How do you prevent headlice?

Question

My Daughter was at a sleepover and the mom called and said that they had a kid spend the night the night before. Her mother called and said that her daughter had lice. They slept on the living room floor in sleeping bags. My daughter was there the night after and slept in a seperate room. What can I do to prevent her from getting this? and what should I do to clean everything that she has?

Answer 1

Ugh.  I hae 4 little brothers and sisters.  I'm 22 the youngest is 7.  

You prevent lice with tea tree oil.  It is all natural but has a very strong smell.  Wear a bandana and a ponytail.  Wash her sair with it before and after exposure.  Her hair will smell like the tea tree oil for a day or so after application.

Using Lice shampoos, as the other's have suggested is not recommended becuase of the strong liver damage, lice shampoo causes.  It says so on the box itself!  So don't use it until you have a confirmed case of lice.

things you should know about lice:

they have been known to carry disease

they have to make a "pop" sound when you squish it or they aren't dead.

they double in population every other day

wash all bed clothes, stuffed animals, any washable soft surface with the hottest water the material can stand and put it in the dryer.  Vaccume at least once a day and ALWAYS throw the bag OUTSIDE even if it's not full...you don't want lice returning.

Answer 2

It is possible to treat your child every 14 days with Nix or RID to HELP prevent head lice. It may only help but not prevent. You need to bag up all of the toys and pillows tightly for 3 days. You need to vacuum using the attatchment to get in hard to reach spots and sides of beds, couches at least 6 times a day. In this day and age, the lice are becoming resistant to the chemicals that we use to get rid of them. After treating with Nix I soak my daughters hair in olive oil and use the lice come, you need a metal comb cause they work best, to comb through little by little making sure to get the nits out. The olive oil will stun the lice bugs if there are any remaining so it will be easier to spot them without them running away. The oil makes it easier to remove the nits. Her hair will be oily so you'll have to wash it a several times with just shampoo to get the oil out. You can use lysol to spray down hard surfaces as well. This is the best way I found to get rid of lice in my house with my children. Good luck

ps, everyone else in the house needs to be treated as well just in case a reinfestation dosen't pop back up just when you though you got everything clean!!!! Clorox all brushes and combs in the home as well.

Answer 3

I have tried everything under the sun, the ONLY thing that works for us is tea tree oil. You can find it in the vitamin and supplement section.

You put 3 drops in shampoo (in your hand) and wash hair. Then wash again with regular shampoo since the oil smells SO STRONG!!

IF there is lice,,

Towel dry hair and use a nit comb to comb out the dead lice. Keep a spray bottle of water near by, to keep the hair wet while combing. Also a glass of water to rinse out the comb every so often.

Do this every other day till you see no more lice.

Some people use the tea tree oil even though there is no lice, to keep from getting it.

Answer 4

You can't prevent it.  You have to bag up all of her stuffed animals, wash all of her sheets, pillows comforters, bedspreads.  Make sure her brushes, combs and other hair appliances, bands, barrettes etc are kept clean on a daily basis and make sure she keeps her hair/scalp clean.  But you really can't prevent head lice.  You can only watch for it and be "ontop" of it so it can be irradicated easily.

Answer 5

relax, chances are she won't get it. If the girl who owns the house doesn't have it then your child most likely won't either. The little girl who slept their the night before could have gotten it somewhere else. I would just wait and continue checking her hair for nits (the little grayish white eggs on the hair close to the scalp). Lice are quick and you probably won't see a live one but you could. My kids got lice once at preschool and I never saw a live one, just the nits.

So anyway just wait and keep checking her and chances are she won't even have it.

To prevent it in the future just make sure she knows not to share hats, combs, or anything else for the head with other kids.

If by chance you do find nits in her hair then you can use RID or NIX and comb out every single nit. You have to go through every strand of hair and make sure you get all the nits or the cycle will continue. Then you would wash all bedding and clothing in hot water and dry on high heat. Vacuum carpets well and the car and furniture as well. Put any stuffed animals in a garbage bag with no air getting in and leave it for a full month (I would throw stuffed animals out if she did get it personally)

Answer 6

you could preventively wash her with lice shampoo and wash everything in hot hot water.

if it cant be washed then put it in a plastic garbage bag for 4 weeks.

lice takes direct contact. sharing a brush or pillow at the party.

in school they hang thier hats next to each other or try on each others hats.

Answer 7

You can't prevent it. .if they got on her, well then she has it.  

You will need to wash everything in hot water and let it dry in a hot dryer.  

You will then need to get the lice shampoo from the drug store.  Sadly you will need to treat everyone in the house also if she does have it..  

You might want to get a head start and get the lice treatment and just use it now just in case she has it before it gets so bad that everyone needs to be treated. .

Answer 8

http://www.hairfairies.com/how-to-preven... :P