Lice 2 months ago -back?

LegacyUser

Hi there, I successfully treated headlice a couple of months ago, I posted here about it because I had been in so much shock.

Now I'm itching again, I have dandruff anyway but there are bites on my scalp and incessant itching at times. I've looked for them, combed for them , done everything to find them but there's nothing in my hair! It's driving me nuts. I am going mad thinking I am filthy, it's affecting how I feel about myself...

I can't find anything so what should I do? Run a treatment again? It was so embarrassing having to buy the lotion in the first place, and leaving it on for 12 hours ruined my weekend...

I do not know what to do please could someone advise me?

shinikins

Your going to have to buy a treatment again, i'm afraid! I know its terribly embarrassing to ask for one, maybe you could go to a different chemist and tell them its for your child? And for after you've treated your hair, invest in a shampoo that has Tea tree oil in it, or a bottle of Tea Tree Oil. Its a pretty good deterent for the nasty little beggers, and a bonus is it makes your hair lovely and shiney.

Was all your bedding and clothes in a very hot wash, and don't share hairbrushes with ANYONE!!

LegacyUser

Hi thanks for the response... I rang the pharmacist who told me that once I have successfully performed a wet-combing technique and that if it has resulted in nothing being found that maybe I am just suffering from an itchy scalp rather than from another outbreak...

I am not short of calling a pharmacy, asking for them to bag two lotions for me and I'll use a name when I come in , so they can just be ready when I get there.

astra2000

Hi op firstly there is no need to be embarrassed some people seem to catch them more easily than others,chemists are so used of selling this lotion they dont bat an eyelid. This time when you treat your hair repeat again a week later, after this comb through your hair after washing it on a weekly basis with a fine tooth lice comb this way you will catch it at an early stage and it is easier to get rid of.
Are you sure it is head lice? if you have combed through using a fine tooth comb you should really have found evidence of them. Have you changed shampoo/conditioner? It might be an idea to speak with your doctor maybe your dandruff is a skin infection. Best of luck

LegacyUser

Hey OP, I've worked in a pharmacy for the last ten years, we sell these things many times every single day, we dont even notice them, there are far, far more embarrassing things that people have had to ask me for or about over the years.

If the problem is you think the pharmacy people will talk about you, or judge you or something, not to be harsh, but we really dont care tbh, we dont even give it a first let alone a second thought, we're there to help people out and offer advice where needed, and we never ever discuss customers outside of work, its the number one rule, so seriously, put this into perspective for yourself... no-one is hurt, no-one is sick, no-one is dying... you 'maybe' have some head lice, which every single person on the planet has at some stage in their lives.

As your pharmacist advises carry out a wet comb, if you find nothing, repeat the process again in a few days, if you again find nothing, well then your clear.. happy days! and then just try an anti dandruff shampoo thats anti itch too good luck OP.

dudara

OP - it sounds like you're being a little "mental" right now - by that, I mean that you could be imagining the lice on your head and causing all this itching.

I got a really bad dose of head lice when I was 13 and to this day, I start to scratch my head whenever someone even mentions headlice. It's absolutely amazing the effect that even the idea of headlice has on me.

Look for the signs - the little white eggs near the roors of the hair etc. If you have them, then do get treatment. If you don't have them, then try to relax.

Daisy Steiner

OP I feel your pain! It's a long time since I had head-lice but as Dudara said above, I immediately feel all the symptoms as soon as someone mentions the nasty wee buggers!

It's no consolation but they go for clean hair, I think though, that if you've been through your hair with a fine tooth comb and had no sign of them that you should be ok and you are just suffering from the aftermath of the ordeal!

When I had them I was involved in a stage show . . . we all got them through rehearsing so much together . . when we were under the roasting hot lights the lice were going mental :eek: literally running up and down our heads. But, the show must go on!

Best of luck and don't worry, you'll get over this.

up for anything

Like Emilie said, pharmacy staff don't really give a toss what you buy and won't be sniggering and laughing behind your back. Once you have children you may find yourself in and out on a regular basis discussing the pros and cons of each lotion. Primary school teachers are probably the biggest buyers of head lice treatments and are beyond feeling humiliated. Could your mother or someone who has dealt with it before check your hair for you? It's always easier for someone else to do the conditioner comb and check routine especially if they know what they are looking for.

