We all have been or will be humbled by this little creature at some point in our lives as parents. Lice. The most democratic of pests, lice hit all socio-economic groups. Some of the best schools and cleanest scalps have ended up invested with this little critter.
The first response of panicked parents can often be to go the “shock and awe” route with heavy artillery. But the lice have built up a resistance to pesticides and there are serious health concerns about putting dangerous chemicals onto our kids scalps.
The scalp has many blood vessels that are close to the skin, making it easy for toxic substances to be absorbed directly into the blood stream. To make matters worse, children have a less mature immune system to protect them and other enzyme systems to detoxify these chemicals.
People with asthma can have very severe reactions to pesticides. They can have problems at low levels of exposure that have no apparent effect on people without these conditions, especially children. Pesticide exposure can aggravate existing health conditions. Anyone who is already ill, has chronic disease or is taking daily medication can be more at risk from exposure.
There are two main pesticides used in most head lice products available today: lindane and pyrethrins.
For many years, lindane (Kwell), an organochlorine pesticide available only by prescription, was the treatment of choice for head lice. It is still recommended by many medical personnel who have not taken the time to acquaint themselves with its potential health hazards to humans.
Lindane is absorbed through the skin and into the blood stream. Once absorbed, it can be carried throughout the body to the tissue (mainly fat) and organs. Due to its toxicity and lack of effectiveness, it should not be used under any circumstance.
About 9% of each lindane dose is absorbed through the skin. It is 10 times more soluble in brain tissue than in blood. Routine administration to children and geriatric patients has led to neurotoxic disorders. Lindane is highly carcinogenic in rats and mice and can cause aplastic anemia, a precursor or leukemia, and other blood disorders.
Lindane is absorbed through the skin and into the blood stream. Once absorbed, it can be carried throughout the body to the tissue (mainly fat) and organs. Due to its toxicity and lack of effectiveness, it should not be used under any circumstance.
About 9% of each lindane dose is absorbed through the skin. It is 10 times more soluble in brain tissue than in blood. Routine administration to children and geriatric patients has led to neurotoxic disorders. Lindane is highly carcinogenic in rats and mice and can cause aplastic anemia, a precursor or leukemia, and other blood disorders.
Pyrethrum and pyrethrins (found in Nix, Rid, Clear, Pronto) are pesticides made from flowers (a type of chrysanthemum). Synthetic pyrethroids (permethrins) are chemical imitations of these natural products. Synergists are chemicals added to increase their killing power.
Any pesticide can theoretically cause allergic reactions, although some are more likely than others. Products made from a member in this family of pesticides are likely to cause allergic reactions, particularly for people with allergies, asthma or chemical sensitivities.
Any pesticide can theoretically cause allergic reactions, although some are more likely than others. Products made from a member in this family of pesticides are likely to cause allergic reactions, particularly for people with allergies, asthma or chemical sensitivities.
I learned years back from my wise “old school” pediatrician that a nice jar of mayonaise works wonders. Lice can be killed quickly, easily, cheaply and safely with mayonnaise. Simply get a new jar of mayonnaise (not Miracle Whip) from your kitchen shelf or at the grocery store. (Don’t grab one from the refrigerator, as it will be way too cold.) Grab a handful (or several) and cover all of you child’s hair, being sure to get behind the ears and down the neck a little. You can cover this with a plastic shower cap to keep the mayonnaise from dripping or getting onto your furniture. Leave the mayonnaise on for two hours to smother the lice and developed eggs. Then, remove the shower cap and throw it away, both of you wash your hands good with soap, and shampoo the hair thoroughly. It may take two or more shampoos to get the hair clean.
If you don’t trust the mayonnaise to smother the lice, you can make a natural lice shampoo to kill the lice but not poison your child. Here’s the recipe:
Start with five teaspoons of Olive oil or Coconut oil.
Add five drops of each of these essential oils:
Tea tree
Start with five teaspoons of Olive oil or Coconut oil.
