Lice

When I was in elementary school my mom told me repeatedly to NEVER use someone elses hair accessories. Her reasoning was simple, sharing hair band, hair bushes, or any other item that goes in your hair is the way head lice is spread. Not only did she keep me from using others hair accessories, up until fifth grade she did my hair everyday! It wasn’t until fifth grade I asked my mom if I could do my own hair and she agreed to let me as long as I didn’t use anyone else’s hair accessories. I promised and all was well. I got through elementary school, middle school and nineth tenth and eleventh grade without once having lice.

And now I am a senior in high school. I never use other people’s hair accessories they have used… yet some how... a few days before Christmas break I noticed several small bugs crawling around in my hair. I not only freaked out I began to cry. My dad was gone and forgot his phone and I couldn’t get a hold of my mom at first. When she called me back I was in tears as I told her, “Mom I think I have lice!”

She told me to calm down and together we determined that these ‘lice’ were probably flees. Our reasoning was thought out, our cat had had flees and we figured as I washed him they had probably jumped out onto me. Mom told me to wash my hair twice and see how I felt.

I got off the phone and sent my brother and sister upstairs asking them to stay out of the bathroom and be as good as possible as I cleaned my hair. I must admit for a 5 year old and a two year old that find joy in pestering me constintly, they were pretty good!
So I washed my hair. The bugs started to fall out immediately! I can’t tell you how many bugs I watched fall out of my hair as I washed my hair twice in a row. By the time I was finished my head didn’t itch at all! We went to our new house and my mom brought home some special shampoo that is really good for your hair.

I went to school the next day, and then before going home I stopped the shop. My mom decided she would look though my hair and thought no bugs could be found in my hair… my head was covered in nits! We knew right then either the ‘flees’ laid them or I had lice…

My mom sent me home and told my dad to pick up lice shampoo and vinegar. The shampoo would kill any bugs that might still be in my hair and the vinegar would help get rid of the nits. As soon as we had the stuff I began working. NO bugs could have survived the treatment I gave my hair, or at least that is what my dad said.

Happy to be rid of the lice I went to school but was VERY cautios about keeping my head to myself. It was Friday, the last day of school before break! I refused to let anyone get to close to my hair… two reasons I didn’t want to get lice agan and if there was any chance any still lived I didn’t want to give them to anybody.

School ended.

Break!

After some study and thought of everthing over the past several weeks we determined that the bugs defiantly were lice! EWW. If I ever feared bugs before… I am now terrified of them! The thought of lice makes me want to scream!

After some study: Cut hair... easier to deal with nit also I was ready to get the hair off! I love my new hair cut. My mom told me she likes my hair short and so I asked why she told me to let my hair grow out when I had wanted to cut it no to long ago.

Monday before Christmas: I go out with my sister to buy Christmas presents for our parents. My brother is sick

Tuesday before Christmas: stomach virus!

Wednesday till Christmas: recovering from virus!

Break ends

Monday: go back to school

Tuesday: still in school

Wednesday: School still. My sister goes to her preschool.

Thursday: must I say it… school

Thurday night/Friday morning: Sister itching her head before bed… she has nits all through her head!

My mom and I grabbed the bottle of lice shampoo and began cleaning though my sister's hair. My dad cleaned the sheets my mom and I clean hair brushes... we cleaned everything! We sent my dad out to buy more lice shampoo, lice spray and other items to get rid of lice! We used mayonnaise too! She is lucky she had help getting all the bugs and nits out… I had none!
We were up all night!

My mom, my sister and I put mayonnaise on our hair. I was fairly certain I was lice free, but I wanted to make sure. Anyways, the mayonnaise doesn't hurt your hair, it actually is really good for it, a great conditioner! So we leave it on my sister for an hour, wash it out and then it's my turn. The mayonnaise was on my hair for an hour and a half, then after two hours my mom washes it out of her hair. We comb through Pola's hair, and then mine.

I still use the good shampoo, but yesterday as my mom brushed though my hair looking for lice, my head's been ichy, she let out a gasp. My hair is dry. The shampoo might be good to get lice out and good if you have a conditioner, but we had none so my hair is in horrible conditon. So my mom put colestaral on my hair and told me not to use the shampoo anymore and gave me some new shampoo. I am not only lice free (100% sure!) My head has started to quite itching since I quit using the other shampoo!

Well this was a chirstmas and new years I will never forget!

Barbara