1/21/2015

Great Expectations.

Got head lice? This blog can give you tips and techniques on how to beat it.  But before you even worry about the bugs on the head, you need to deal with the thoughts inside it - what are you feeling?  Are you freaking out or staying calm? Dreading the worst or expecting the best? If you want to beat this problem, you need to make a decision now about the attitude you will have going into it.  Your attitude can make or break how successful you are in managing your head lice.  If you start this battle by being panicked, paranoid, or petrified,  you are going to make it a bigger problem than it really is.  These extreme feelings and attitudes toward head lice can cause you to deal with it in a couple of different ways.  When you allow yourself  to have extreme feelings about head lice, you usually take extreme actions, such as:
  • Becoming hyper-vigilant and managing the problem by staying busy all the time doing tasks that are not necessary, not effective, and possibly harmful because you are feeling overwhelmed.
  • Avoiding the problem entirely and doing nothing because you are feeling overwhelmed.
Neither of these responses will be helpful to you and will probably cause a strain on your time, resources, relationships and personal wellbeing.  However, if you can put aside the panic, get the actual facts about head lice,  and stick to the simple tasks that need to be done, such as regular wet combing, you will be more than able to get through it. 

I recently heard from a family that got themselves informed about head lice and became their own lice experts.  It became evident to me that they approached their head lice issue with the right attitude when the father of the family told me that his 8 year old daughter had been going around the house singing this catchy little ditty:

"Bed bugs are mean but lice are nice!"  (T., I think you are AWESOME!!!)

This family did not see head lice as a sickness, punishment, or failure.  They treated it like one of life's inconveniences and obviously addressed it with patience, perseverance and humour.  And they beat it! 

You can too.  Give your lice a bit of attitude (positive, that is!).  Expect the best outcome here. If you don't want to sing about lice being nice, then come up with your own mantra to keep your spirits up through this process. Quote Rosie the Riveter, the Little Engine That Could, Barack Obama, or even Yoda if it helps you to stay positive. With a good attitude (your thoughts) and some helpful information (this blog) I know you can deal with head lice effectively.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thank you SO much!!! Thanks to all your wonderful advice we are on the road to being free of lice (at least until the next time). After a failed Nix treatment (found live lice immediately after) and much panic and laundry I found your site. After 3 days of wet combing (me and both of my daughters) found only a few nymphs then we tried directed blow drying. 5 more days of continued daily wet combing revealed only brownish nits for the first few days. A week after the blow dry still nothing. Keeping hair in braids and will do two more comb outs this week, then build a weekly wet comb into our routines. Fingers crossed but also confident that even if one of the little sucker nits survived and hatches we'll catch her! THANK YOU!!!

Unknown said...

You have been a God send in a world of "buy this pesticide" it works! Thank you for your intelligent, calm advice.

I have to say the blow drying just might be the go to. The whole house was infested, except for the older daughter, who routinely blow drys her long hair every other day. The rest of us WERE an "air dry" family. Now we ALL direct blow dry and so far, so good.

Anonymous said...

My 10 to had head lice last week, her stepsister (lives w her dad) had it a few weeks before. I treated myself, my 10 to, and my 3yo. I was shocked to see adult lice on my 3yo a few days later. We treated with olive oil and essential oils (tea tree, lavender) but that didnt work so a friend showed me how to manually pluck them off. I have been doing the wet combing and found four adults and many many nymphs on my oldest, fewer on my youngest, just a few. I wet combed my hair and found 5, 1 adult, four smaller. Thanks for the gear info, I was freaking out a bit but like you say just have to comb, comb, comb till they are gone! Every one we find is one less! Thanks for the reassurance we can do this

Unknown said...

Cathy I couldn't agree with you more. Having a positive attitude when battling head lice is one of the most important things. As a head technician for Simplicety, Cincinnati head lice removal service, I come into contact with many broken moms. Many are angry, crying, depressed, you never really know what you will encounter. Seeing the transformation in the parents attitudes is one of the best parts of my job. Educating them and debunking many myths really gives them a piece of mind. Heck, that's the best part of my job!!

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Anonymous said...

I have a question, and hope you can answer me! I am an elementary school teacher and got lice on the last day (YES!) of school. I have been battling these nasty things for over a month now. I tried the chemical treatments which didn't work. I have now been doing the comb out/wet comb method for 3 weeks today. I am still finding bugs. What in the world?! Is that how it goes? When should I expect to be bug free? Should I give up and try the chemicals or go to the doctor? Please help