls. My friends say this is a common problem with
their kids, as do our day care providers. The only solution we have is to
use Nix shampoo, and to painstakingly remove every single nit from their
hair. The combs that come with Nix don't get all of them, you really have
to sit down and go over the whole head, snipping out nits with scissors.
Does anyone have any better solutions, e.g. a shampoo that is not as toxic
to people as Nix? (Apparently it is a realy bad idea to use Nix more than
once in two weeks, but one application doesn't nail the little suckers.
Also is this an epidemic of the nineties? I don't remember this hapening
when I was a kid. Thanks for any info.
Answer:
There is a group called the National Pediculite Foundation that is a
non-profit group that is after more research on this wonderful thing
we call lice. Since my daughter recently brought home this bug from
school, I have had "opportunity" to spend A LOT of time with this
critter.
Lice is a very common problem and very easy to get. Unfortunately it
can take a long time to get rid of. Nix, according to every source
(including the pediculite foundation) is the best remedy out there,
prescription and non-prescription. Research is now showing that the
bugs are becoming resistant to the medication... My daughter's strain
definitely was resistant. We tried a medication called "elimite" that
worked well. It has the same basis as Nix, but not as strong and you
could leave on hair overnight. After reinfestation from another
person that had it (ugh!) we ended up using "Quell" (commonly called
lindane) under the protests of the NPF. Quell is much stronger and
extremely toxic...
Basically, the NPF says, "Treat with Nix. Pull the Nits. Clean the
bedding, brushes and anything they've worn. If they've slept with the
stuffed animals, vacuum them, no need to put them away. The bugs/eggs
can only survive 72 hours away from a human. If the Nix does not
work, do NOT re apply. If one does not have lice, do not expose them
to the strong pesticides (in other words don't treat them because the
medications don't prevent lice, they treat lice). The only sure fire
way to get rid of it is the painstaking process of pulling the nits
and checking the person daily for any that you may have missed."
Well, after 8 WEEKS of treating, they were right. All medications
failed (they became resistant to the Nix/Elimite after getting rid of
them once). Even Quell didn't work. I spent more hours than I can
count getting rid of them between laundry, washing hair, pulling nits,
vacuuming furniture etc... I even did the things that the NPF said
weren't necessary (bagging stuffed animals etc...). The hours I spent
going through my daughter's, sons', and au pair's hair paid off. We
are nit free and lice free... At least until school starts again....
