Is Your Head Itchy?
We have all had that dreaded moment where your kid comes home from school with a notice about HEAD LICE! You automatically start to scratch your head right? Trust me! We have all been there. And if you haven't your time will come.
It's a scary thought having a bunch of tiny little bugs crawling around your head, sucking the life out of you and laying eggs where ever they feel like. How Rude! But in all honesty, it's really not that scary. Well, it doesn't have to be.
As a hairdresser, I can spot those little critters a mile away, but not everyone knows exactly what to look for. If I see them before I perform a service on your hair I will kindly tell you and show you how to treat your hair and ask you to come back. That's my policy—a policy I stand by. I think it's only fair for the protection and cross contamination of my clients. I'll also educate you on the best way to deal with it. There are options. There are salons out there that deal with Lice and do so effectively.
Here are My Tips and Tricks:
For starters You are NOT DIRTY. You are NOT GROSS. It's a part of life. It can happen to the best of us. We have all had them. If you haven't, then lucky you.
I understand how you can start to panic because you think OH my GOD!!! What do I do??!!! It's simple really. But it will take time. I know we are all time poor. But, I'm sorry to say, time is the only real way you are gonna beat these little buggers.
Treatments you buy at the supermarket are not a quick fix. There are products out there that say Kill Lice fast! ‘Awesome’, you say? NOPE! Sorry to say, but…No!! Not from the treatment alone.
I'm a huge believer that the best way and ONLY way to rid of these little pests is to comb them out! Not once, not twice, but three times over the course of 2 weeks. The reason being is we need to break the cycle of the lice. If you miss an egg and it hatches, it starts all over again. You will catch the little critters in their track's if you get in and comb them out multiple times over the course of 2 weeks.
Head lice treatment products will help slow or suffocate the live lice, which will make them easier to comb out because they're not running away on you. Combing the eggs and lice out is so important in the removal process.
Tools you will need to make your job easier are:
These tools will make for a much more pleasant experience for your little ones scalps too.
Section clips
Nit comb
Tail comb
Shower cap
Towel
Paper towel
Straightening Irons.
Follow these Steps:
Important: This is where TIME comes into play. If your child has long thick hair it could take up to 1.5 to 2 hours to comb through the whole head. Trust me! Spending the time now will save time later. Try your best to get through the hair slowly and consistently
Apply your chosen treatment to the hair. Saturate the hair and pop under a shower cap for a good hour. Or follow product instructions.
With the product still in the hair, divide the hair into four sections.
Straight down the middle and ear to ear will give you four sections.
Use your section clips to keep hair divided.
Start working from the back of the neck one section at a time.
Use your tail comb to take slices of hair taking paper thin sections. (You should be able to see through the hair). The nice thin sections of hair will stop pulling and lots of tears.
Comb through the hair with the nit comb from roots to tips and wipe off excess product onto a paper towel. This is the fun part! You'll get to see all of the little suckers you caught.
Once you have combed through the whole head, rinse out the product and shampoo/condition the hair as normal.
Blow dry the hair and plug those straightening irons in.
Go back and section the hair like you did before into 4 sections.
Work through the hair taking thin sections and go over the hair with the Straightening iron. This will catch any live ones still in the hair. The heat makes them run to the top of the head and you can grab em! That's my pro tip!
Now, you will need to repeat the process AGAIN. Yep! Again! Three times in 2 weeks remember. Day 1, Day 7, Day 14. This will break the cycle and be sure to get rid of them if your removal technique is spot on.
Now the dreaded Washing:
Washing linen and clothing in a hot water wash and tumble drying will help get all the little buggers.
Wash your hair brushes in hot soapy water too.
Try not to share hair brushes in your household. This will help to stop the spreading of lice.
Treat the whole family if possible and be mindful of close head to head contact, sharing of hats, sharing pillows etc.
The next step is Prevention:
I like to make up a spray that I pop onto my girls hair every morning when I style their hair for school. Yep! Their hair is up everyday!
Whether it be a braid or a ponytail with a plait. It's always pulled up and sprayed back to secure to prevent head lice. 10 minutes in the morning to prevent having to comb out lice for hours on your weekend? I like the sound of that!
There are many prevention sprays on the market. But I like to make my own. The secret ingredient being Tea Tree Oil. I personally use water soluble oils, Tea Tree Oil and Lavender Oil (smells pretty).
I mix equal parts of the oils in a spray bottle with water (usually two capfuls of each oil in the spray bottle). I then finish their hair off with lots of hairspray. Also, it's super important to brush out their hair after a long day of being tied up all day.
So, there you have it. My little tips and tricks to treating head lice.
REMEMBER: Don't panic! Take your time. It doesn't have to be hard. Prevention is key.
Have a wonderful day! Thank you for reading this blog.
