Head lice

[solaflar3]

Admit it, you are all absent mindedly scratching your heads now.

 

So today my daughter came home from school and was scratching. And scratching. And scratching.

 

(I'm itching now thinking about it)

 

Tonight, I dumped her in the bath, washed her hair then went through it with the nit comb. Yes she has them, yet again. She has only been back at school for 3 weeks after the summer holiday.

 

This is the THIRD TIME this year that she has caught head lice. I know who the child is who is passing them around the group of friends. This kid is infested. But how do I bring up with her parents 'Hey, your kid keeps giving my kid nits, sort her bloody hair out will you' without it causing a scene? I know that even if I just go up to them and keep it factual they will take it the wrong way.

 

Oh and talk about your experiences with head lice, if you want.

 

(itch itch itch)

[klinneah]

If it were my parents, they'd go up to the kid's parents and say "Hey, your kid keeps giving my kid lice, you might wanna check your kid's head."

 

I've never had lice (that I can remember).

[Vexx]

I used to have head lice for the longest time. We tried tea tree oil, mayo, the various combs and over-the-counter stuff, even flea shampoo. :\ The doctor finally prescribed something during a checkup and I haven't had the bugs since.

[DarkLadyNyara]

Ouch. That sounds unpleasant. (Both dealing with the lice, and dealing with the other kid's parents.)

 

I've never had lice- my hair type apparently isn't very friendly to them.

[Obscure_Trash]

Can't you report that too the school and see if they can talk to the child's parents instead of you having to do it?

 

I know the schools I've been too have taken things like that pretty seriously because (maybe it's because I've gone to smaller populated schools) if something like that spreads basically all the students are going to be out of school for a while.

 

~

 

I've never had lice myself, but my friend who had lice in elementary school developed an extreme liking of her head being scratched/petted since her mom would sit there and scratch her head for long periods of time when she had lice.

[solaflar3]

Can't you report that too the school and see if they can talk to the child's parents instead of you having to do it?

 

I know the schools I've been too have taken things like that pretty seriously because (maybe it's because I've gone to smaller populated schools) if something like that spreads basically all the students are going to be out of school for a while.

 

~

 

I've never had lice myself, but my friend who had lice in elementary school developed an extreme liking of her head being scratched/petted since her mom would sit there and scratch her head for long periods of time when she had lice.

Schools don't do anything nowadays. Gone are the days of the Nit Nurse coming round and checking all the kid's hair. If you are lucky you might be able to get the school to mention the Bug Busting routine in the weekly newsletter, but nothing more.

 

I can get rid of the d@mn things, just spend every night for the next couple of weeks going through her freshly washed and conditioned hair with the lice comb. I can't use the shampoos and lotions on her as she has chronic lung disease and psoriasis. But it's no biggy using the comb and conditioner method. It's just annoying that she has got them yet again.

[Obscure_Trash]

=\ Well that sucks. (And now I feel old, lol. :

 

If the kid is passing them around to a handful of children maybe try bringing all the parents from the group together to talk about it? I wouldn't want the other parents to feel attacked or anything, but knowing that it isn't just one child consistently getting it may help them do something more.

Edited September 29, 2010 by SockPuppet Strangler

[Nine]

...So a boy walks into a store with severe head lice. The clerk asks, "Egads, where did you pick that up?"

The lice respond, "The playground, they're all over the place!"

 

Oh man, I am so sorry.

 

Anyways, I'd just be completely honest with the parents and offer them some advice with how to help. Even if they're overly sensitive and take it the wrong way, surely they would do something to help their daughter. Good luck to you!

[lightbird]

I've never had head lice (or any blood parasites, for that matter), but I am scratching my head right now.

 

/atopic disorder with migrating "itchy spots", it currently being the scalp

 

It's actually stupid that schools don't do anything about lice. I remember that at my former school kids would get their scalps checked every year, and once I was nervous about it, because I was on another scalp itching phase, head covered in small scabs.

Edited September 29, 2010 by lightbird

[solaflar3]

=\ Well that sucks. (And now I feel old, lol. :

 

If the kid is passing them around to a handful of children maybe try bringing all the parents from the group together to talk about it? I wouldn't want the other parents to feel attacked or anything, but knowing that it isn't just one child consistently getting it may help them do something more.

I'm tempted to put a polite but anonymous note in the girl's school bag. It could be easily done; the school bags are hung up on the coat pegs outside the classroom and I could probably slip one in without anyone noticing.

[nekoinu525]

I used to get head lice all the time as a kid, so I was out of school a lot. I'm not even sure when I finally got rid of them for good, but I think it was during my crazy days when I was 13. (Which would explain why I don't remember, since I don't remember much of anything from that point in time...)

 

Anyway, you could also say something like: "Hey, I noticed my kid has lice. You might want to check your kid, since they hang out a lot."

[brightheart]

NOOOOOO now i'm all itchy!

 

I have had the little bugs a few times that i can remember, but I havnt had them in years

[Draco_Warrior 16]

Ouch. That sounds unpleasant. (Both dealing with the lice, and dealing with the other kid's parents.)

 

I've never had lice- my hair type apparently isn't very friendly to them.

what do you mean? do they prefer certain hair over others?

