Lice - Yuck! Is there anything safe to use during pregnancy?

[Ryatha]

Hi guys

We have been battling lice with my DD hair for about 6 months. We have done everything, treated her hair, washed the sheets, done the pillows, combed her hair for hours and we keep getting outbreaks (I think she kept picking it up from school) However I now think I have them too

Does anyone know if there is a brand or treatment that is safe / safer to use when pregnant? TBH I'm pretty close to shaving my head due to the itching and am stressing out that I may have them myself!

Thanks for any suggestions

[Shades]

From Birth book - "A simple (but messy) method for treating nits is to cover your hair and scalp with a generous amount of olive oil and leave for ten minutes. Using a special fine nit comb run through your hair section by section. After each comb wipe the excess oil and any nits onto a piece of tissue or absorbent paper. Continue this until you have combed through all your hair and then wash your hair with regular shampoo. You may need to repeat this in 10 days time. Wash pillow and towels in hot water adding a few drops of tea tree oil to the water to help prevent them spreading."

Can't vouch for it's effectiveness but it can't hurt to try HTH

[Tanya]

Dunno... I use to use an electric comb.

But more than anything i kept a nit comb in the shower and every time I conditioned my hair I would do a quick section and comb. Did this with DD too... works the best, cause it only takes a couple of minutes and it is done routinely...

You have to make sure to get the comb right to the roots on all sections. You may wish to do it every day to begin with, then every 2nd day.

If you still wish to use chemicals just ask your chemist, they will know which ones are safe for use during pregnancy

Good luck

[angelaartsstudent]

Vinegar.

SOAK hair in vinegar, wrap in glad wrap and tie a plastic bag or similar around head so no air gets in or out. Leave for a number of hours.

This creates like a little fumigation tent...the lice die from the fumes.

Rinse out vinegar and dead lice and repeat in a few days when the new eggs hatch (becuase the fumes wont kill eggs...but will get the freshly hatched lice before they breed).

Don't shampoo the hair afterwards.

The vinegar won't make hair smell.

For the added benefit of making your hair super pretty, soft and shiny too - use Apple Cider Vinegar!

[StrawberryMumma]

Like Tanya said, you can just use normal conditioner. It traps them, then you just need to do a good thorough comb through, and repeat as neccessary until you get them all out.

[SophieRose]

vinegar is awesome because it breaks down all the glue that holds the eggs to your hair, which is the hardest thing about lice. Soak your hair in white vinegar, leave for a few mins, then comb away, do that once every couple of days, and they'll be gone before you know it.

I have little sisters in primary school and they're forever getting them, and i'm sick of having to buy expensive lice shampoo because i babysit them alot, and i like to cuddle and i get them ( i hate my thick hair).

Vinegar= the BEST lice removal treatment

[kristi14]

I hear you!!

We battled them ALL year last year while i was pregnant. I was doing their hair weekly but i refused to use nit solutions on them while i was pregnant, so either someone else did the chemical treatment or i just did conditioner.

I got them a couple of times too. I would just (and still do now) do a quick comb through of my hair when i washed and conditioned my hair. I never used any chemical treatment on myself while pregnant, just conditioner.

There is an excellent comb you can get called "Nit Free". Its a metal fine tooth comb. The teeth of the comb have spirals going up them that help to grab the lice and eggs out easier. I found this to be the best comb. They cost about $14 and you get them at the chemist. Its well worth the money.

I hope you can get a handle on them soon, its so frustrating. I swear i would do my kids and they would go back to school the next day and get them back, cos i would get all the lice out and then next day they would have a couple of big ones again, which i knew they didnt have any the day before when i treated them.

[Ryatha]

Brilliant - Thanks everyone. I'm going to give these a go, and see what happens. I like the vinegar one mainly due to the fact I like the smell!

Thanks again for all your suggestions.