Whether your on the World Race or going on the World Race, you may come across lice. This post is not meant to stress you out but to educate you.
**I am not a doctor. This information is from our experience and advice from the CDC website.
If you get lice?
- Step 1) don’t freak out! You’re not gonna die.
- Step 2) I hope you were nice to your teammates cuz you’re gonna need help
- Step 3) you’re not alone, someone else most likely has it…
- Everybody should check daily until everyone is cleared.
- Do your research…so many people say so many contradicting things about lice
- Example: some say they prefer clean hair some say the prefer dirty…
- buy lice shampoo and a fine tooth nit comb
- Wash hair, let soak.
- Repeat until gone
- **don’t over use products, can be damaging to the hair
- **don’t use different head lice drugs at the same time
- Have someone meticulously comb through your hair.
- Start at top, few strands at a time.
- *warning may take over an hour…
- Wash all bedding and clothes you’ve used in the last 2 days
- Keep checking until gone until cleared for a few days.
- Even if your cleared, you friends may not be…
- If you have a hair straightener or access to one, run through your hair, as close to the roots as possible.
- Kills off nits.
- try this before killing your hair with chemicals and shampoo! Soak your hair in mayo, or listerene and then vinegar.
Lice 101
- Live on hosts
- Can only live 24 hours off a host
- Cannot jump or fly
- Transfer when prolonged contact occurs when someone had it. Through scarves, hats, hair brushes, towels, hugs etc.
- They do not discriminate against dirty or clean hair.
- A loose (the bug) lays 6-8 eggs (nit) a day.
- A nit hatches in 8-9 days.
- A nit looks like a small dot, size of a knot in thread, either white or yellow in color.
- Nit is typically located 1/4 inch off the scalp
- Dandruff vs nit—dandruff falls off when moved.
- Lice (bug) is grayish white color, about size of a sesame seed
- Located often (but not limited to) behind ears and neck line
- Symptoms?—itchy scalp, sores, feeling of movement on head etc.
How to “prevent” lice.
I use that term loosely (pun intended) because their isn’t a 100% full proof method but ways that can help.
- Tea tree oil—it repels
- Limit head to head contact (hugs) or sharing pillows with someone that may have lice or you don’t know too well.
- Wear hats, headbands, or tight braids
- Shave your head or have shorter hair
- CHECK YOUR HAIR BEFORE EVERY TRAVEL DAY! Especially if you were working with kids!
What having lice has taught me…
- How to be nit picky
- That I cherish my teammates solllok much!
- PATIENCE—it takes FOREVER to go through everyone’s hair…
- The best part about having lice, you’re not alone, and everyone who has it becomes a close nit family!