[Obscure_Trash]

what do you mean? do they prefer certain hair over others?

As far as I know, they prefer nice, clean scalps (easier to move around), but that's all I've heard. :B

 

I'm tempted to put a polite but anonymous note in the girl's school bag. It could be easily done; the school bags are hung up on the coat pegs outside the classroom and I could probably slip one in without anyone noticing.

 

x3 That may work.

 

Though nekoinu525's suggestion sounds pretty sound. :3

[Willeyioam]

I had lice once. Acutally, it was more like a lice (not sure what the singular form is). They checked me at school and found one on my head. After they sent me home to wash my hair with the special shampoo, I was checked again and nothing was found.

[Ztarz]

Acutally, it was more like a lice (not sure what the singular form is).

Louse.

 

... Sounds weird, doesn't it.

[Syaoransbear]

I've never had lice before, and I don't know anyone who has ever had them. I do know that lice love clean hair, though! My hair dresser says that people who style their hair like putting hairspray or other products in their hair aren't as likely to get lice because it's basically dirtying up your hair.

[hunters225]

headlice closed down my elementary for a day and a half one :/

[Qwackie]

I've been itchy since I started school, but it's probably build-up from crappy shampoos... I don't wash it that much, so I dunno what it is.

 

I'd just get some flea shampoo or something.

[Sorrowgrave]

one time this lady called the nurse on me and comb my hair with a flea comb DX now mind you I had a ear infection this day and she kept combing my hair over to the side that I had the ear thing. It wasn't the school nurse who combed my hair it was this lady

 

 

 

and my ear ended up bleeding....

 

never had head lice though.

 

but it was so anoying in 1st grade cause of this lady everyone thought I did.... I'm hard of hearing in the same ear that I got this ear infection in, doc says cause of irritation aka getting a flea comb dragged threw my hair when I was five

 

 

worst thing ever

 

the real thing that bothers me about it is that this same day, boys had been throwing paperballs at me , the only thing the nurse got out of my hair was a couple bits of paper

I'm going to need a hearing aid when I'm twenty because of what happened *grumbles*

[Kiraine]

My head's been itching like mad for the past few days yesterday it got so bad I started wondering if I've caught lices. Just that... it's not possible, I haven't been in contact with anyone others than the people I'm close with, and the only places I've been to have been the doctor's office (supposedly lice free since the docs ain't scratching so far) and the language course.

 

The language course might be infested, of course, as many people come there... but none of them sit close to me.

 

And I have nobody to check my hair so now I'm just sitting here itching from thinking about this, lol.

I figure I've just left some shampoo on my head or something else messed the balance up. That is, until I find evidence...

[St. Jimmy]

I've never had lice, probably because of all the dye and hair stuff that I use.

[Obscure_Trash]

I've never had lice, probably because of all the dye and hair stuff that I use.

Dye and Bleach

 

There is no evidence that dye or bleach kills or prevents head lice

infestations, in the concentrations normally used. Therefore dyed or

colored hair is no protection. Using these products to kill lice will

cause injury to the scalp, burns to the scalp, loss of hair and other

dangers and is definitely (with an I, not an A) NOT recommended.

 

=O

 

Not sure how accurate that source is, but yeah. :B

 

Although if you use hairspray and such that can tend to keep lice away, I think.

 

~

 

Hm, looks like lice only liking clean hair is a myth.

 

~

 

More stuff I found:

 

    * head lice are more common in long hair

    * infestations are two to four times more common in girls

    * head lice spread through head-head contact – explaining why they spread through childcare centres, schools and families

    * head lice don't always make your head itchy – so you need to look closely to find them

    * head lice can't survive for too long off the head – focus treatment on the hair not the house.

 

There are no social or economic barriers to the head louse. Lice do not pick or choose clean or dirty heads. They are more commonly found on children 3 to 12 years old and become progressively less common as children grow older. However, they readily live on adults and people of any age if given the opportunity. Close contact during play and a lack of awareness as to why their heads itch make young children more susceptible to head lice.

 

African-American children get head lice much less frequently than children of other backgrounds do, apparently because of a difference in the structure of the hair shaft.

Edited September 30, 2010 by SockPuppet Strangler

[Wookieinmashoo]

When I was in elementary school, we were always warned of the dangers of lice. The teachers would tell up not to use another person's comb, or to not wear their hats, or to not put any article of clothing you owned on or near another person's. Of course kids won't listen, but I did. I was paranoid of germs and lice then...and still am. At least with lice I still am.

 

I followed what the teachers suggested and even kept my coat away from other people's at recess. The only problem was, I would put my jacket away from the others and other children would put their coat on mine. I would then kick their coats off mine and move mine elsewhere. I would actually keep watch on it and I think I even told a few kids to stop putting their coat on mine. I treated every other kid like they were infested with lice.

 

I never did end up with any lice.

[Annaku]

back when i was in elementary they used to check our heads whenever it was reported that someone in our class had lice. I always used to hat the shampoo stuff my mom used it smelled so bad and my hair is soo thick that it would take her hours to get them all.i always used to hear that they love clean hair too.

 

and yes i am now itchy thanks soo much