Parents, I am a Social Worker and I had to check for lice yesterday?

Her head was literally swarming with it, and now I keep getting like imaginary itches. Any precautionary measures you would take so I dont pass it on to my hubby and son? Ive already showered and washed my clothes in the washer by themself.

Madeline2010-02-19T06:42:16Z

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A couple of years ago my 8 year old got lice from a friends house. I did not want to get it and neither did my other daughter & hubby. My grandma told me about this way to prevent getting it ( it is a little weird ) but you have to lean over a sink and pour olive oil all over your hair and then put plastic wrap on your head for like 2 hours. We all did that and no one got it. My hubby of course was being a baby about it but I just watched TV and had some wine...the time flew by. Good luck! See below -

"Olive oil treatments work well, but the oil must remain on the hair and scalp for at least 2 hours. Head lice can survive if they are only in the olive oil for 1 hour, but will suffocate after approximately 2 hours. The treatment may need to be repeated after a week has passed, to suffocate the lice that may have hatched. "

*Elli's Mama*2010-02-19T15:09:38Z

Put some a drop or two of tea tree oil in your shampoo. Use the shampoo till it is gone. This will prevent lice from getting on the head. They HATE the smell of tea tree oil. Also wash everything you can in the house. Vaccum the carpets, furniture. Try to make everything as clean as possible because if his head was infested bad then they have been there for a while so chances are the lice is the house. Actually if you have one of those machines that are used for steaming clothes , take that and use it on your furniture. I bet the steam would eliminate anything that was on your furniture. Try to keep your house as clean as possible and keep the tea tree oil in the shampoo till you are sure the lice is out of the house. Find out where the lice came from and try to eliminate it from that source or keep your son away from whoever has it. Best of luck!!

Tammy D2010-02-19T14:47:09Z

Many times it is all in your head. I am a veterinary technician and when I see an animal that is covered in fleas then I do the same thing. I itch all over, but I have never found fleas on me. It's all in your mind most of the time. However, I do take precautions just in case. It is very possible to take home fleas when you work with animals or take home lice when you work with children. But chances are a brief encounter with a child with lice (or a dog with fleas) will not spread the infestation to you. It is natural human behavior to itch after being around someone who has lice, but it doesn't mean you have it.

However, if you are concerned (which I can understand) you can also get some of the lice killing shampoo from the store and treat for it. What I do when I come home from work after being around an animal that was literally covered in fleas is use one of those lice combs. They will pick up any lice or their eggs (or fleas) that happened to get in your hair.

Greeneyed2010-02-19T14:53:07Z

buy some tea tree oil and put a few drops into your shampoo, and some in a bottle of water. Wash your hair with the shampoo and the other people in your house hold should also use it. Spray your hair with the water on days you do not wash your hair. It has a little smell but the lice do not like it. Also keep your hair tied back in a braid if possible and with a little hair spray in it, apparently they hate dirty hair.

Anonymous2010-02-19T15:09:04Z

It is fortunate they are imaginary itches, the unfortunate part is you are most likely going to keep having them for a bit (a neighbor of mine, upon returning from vacation brought cockroaches back w/her and unfortunately they creeped into my house, it only took a day to take care of because we caught it quick enough but if I even so much as see something they could have remotely resembled a cockroach in my home I have issues sleeping for weeks). The best way to not pass on your imaginary itches to your husband and son is to not even mention it to them.

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