Lice/Nits removal on own head??????????

amother

Mon, Aug 25 2014, 7:12 pm

I have done a lot of reading about lice & nit removal and still have a few questions:

Has anyone successfully removed lice and nits from their own head without someone helping to do the combing? Before I begin this long task of trying to remove it from my own head I would like to hear some success stories. I have a good nit comb and am willing to try working on it for the next 2 weeks - but don't want to put tons of effort to still be full of them.

Has anyone tried the Nuvo / Cetaphil method?
http://nuvoforheadlice.com/tes.....cense

If you have tried both mayo and margarine which method do you think is better?

When combing out the nits, how often do you wash out the comb?

Has anyone put their expensive human hair wig / sheital in the freezer for 2 days and has it ruined the wig?

Do you think just looking at a pony tail holder is enough to spot a louse or a nit?

asd3

Mon, Aug 25 2014, 7:26 pm

I just went thru this last week. I combed myself out. I was told to put tons of conditioner because it makes it much easier to comb and smothers the lice. The first night I combed my hair with the conditioner and then slept with the conditioner. I've combed a bunch more times since but mostly just with wet hair. I was told to put my shaitels in plastic bags for three weeks I never heard of freezing them. I wash and set shaitels and I don't think the freezer would harm them. Would freezing them kill the nits? Because I know nits can take two weeks to hatch

the chevrah

Tue, Aug 26 2014, 10:23 am

Pantene conditioner, alcohol & baking soda. Mix together & leave on hair for a few minutes. Shower & watch all the live ones (dead by now) floating in the water. Was amazing to see..... Then use comb for the nits.

shuls_613

Tue, Aug 26 2014, 10:30 am

It shouldn't take two weeks to get rid. If you have a good comb and use a lot of conditioner like the others said. It isn't a bad idea to have someone else check afterwards to make sure you got everything.

As for stuff, you can pour boiling water over hair-ties, brush, etc. and wash and dry sheets, blankets, etc.

I'm not sure what to do about the sheitel but as far as I'm aware an actual louse can't survive off of a human head for more than 24 hours but the nits can take up to 10 days to hatch so that would be something to worry about. If you don't need it, maybe leaving for a 1 1/2 in a bag and letting everything die and then getting it washed?

amother

Tue, Aug 26 2014, 12:11 pm

OP here, thanks everyone for responding.

asd3 - Do do you think you are finally rid of them. I have read online that either in a ziploc bag for 2 weeks or in a freezer for 24 hours. I wear the same wig to work everyday and can't switch. So I am thinking of putting it in a ziploc bag in the freezer over shabbos. The problem is if I don't fully get rid of the lice on my own head by Monday when I have to go back to work.

The Chevrah - I am going to try that mixture. Do you think it specifically has to be Pantene - do you think Kirkland brand (Costco) would work?

Shul 613 - I do have a good comb so I am going to try to start coming before shabbos. I am just not sure if anyone else in my house also is infested. I don't really have anyone to check afterwards as my DH is in denial that I am infested. He just doesn't believe me - I don't know why. When you put olive oil in head overnight how do people prevent it from getting all over the bedding?

asd3

Tue, Aug 26 2014, 1:10 pm

I got checked by a lice checker who said I was clean though I still combed every few days for a couple weeks to make sure and I actually did find a few more after she said I was clean. I wasn't crazy infested so it didnt take so long to get clean unlike my daughter who had it really bad and I had to comb at least six times before even checking her again. It also depends what kind of hair and how long it is. I was recommended to cut my hair really short so it would be easier to get rid of. You also shouldn't wait to start combing you should start today even if you only have time to do it once night. When you do wipe the comb on a paper towel in between each time you comb it thru to clean it

ElTam

Tue, Aug 26 2014, 1:20 pm

amother

Tue, Aug 26 2014, 1:21 pm

Op here.
Asd3 - I am so glad you are clean!

Is just wiping the comb on a paper towel enough in between each run through the hair sufficient? I think I am very infested and every time I run the comb through I see tons of white particles some could just be dandruff. When I wipe the comb on a towel, it gets rid of some of the white stuff but not the pieces that are in between the tines. Does it matter. It will take me much longer to comb if I have to thoroughly clean between each run through the hair.

amother

Tue, Aug 26 2014, 1:24 pm

24 hours in a bag should kill the lice on the sheital. They need to be on a human head. As for my own head, I combed and combed and combed and used shampoo etc. and when my friend checked me (I was a niddah), she still found stuff.

Eitam - leaving it in a bag for 24 hours will only kill the lice. The nits may hatch and produce more lice. That is my big concern, since I wear my sheital 5 days a week, I am unable to leave it in a bag for the 2 weeks that would kill also the newly hatched lice. I am going to try the freezer over the weekend.

kalsee

Wed, Aug 27 2014, 3:06 am

amother wrote:

"white stuff" are not nits. Nits are discolored (can be any range from off white to a brown) and can't be blown or shaken off the hair. They have a very specific shape.
It is a good idea to know exactly what nits look like before you start to comb, because if you have dandruff you will never finish combing (the more you comb the more your scalp flakes...)

The nits usually get stuck in between the tines, but they won't re-attach to your hair once you remove them.

FranticFrummie

Wed, Aug 27 2014, 3:58 am

I have never had anything ruined from putting it in the freezer.

The best thing I've found is to use any brand of conditioner, and add a few tablespoons of NEEM OIL. You can find it online at Amazon, or at any Indian food store. The stuff is amazing. It kills both lice and nits, and makes them super easy to comb out.

Put the mix on your hair, and then put a shower cap over it. Wear a tichel over the shower cap, as the extra heat from your head will make the neem oil work better. Wash it out in the morning, and comb really well. Do this once a week. Use the nit comb every single day, to make sure you didn't miss any strays. The neem oil also helps loosen the nits so that they slide off your hair easier.

I like to put the conditioner mixture in a spray bottle with just enough water to make it sprayable, and then mist my hair before I comb through. If you leave a bit of the oil in your hair, any live nits will be repelled by the smell and abandon ship. An added bonus, you won't get bitten by mosquitoes either!

shuls_613

Wed, Aug 27 2014, 6:07 am

If you are going to sleep with olive oil in your hair you can wear a shower cap if you have one or even just use plastic bags from the store. Try to make it tight, but not hurting you. You can tie it with a hair-tie or rubberband if it needs to be tighter.

Just in case put a towel on your pillow also in case it leaks a bit.

amother

Wed, Aug 27 2014, 2:10 pm

Oh here, so now I just have to decide which method is the best.
RID, mayo, conditioner, olive oil, alcohol and baking soda, vinegar, listerine, cetaphil, tea tree oil....