From experience I found either Full Marks or Hedrin the best treatments and both have the benefit of not containing pesticides. It is essential to do another treatment 7 days after the first and if you are paranoid it does no harm to do a third after another 7 days. This has the benefit of clearing out the louse from the teeniest egg that survived the initial treatments and combing.

The reason you may be scratching is that if you were sensitive to the lotion you used (especially the ones containing Malathion) you could have an extra dry scalp now. I know my daughter developed the most awful scabby dandruff when she was ten and pretty much over the head lice stage and I put it down to the Malathion. After trying all the usual dandruff shampoos and treatments we found the only one that worked and it worked on the first wash was Head and Shoulders Intensive Treatment shampoo in the dark blue container and we can only ever get it in Boots. After using it for a couple of months as her main shampoo, she only used it every four or five washes after that for about a year for maintenance and didn't need it after that. If you are sure that you are lice free, that may be the way to go.

Good luck with it and above all don't be embarrassed.

Darthhoob

you dont NEED treatment to get rid of lice, just bog standard conditioner left in for a few mins (like you do anyway) then a combthrough works well enough imo (repeat it for a week -10 days)....having kids at school we get them quite often as alot of parents just dont bother to check their childs hair!

Lice are a natural problem though, nothing you can do to stop getting them really it's a bit taboo but honestly pretty much everyone i know has had them at least once! parents of school kids have to check for them about once a week just to stay on top of it...it's not pleasant but nothing to be embarrassed about.

if you do go to buy treatment please do not feel embarrassed, you get all sorts of treatment from the pharmacy...arse cream, feminine hygiene products, scabies treatment ...all sorts and you wont be the first nor the last to have bought them...pharmacists themselves would have needed them at some point.

giving yourself a normal combthrough doesn't often come up with egg/lice unless you are infested i advise you use some conditioner and then do a comethrough with that and see if there is anything.

ofc it could all be in your mind, i've had that too....my son had them bad once and i got like 4 out in one sweep of a dry comb :eek: so shoved him in the bath and sorted it and there was loads of them...ofc have to check family too and OH had some...i didn't but i had long hair and it was a pain to check lol. i've cut my hair short now just so can check easier :rolleyes: and still nothing...but i itch like crazy at the thought of it (scratches head :pac:)

LegacyUser

I second what the above poster said about the conditioner. Just leave it in for ten minutes, and use the fine comb to comb out.

I've a child in primary school and I'd say he gets them 2/3 times a year, and I get them from him (I'm female with long hair). You always notice when the boys heads have been shaved that there's been an outbreak!

No clue why you'd be embarrassed about it OP.

No need for embarrassment at all - I've bought every product under the sun to treat them, and NONE of them work better than normal conditioner. I've had chats across the counter to loads of pharmicists, all about their own kids getting them too.

And now I'm scratching........!!

Billiejo

anonitch wrote: »

Hi there, I successfully treated headlice a couple of months ago, I posted here about it because I had been in so much shock.

Now I'm itching again, I have dandruff anyway but there are bites on my scalp and incessant itching at times. I've looked for them, combed for them , done everything to find them but there's nothing in my hair! It's driving me nuts. I am going mad thinking I am filthy, it's affecting how I feel about myself...

I can't find anything so what should I do? Run a treatment again? It was so embarrassing having to buy the lotion in the first place, and leaving it on for 12 hours ruined my weekend...

I do not know what to do please could someone advise me?

This is a reactionary response- not read any other comments.
If you have combed and found nothing - then there is nothing.
Sometimes after 'been once bitten' so to say, and if it had such a detremental effect like you say it did then the continued itching could be psychological. Alternatively if you used a lotion you may have had a reaction.

Just use a simple 'dandruff' shampoo and if no relief then see your GP.

Treating lice is a 7 day cycle. Use lotion to kill lice (crawleys) but wont touch pregnant eggs = nits. Do not us a a hair dryer or go swimming.
Use lotion again 7 days later to catch & kill the pregnant eggs.
Otherwise one stays reinfected

LegacyUser

If the pharmacist even thinks about it, s/he'll probably think you're buying it for a youngers sister/brother or for your child. Kids get them all the time at school. Nothing shameful in it!