How to: Cope with Head Lice
Sunday, October 10th, 2010
Imagine bugs. Right now, imagine them. Tiny creatures crawling all over your skin. They move from you to the chair you’re sitting on to the next person who sits in that chair. There are only a few times that I wished I still lived with my mom, period. This was one of those times. Because when I found out earlier this month that I had nits (or lice eggs) in my hair for the first (I hope, last) time I wanted to call out for my mom. There aren’t that many people who’ll help you pick through every single hair follicle to check for bugs.
Maybe it’s that I lack the comfort of knowing that my mom has made everything better but each time I feel my hair move I think that grown-ass bugs are crawling around on my scalp; each time that I feel my earring move I think that they're in my ears. And every time I go to sleep I dream about them becoming full grown bugs that will eventually control me (think “Men In Black”).
Since being infested I've taken every precaution that I can, but I have long, well-cared for hair, which is the best living environment for lice. I've used the shampoo twice; it doesn't work for me and after extensive online research I see it hasn't worked for many. I've done my laundry five times in the past week (heat kills lice), sprayed and sanitized, but the nits came back. The only thing that I've found that works is to douse your hair with Listerine for two hours (to kill the bugs), white vinegar for one hour (to help get the nits out) and then to shampoo with Suave's Juicy Green Apple scent (even lice don't like that smell), combined with combing.
Once you've had a bug infestation (lice, bed bugs, or any other kind) it's hard to feel comfortable where you live. You can’t help but picture the little suckers coming back and then getting anxious about all of the work involved in getting rid of them. I've made all of my friends let me check their heads for lice. The only thing you can do is try to forget about your fear (it’s a work in progress for me: every time I close my eyes there’s a man dressed as a louse sitting at the corner of my bed taunting me, saying, “I’m gonna get you!” followed by him cackling and then attacking me).
Maybe it’s that I lack the comfort of knowing that my mom has made everything better but each time I feel my hair move I think that grown-ass bugs are crawling around on my scalp; each time that I feel my earring move I think that they're in my ears. And every time I go to sleep I dream about them becoming full grown bugs that will eventually control me (think “Men In Black”).
Since being infested I've taken every precaution that I can, but I have long, well-cared for hair, which is the best living environment for lice. I've used the shampoo twice; it doesn't work for me and after extensive online research I see it hasn't worked for many. I've done my laundry five times in the past week (heat kills lice), sprayed and sanitized, but the nits came back. The only thing that I've found that works is to douse your hair with Listerine for two hours (to kill the bugs), white vinegar for one hour (to help get the nits out) and then to shampoo with Suave's Juicy Green Apple scent (even lice don't like that smell), combined with combing.
Once you've had a bug infestation (lice, bed bugs, or any other kind) it's hard to feel comfortable where you live. You can’t help but picture the little suckers coming back and then getting anxious about all of the work involved in getting rid of them. I've made all of my friends let me check their heads for lice. The only thing you can do is try to forget about your fear (it’s a work in progress for me: every time I close my eyes there’s a man dressed as a louse sitting at the corner of my bed taunting me, saying, “I’m gonna get you!” followed by him cackling and then attacking me).
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