School-Aged Children
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Lice in school - question
Pictures online do not satisfy me. Lice on the scalp is not going to look like major dry skin patches and will not come off easily, correct?
Awaiting a call back from the doc.....
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Re: Lice in school - question
I just went to see "the lice lady" speak at a PTA meeting.
She had real lice (dead, under plastic contact paper). They looked nothing like what I thought. They were reddish-brown and VERY tiny. So, nothing like dandruff flakes. I could see the legs with my naked eye (although they were very tiny).
She suggested getting a fine-tooth comb, showering your child, putting in conditioner, and then combing through your child's hair. The conditioner will not kill the lice, but they will "slow them down" so as they move they are easier to see. After you have combed, wash out the conditioner.
Also, they tend to hide at the nape of the neck and behind the ears.
The nits (eggs) look like tiny eggs, but they are not pure/snow white (at least not the ones she had) they were more off-white. The nits do not come off easily - you need a lice comb (metal fine tooth comb, but it needs to be a lice comb, not just any comb).
Also, this woman was against Rid, etc. She was against all pesticides. She said putting crisco in your child's hair at bedtime, then putting on a bandana (so it doesn't get everywhere) is just as effective as Rid. That kills the bugs (not the nits, but Rid doesn't kill nits, either). Then nit-picking with a nit comb.
Your post is confusing. Are you saying you suspect that your child has head lice based on school picture proofs online?
If your child has lice, you will see what look like very small bugs in the child's hair and perhaps on clothing. Lice are brownish; kind of hair-colored, not white or black. They blend in. Sometimes there aren't many living lice in the child's hair. However, you'll see their eggs, or nits, stuck to the hair shafts.
Nits are much tinier than lice and are also hair-colored. They are attached to the hair shaft and they won't easily shake or brush off. They are teardrop shaped and tend to point down, along the hair. You might see LOTS of nits.
A child with lice might feel itchy and scratch his or her head, which could cause flaky or irritated patches, but lice themselves don't cause flaky patches.
If you have to deal with a head lice infestation, check out the CDC's website about lice. Don't rely too heavily on rumor or on the instructions on the Rid or Nix shampoos. Also, school nurses are excellent sources of info about how to handle lice.
Your post is confusing. Are you saying you suspect that your child has head lice based on school picture proofs online?
You're kidding me, right?
To be more in depth....
A letter came home from school.
It said a case of lice has been found.
I look through my childrens hair.
I see dry skin - resembles cradle cap.
Not knowing what lice look like, I look at pictures online.
I was not sure based on what I saw online. The pictures showed what they look like magnified.
I call the doctor.
I leave a message.
I posted a synopsis here assuming the specific detail was not necessary.
Bad me.
<bent over and ready for a spanking>
She misread your post. But coming back at her in such a manner when you're asking people for help, which she did give you? Poor form.
No. I'm not kidding you. I also wasn't being mean, bi-otchy, or sarcastic... as you were in your reply.
It was unclear from your post whether the pictures you were referring to were of your kids or of lice. You failed to mention in your OP that you had gotten "the lice letter" from the school. Dropping in one more sentence with that very important fact would have worked wonders to clarify your situation.
Nonetheless, as Tonya G said above, I still managed to give you what I thought was an informative and helpful reply. And you came back with flames. Wow.
I understood the OP's post, and I also understood her update.
You ladies need to get a sense of humor!