Lessons learned from our battle with lice

This is a good overview site.

What worked:
· Shaving our child’s head.
o We could only get it down to 1/8 inch, which meant some nits (and perhaps eggs)
remained. But we could see things easily and this made it much easier to monitor and
control. For boys, this is something I would do again quickly. For girls, it’s harder.
· The metal lice remover combs. They cost about $10 and are very much worth it.
· My husband getting a short hair cut
o The more people who can cut their hair very short, the more people whose cases can be
controlled, and the easier to get the household under control.

What didn’t work:
· RID shampoo.
o I found live lice within three days of using it. They aren’t supposed to appear until 7-10
days after the first treatment.
o The 24/7 helpline advertised on the package did not have anyone available when I called
one night at 11 p.m. to ask why I found live lice three days after treatment. There were
only recorded messages, similar to what I could google myself online.
· The plastic combs that come with the lice removal shampoo kits.
o Completely useless. I feel like we lost significant ground by using these combs for two
days, which remove a tiny fraction of what the metal combs get.

Other things we did, that may or may not have worked:
· Used combs and brushes only once, then soaked then in boiling water and soap for 10
minutes, or put them in the dishwasher.
· Used sheets and towels only once and washed them in hot water and dried on high.
· Wore clothing only once and washed on the highest temperature we could without ruining
them.
· Vacuumed house, car and car seat.
· Used spray on furniture and other non-washable items
· Bagged up non-washable items (bike helmet, stuffed animals, pillows) in a sealed plastic
bag and placed in garage for a month.