Parents: Here's How to Win the War on Head Lice

Have you ever received the dreaded letter from school informing you of a lice outbreak in your kid's classroom? It makes your head itch just thinking about it, doesn't it? Many parents are seasoned pros when it comes to dealing with runny noses, but many of us become irrational when it comes to crawling critters.

I know what it’s like to wonder why my daughter has an itch that just won’t stop, and then find lice crawling through her waist-length hair. Twice. I reacted each time as any well-adjusted, sane mother would.

BURN. EVERYTHING. DOWN!

This is my battleground:

That's A LOT of hair.

What Are Lice, Anyway?

• Lice (the plural of louse) are small insects that live on the scalp and feed off human blood.
• They don't fly or jump, they have legs and claws that grasp onto hair shafts and they can crawl.
• They're transmitted from person to person through direct contact. 
• Pets can't give us lice.
• They only live a couple days once they've been removed or have fallen off.
• Lice lay eggs (nits), which stick on hair shafts and hatch in seven to 10 days.
• Lice can only be caught when they move from one person to another and not from the nits.
• Lice prefer clean, non-oily hair because it's easier for them to hold on to.

When my daughter had lice the first time, I consulted Dr. Google. He believes in covering all the bases—even ones we didn’t know existed—and he gave me a three-pronged plan of attack. I first started with a non-toxic hair wash to kill the lice and followed that up with hours and hours of combing through each strand of my daughter’s very full head of hair to seek and destroy the nits. As the third hour came to an end, my vision blurred, and I threw in the towel. But not before applying the coup de grâce (per Dr. Google) which was pouring vinegar over her head and wrapping the whole sopping mess in a tight shower cap. I’m exhausted just thinking about it. (FYI – vinegar on a scalp made raw from hours of combing and picking hurts like hell, but she’s forgiven me)

Little did I know, there was an easier, less distressing way.

After potentially traumatizing my daughter the first time, the second time head lice hit our home, I called a friend who'd fought the battle. After she virtually slapped some sense into me, she ordered me to talk to my pharmacist, who is actually more qualified than Dr. Google to give out advice. It’s easy to become distracted (and panicked) about the misinformation we find online. My pharmacist was available when I needed him and he set me straight by giving me a list of things I could do to rid our house of lice.

Here's what you need to do to get rid of head lice:

1. Consult with your pharmacist or check out the Pharmachoice website, both are great resources for parents. The website has a pharmacist-approved health database that provides Canadian health information guaranteed to be accurate.
2. Purchase a Nitview Ledcomb. The Nitview Ledcomb is a specially designed lice comb with micro-channelled teeth that also uses ultraviolet light so that the lice and nits glow and become visible. You must use a special lice comb, none of the others work - I've tried. This makes it easier to get rid of the little monsters. This comb also removes parasites without the use of harsh chemicals and can also scan bedding and clothing for parasites. (You can buy the Nitview Ledcomb from PharmaChoice, it retails for $44.99)
3. Wash the hair using a non-toxic product to kill the live lice. There are other treatment options that suggest using a combination of tea trea oil and olive oil and letting it sit for several hours before washing it out. If you aren't sure what to use, check in with your pharmacist to find out the latest and best product to use.
4. Whether you wash the hair out or not, use a the Nitview Ledcomb to comb-through the entire head to remove lice and nits.
5. Once you comb them out, wipe the comb on a clean piece of paper towel and wash the comb. Remove the comb from the device and then shine the ultraviolet light on any soft surface you suspect might still be housing lice.
6. Wash all hair brushes, combs, hair accessories, bedding, and clothing used or worn within the last couple of days in hot, soapy water.
7. Continue checking for lice and nits every two to three days after the first treatment to make sure you've removed them all.

We've survived the battle without having to shave my own or anyone else's head because a friend cared enough to pass along info on which tools to use and which were a waste of time. Now, I braid my daughter's hair every morning, dab lavender oil behind her ears (might be an Old Wives' Tale, but I'm going with it as a preventative measure!), kiss her goodbye, and remind her not to swap hats with anyone. I may now know how to fight and beat lice, but I still hate the little buggers.