Add five drops of each of these essential oils:
Tea tree
Rosemary
Lavender
Peppermint
Eucalyptus
Add a small amount of regular shampoo to the mixture, and put this all over the hair – all the way to the edges. Leave this on for an hour under a towel or tight-fitting shower cap to prevent drips. Rinse the hair, and shampoo the hair.
Olive oil and coconut oil kill lice by “dissolving” their exoskeletons, and other oils will not have the same effect.
Once you’ve either mayo’ed or herbally blasted your child’s head, it’s time for the real fun: nit picking. Nitpicking is essential. The mayonnaise or herbal shampoor may not kill the newest nits since the unborn lice inside may have not yet developed enough to need air yet. Use a special metal lice comb found in the drug stores.
When you think you are done, you want to use good lighting to check throughly the hair once it is dry. (The nits are much easier to see on dry hair.) Nits are very small and are kind of shiny at a certain angle. They are on the hair shaft itself, with the newest ones being just off the scalp and older ones being as much as an inch away from the scalp. You will have to check the hair by tiny sections, especially around the edges of the hair, at the neck, and behind the ears – although one could be anywhere. If you find any nits, you can pull them off with your fingernails, comb them off with the nit comb, or cut each hair off that contains a nit. Be sure to put each nit or hair into a bowl of vinegar or hot soapy water with ammonia added.
It’s the days and days of nit picking that will prevent a reinfestation in 2-3 weeks. There is nothing more humbling that starting all over with this annoying pest, so it’s best to become a good nit picker!
Nit picking takes time. The whole world has to slow down so that you can methodically comb thru every strand of hair on every kid in your house and remove every darn nit!. Pretend for a minute that you are the mama chimp (or pick your favorite primate) and you are sitting in the jungle with your baby monkeys lovingly and meticulously performing this routine maintenance.
Another way to pass away the nit picking time is to go the philosophical/ new age route and consider this a sign of some sort from the universe. The louse, like any other animal contains many symbolic meanings. It’s always fun to look up power animals/ animal totems on the Internet. This is what I found when I looked up the Louse:
Lice, as you know, are parasitic creatures. They require a host in order to exist.
When Lice come for a visit in our homes. Perhaps the universe is trying to tell us to let go of some pesky people or ideals in our lives.
When Lice come for a visit in our homes. Perhaps the universe is trying to tell us to let go of some pesky people or ideals in our lives.
Do you have many choices before you – and all of them may be “bugging” you? Nevertheless, you can take advantage of the Louse. Observe the beauty in its symbiotic relationship with its host. The Louse actually changes its DNA to accommodate that of its host – assuring a life-long relationship. This is a lesson of flexibility, and a message that we can work with our challenges rather than fight against them.
Perhaps it’s a message that we can learn to live with our decisions – that we can indeed make the best of things. Sometimes we need only to adapt in order to live in peace.
Furthermore, the Louse never takes more from its host than either can handle (for to do so would destroy its own livelihood). This is a message that we can all learn from. Sometimes when Lice show up it can indicate that we are either asking too much from our loved ones, or they are asking too much of us.
Perhaps it’s a message that we can learn to live with our decisions – that we can indeed make the best of things. Sometimes we need only to adapt in order to live in peace.
Furthermore, the Louse never takes more from its host than either can handle (for to do so would destroy its own livelihood). This is a message that we can all learn from. Sometimes when Lice show up it can indicate that we are either asking too much from our loved ones, or they are asking too much of us.
When we are being “sucked dry” by too many responsibilities, too many obligations, or torn in too many directions by well-meaning people, the Louse will come to our attention as a message to withdraw ourselves and resist being pulled into situations we do not wish for ourselves.
After all these years, I know that parenting is humbling. I think of lice as a sign to slow down and pay attention. Jump off the fast track if only for an afternoon. And wash those sheets and pillowcases. I hope this never happens to you, but it probably will.
