This post is brought to you by Sanofi Pasteur. All opinions are my own.
Today I’m going to talk to you about something that most parents with young children don’t want to talk about, let alone think about…
Head Lice.
You know, those pesky little bugs that make you want to scream expletives at the mere thought of your kids coming home with them?
My daughter has had the misfortune of having head lice twice since she began school. The first case I can’t entirely blame on school because she caught the little buggers after a weekend trip away — the culprit was most likely the bed of the hotel where were staying at (which was nice, by the way!). Since this was my first bout of head lice as a parent, I tried to go the natural route and used every home remedy in the book to get rid of them. No dice.Â
The second time around she most definitely caught head lice from a classmate at school. I went straight out to buy an over-the-counter treatment. The whole process was, quite simply, gross. After applying the solution, you have to use a fine-toothed comb to remove dead lice and nits (lice eggs). Â After ten days, you repeat the process again. We eventually got rid of the lice after two treatments and what felt like hundreds of brushes with the little comb. I had to use the comb with hair conditioner to remove the dead lice long after the treatment was finished, too. It was horrible — I’m crossing my fingers, toes, and everything else that she never comes home with lice again!
If there ever is a next time, I’m skipping the over-the-counter options and calling my daughter’s doctor for a prescription of a new topical head lice treatment called Sklice. Sklice Lotion is different than other treatments because it’s a one-time, 10Â minute application, and there is no need to comb lice and nits out of the hair once the lotion is rinsed out — though you could if you wanted to. Sklice Lotion is FDA approved for use on children 6 months of age and older.
Head Lice Tips
In addition to talking to your doctor about prescribing Sklice topical head lice treatment (and printing out this money-saving coupon), it’s important to take precautions to prevent the spread of head lice to other family members at home. Here are some steps recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:
- Avoid head-to-head contact while playing with other children, whether at school, on a playground, or during sports activities.
- Don’t share combs, brushes, hats, scarves, bandannas, hair bands, ribbons, barrettes, or towels — anything that goes on the head.
- Wash bedding, clothing, and towels used by anyone with head lice in hot water and tumble dry in a hot dryer for 20 minutes.
- Do not use pest sprays or fogs in the house. They are not needed, and they can be harmful if they are inhaled or get on the skin.
- If there’s a lice outbreak at your child’s school, you may want to say no to sleepovers for a while, since lice can live in bedding, pillows, and carpets that have recently been used by someone with head lice.
Sklice Lotion should be used in the context of an overall lice management program. You can find more information, including directions for use and possible side effects, at www.Sklice.com.
Has your child ever had head lice?
