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Introducing myself, Shear, a licensed Cosmetologist (hairdresser), and mother to two girls.

Introducing my two daughters, my two most important reasons for treating head lice with the safest treatments available, and speaking out against the dangers many are not aware of involving commonly used over the counter pediculocidal shampoos, as well as prescriptions.

A Brief Diary of My Family's Experience to Date With Headlice

Please, I know this is long... Read it. Your childrens' health may depend upon it. Thier lives could as well.

August 2000

"Uninvited Guests Discovered".

Two children, sisters from our nieghborhood, spent the night in our home. They had headlice. I treated them, as well as my own two children, with a commonly used, over the counter type, headlice shampoo treatment. It worked fine in killing the lice. I spent an exhausting three days laundering blankets, and clothing, as well as treating the rest of our home as needed, but finally the lice were gone.

August 4, 2001

"Super Bugs...Got Any Kryptonite?"

I discovered that a child who'd accompanied my family on a weekend vacation had headlice. I knew that she'd just been treated for headlice prior to joining us for the weekend, in that her mother had informed me of such, stating that she'd used an over the counter type headlice shampoo treatment. After returning home with my family on August 6th, I discovered that the child still had live lice crawling on her scalp. I always keep a lice treatment type shampoo on hand in my medicine cabinet, and therefore, was able to re-treat her immediately. At about 10pm that evening, after her mother had spent at least three straight hours in picking nits (eggs) from the child's hair, I pitched in, and began to assist her. I found yet another a live bug still crawling on the child's scalp. This made it quite clear to me that the lice were resistant to the over the counter lice treatment type shampoos. The mother obtained a prescription for *Kwell*( a very common prescription strength lice killing shampoo), the following day through her child's pediatrician. I also obtained one for my own children. We each used *Kwell* in treating the children and finally, found no further evidence of live lice. The entire episode of clearing our families & homes of the headlice consummed four days of our time, with treating our hair and scalps being the most brief part of the ordeal, about 15 minutes per person.

" Can the manufacturers get away with selling products that are failing the consumers such as *RID*, *NIX*, *A-200* ? Read the news of this recent lawsuit...consumers are demanding to get what they pay for. These companies promise dead lice if we purchase the products. When they don't hold up their end of the deal, they must be held accountable. "

August 19, 2001

"Not Again...Olive Oil?"

Another child, not previously mentioned, spent the night in our home, bringing uninvited "guests" with her, much to my dismay. I found that her case of headlice was quite severely involved. She was very infested with the live bugs, as well as having many nits all throughout her hair. I called her mom, and informed her immediatly of the situation, who then obtained a prescription from her family pediatrician for a prescription type shampoo. I was concerned for my own children, who'd used *Kwell* only three weeks earlier. I worried, knowing that using any of the lice treatment shampoos too often, either over the counter types, or prescriptions, could cause toxic effects. I realized that this time I needed to find other options in curing my children , and I needed to find them quickly. I eventually used olive oil, applied to the hair & scalp, covered with a plastic shower cap, and left on for a minimum of ten hours. It worked wonders in killing all of the lice! After picking out all of the nits from my childrens' hair, my girls were finally cured of the little pests. The complete episode this time took 5 days. In that I had gone through this whole terrible ordeal already just 15 days earlier, when my family & home were finally declared "lice free" once again, I was left with the feelings of complete physical exhaustion.

Why I Now Use Olive Oil & Boycott the Chemical Shampoos

On August 19, 2001, I searched the internet for information in regards to the toxic effects of lice treatment shampoos, prescriptions as well as over the counter types. I spoke with my family pediatrician as well as fellow hairdressers. I found lots of information but it was scattered all over the web. I had to piece it all together to get the facts straight. I also found information I never expected. I read stories written by mothers whose children had died, and others whose children developed cancers, retardation and other devistating side effects due to the use of head lice cures. I cried for these children. I cried for thier mothers. I cried at the realization that thier shared experiences, may have saved my own children. I vowed then to find safe methods of treating headlice. I now keep a big bottle of olive oil in my medicine cabinet, where the lice shampoo once sat, knowing I am ready to win the next battle *SAFELY*.

This website is my contribution in assisting people who have found themselves infected by headlice. I hope to provide the safest & most effective solutions through which others may benefit. I had to search the internet, comparing notes, & putting all of the information found on many websites to find a solution that I knew was the safest, and most effective. I am creating this site so that others can access all of the information available, either provided directly, or by the co-operative linking of this site to other comparative websites. I am a cosmetologist, who understands head lice, the treatments available, and all of the steps needed to completely insure that my family & home are free of lice. I was confused and I am sure many others are as well, if not more so than I. Starting with the basics, and including links to other sites dedicated to this same cause, this site does not recommend *Kwell*, *Lindane*; *Ovide*,*Malathion*;*or *Permethrin* as safe methods for curing headlice. It certainly does not recommend the use of *kerosene*, or *gasoline* or other flammable fluids for the treatment of headlice.