If there is one common theme that appears time and time again in the blogs that I read, more than angst with children or uploading photographs it is the curse of the head lice. I have read posts from the UK to The States to Tanzania by parents who are struggling to exterminate the little bastards. Lice have become more prevalent over the years (primarily in girls) both across class and culture for a number of different reasons. Schools seem to have lost their budget for the dreaded “nit nurse”, they also encourage children sit closer together, often in a clump on the floor. In addition parents are failing to do their bit because they are working harder and therefore can’t be arsed to comb their children’s hair quite so regularly and the girls in particular have become more openly affectionate, so hug more and play with each other’s hair.
Today, in “The Times” there is an article about a new way to defeat the enemy. I myself have already proved it to be successful thanks to the advice of a fellow blogger. It is a new product on the market that I mentioned in a previous post called “Hedrin” and it works. Not only does it work but I was delighted to read today that they suffer a hideous demise. Now in general I have Buddhist like qualities when it comes to animals. But with lice? Forget it. I have no sympathy. They simply have to die.
I learnt today that “Hedrin” lotion works on the premise that because lice don’t wee and their faeces are dry they lose fluids through their tracheas. Because It is a silicon based product that is inhaled by lice and forms a plug, they cannot expel any fluids which actually causes them to “explode”. They over-hydrate and blow-up. It doesn’t smell, it leaves your hair lovely and shiny, it is colourless, easy to use and doesn’t involve insecticides.
So hurry up and use it before the little buggers work out a way to release their bodily fluids from a different orifice.
Chris
June 30, 2008Have seen some spectacular “walking heads” in my time but somehow never managed get infected myself!!!. I will take a note of this cure and will remember it for the next school infestation, will have to do it on the q t as everything now days has to be so p c. Will inform the daughter and daughter in law (d.i.l) on a need to know basis !!!
Expatmum
June 30, 2008You know, I wrote a comment somwhere a few months back on how my neighbour had been advised by the Chicago Streets and Sanitation guy (an expert), that the way to get rid of rats was to put down a bowl of coke. Apparently they can’t burp, so they drink this and end up exploding. To say I was piss-taken is an under-statement, and yet this post bears me out somewhat. I will definitely save this information for when the lice come. We have avoided three rounds of it at school so far so the odds are now in favour of us getting it.
Suzysoo
June 30, 2008Wicked! Where can we get it from? I combed another squillion of the things out of my two youngest kids hair last night!!
They are getting them off someone else this time, cos I know and you know that they don’t go from tiny hatchlings to adult in 2 days!
zoe
July 1, 2008I made up my own potion using pure tea tree oil mixed with conditioner, left it in over night and it actually worked.
On the plus side, lice do not like coloured hair or high-lights – so I never got them, thus avoiding the tea tree oil potion.
The Dotterel
July 1, 2008Sally’s school sends very PC-notes informing us that ‘someone’ in her class has head-lice! We then wait wait, and comb and comb and wonder when it’s safe to stop. This new solution sounds a lot less time-consuming!
menopausaloldbag (MOB)
July 1, 2008Dear God – gross!
family affairs
July 1, 2008That’s disgusting – never heard of exploding rats. Yuk.
All the pharmacists seem to stock it – you should be able to find it quite easily.
Zoe. I have done the tee-tree oil stuff before. Its boring. You don’t get to see them explode! They just slowly suffocate.
MOB you’re right, it’s totally revolting Lx
Milla
July 1, 2008fingers crossed, no lice here yet, ever. Have boys but with longish hair. The thought of firework-like lice exploding all over their tiny shiny heads is an image too far. Thank you so much for sharing honey.
A Mother's Place is in the Wrong
July 3, 2008Memories, memories.. Hedrin sounds great, if only we had had it when Daughter got the head lice over and over again.. Luckily neither I nor Son ever got them, but we still had to do the smelly treatment and sleep on old towels. Ugh. M 🙂
PS Exploding rats!! What next?
HER ON THE HILL
July 4, 2008God, wish I’d known about this earlier. I battled with armies of them (and every product on the market) for nearly a year on the three girls (thick long hair – took me nearly an hour a night just to comb the little bastards out and pretty much sent me to the loony bin). A friend finally told me about Hedrin and they were all gone within days! Bloody hell. And you’re right, it leaves your hair SO shiny that I’m thinking of using it as my regular conditioner! I liked the drowning in their own excrement bit too….xxx
Lc
July 28, 2011I have used Hedrin twice on my daughter, and on both occasions it has worked a treat. I find the spray is the most effective form of Hedrin. Fantastic stuff.
treatment of lice
April 3, 2012have used Hedrin twice on my daughter, and on both occasions it has worked a treat. I find the spray is the most effective form of Hedrin. Fantastic stuff.