I don’t know about you, but when I get an email from my kids’ school telling me someone there has head lice, my head starts itching instantly.
My son’s been in school for five years and he’s never gotten head lice. But my daughter has long, flowing locks that probably look like a vacation home to a louse. She likes to try on the dress-up clothes at preschool.  And she’s a hugger. It’s not looking good for us, so I’ve started exploring preemptive measures. It’s all about preventing head lice in my family.
I know there are a ton of head-lice treatments and prevention products out there. Here are three that moms in my area are using and recommending:
Lice Knowing You: Detangler and Conditioning Spray
I recently purchased this at the recommendation of a mom friend who uses it regularly on her three kids. You spray it in your kid’s hair in place of your regular detangler and it helps keep lice away. It’s a little soapy when you initially apply it, but a quick comb-through and it’s gone. The herbal scent is pleasant and there aren’t any weird or scary ingredients, so it’s safe to use every day. An easy first defense for preventing head lice!
LiceGuard RobiComb Electronic Lice Comb
A friend whose daughter has had several bouts of head lice told me about this electric comb that kills nits and lice on contact. You comb through your child’s hair and when the comb encounters a louse or a nit, it zaps it with a tiny electrical charge. There are several different brands of these combs on the market, at varying price points. I haven’t purchased one yet but I’m definitely considering it.
Trader Joe’s Tea Tree Tingle Shampoo
This one was recommended to me by another mom friend who has three kids. She uses it on her kids whenever they get a notice about a lice outbreak at their schools, and so far, so good (they’ve never had head lice). Apparently the little buggers aren’t fond of strong herbal smells and oils like tea tree, menthol and eucalyptus, lavender and rosemary. This is not a tear free formula, so it will be tricky to use on my kids. California Baby offers a tea tree and lavender shampoo for kids that I’m eyeing for them instead. Another option is to add some pure tea tree oil to your family’s shampoos.
I tell my children not to swap hats and hair bands, coats and clothes, but they’re kids, and they forget. So I have to take matters into my own hands and begin preventing head lice now. Otherwise, I might be using my hands to painstakingly comb through their hair (and mine) to find and remove lice. I’m itching just thinking about it.
