DEAR DR. GOTT: Help! My daughter has been fighting head lice in her family for months. At first, her 10-year-old daughter had eggs in her hair. She tried over-the-counter treatment but didn’t want to use it because of the ingredients. She had the doctor prescribe a medicine but it didn’t work. She sent for “Clearlice” which also didn’t work. Then she found eggs in her other daughter’s, her husband’s and her hair so she called another company that treated everyone’s hair. Also, my daughter has been cleaning and washing everything everyday. She put all stuffed animals, rugs, pillows, etc., in plastic bags. She is very upset and crying because she feels like she has failed. Many children in their school have lice also but no one is telling the nurse. Can you help or tell her where she can go? The products on the web all claim that they are the best. Can you get rid of lice?
DEAR READER: The first thing your daughter needs to do is inform the nurse and school officials. Perhaps a school-wide lice check is necessary with notices sent out to all the parents of the affected children. In my school district, this procedure is done at the beginning of every school year and children found to have lice are not allowed to return until treated successfully, which must be confirmed by the school nurse.
Your daughter has clearly taken all the necessary precautions and treatments; however, if her children are coming into contact with others who also are infected, they will become reinfected, creating the current cycle she is in.
Over-the-counter lice treatments can be harsh and must be used strictly according to package directions. Many people are uncomfortable with the products but there is often little else that works as effectively.
Some years ago, I wrote about this issue when a reader indicated an odd alternative that she found worked just as well, if not better, than the OTC products. She said to apply ample amounts of mayonnaise (yes, mayonnaise!) to the hair and scalp and wrap with plastic wrap or a shower cap. I don’t recall how long it was to be left on, but it should be washed out and the hair combed with the nit comb to remove eggs. Readers then wrote in with suggestions that it be repeated every four hours for one day or redone a few days later to catch any lice that may have made it through the first treatment.
To the best of my knowledge, there is nothing that will prevent infection or reinfection. You can reduce the chances by avoiding contact with anyone (and their homes, etc.) who has head lice. At this point, the number one thing that you and your daughter can do, as I stated above, is to inform the school of the problem.
