We also adopted Blithe's suggestion of the daily spray of diluted tea tree, lavender and geranium oils. I noticed that the shampoo and conditioner that I purchased last week, before all of this came to light, and which had somewhat reduced my own head itching before all of this began, lists these oils (and chamomile and some others) as primary ingredients. My head is feeling much less itchy these days.
The cats wanted to be in on the fun too. I finally gave in and took Tasha (newly christened to acknowledge her change in status) to the vet today. She has (had) a rampant case of ear mites. Highly contagious among cats, so we must treat all the others, and wash all cat-sleeping blankets in hot water. Like lice, they aren't directly harmful, just live parasitically in the ear of the host -- but they bite and move around, which itches, causing the cat (or dog) to scratch -- sometimes until they bleed, which can get infected and become quite serious.Tasha's visit to the vet cost more than my own visit yesterday to the dentist (no insurance). It stands in my mind as her formal adoption date -- now I just have to summon the nerve to tell her original owner.
I want to rename her to Portia, because it sounds like Tasha, and it is Shakespearean (to go along with my Prince Harry and Hotspur Percy), and because she bids fair to cost me as much as a porsche. But Girl-Child informs me the cat doesn't look like a Portia, but like a Natasha. So I guess we're stuck with Tasha.
In many ways.
Which isn't so bad.
3 comments:
I wish I could remember which ingredient it was, but there are two major kinds of shampoo (maybe someday we'll be able to afford real poo) based on the ingredient list. One kind has (for example) Sodium Laurel Sulfate, and the other has something else. I cannot remember if Sodium Laurel Sulfate is one of the real ingredients or not (I vagely seem to remember that it MIGHT be), but using one of those two is a good way of stopping lice infestations, and helping to prevent future lice infestations, which is a real problem now that the kids are in school.
Ohh, and the other chemical which is found in the other major kind of shampoo is of no assistance what-so-ever with lice. Switching to the other kind of shampoo with the other kind of chemical might not be such a bad idea.
Just FYI
Mister Cellophane
I think you are talking about
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS)
and
Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLeS)
The abbreviations I found online somewhere. I remember back in the '90s, you or Kate saying something about making sure one of those is in your shampoo and it will keep the lice away.
Nowadays, I cannot find anything about that online. I have found that SLS is a foamer, a chemical that makes things foam, and I am one of those people who get canker sores from using toothpaste with SLS in it (it's tough to find pastes without, but they exist).
I don't know which of the substances is supposed to work for lice -- Perhaps it is SLeS because that is a "nitrosating" agent -- that is (I am speculating here) I read that one of the chemicals used in lice meds is something that dissolves their shells, and "nitrosating" sounds like something that might do that. Apparently it's carcinogenic, too. But what isn't, these days?
Anyway, my lovely new anti-itch-producing shampoo has one of those in it (can't remember which at the moment, and it's two floors away, so we'll all have to live with bated breath until I take another shower).
Since they are sometimes both found in the same shampoo, I don't think that those are the two chemicals. The shampoo that Mom uses has Sodium Laurel Sulfate, whereas the shampoo that I'm using (Suave) has Ammonium Laurel Sulfate, which could be the other chemical. From what I remember, they are never found together in the same formula.
With regard to your next shower (hey, YOU brought up the subject), I'll bet the rest of the household is also holding their breath until then.
;)
Mister Cellophane
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