Please help me get rid of the fleas in my hair! i want to use my dogs flea shampoo, but i'm afraid my hair will fall out. what do i do?
Amanda
Dawn Dishwashing liquid kills the fleas. (07/12/2004)
By Melna
I've never heard of someone having fleas in their hair! wow! you must really have a bad flea infestation! I would suggest vinegar and baking soda or salt, perhaps? (07/12/2004)
By Ann
I suspect they are not fleas. Fleas usually bite around the ankles. It sounds to me more like head lice, which is a common thing, and you shouldn't be embarrassed if that's what you have. You need to have someone check your head. Lice are a lighter brown color than fleas. Lice usually like to stay near the nape of the neck and over the ears. If you have head lice you need to check the other members of your family, and get enough lice shampoo for each one affected. If you don't see the adult lice, you still need to check the back of the head near the neck for little (really little) white eggs called nits. You will also need to check, every day, any other family members who do not seem to be affected. Make sure to wash your hands thoroughly after each time you check anyone's hair. You will need to get a good lice comb with metal teeth -- the plastic ones that come with some of the shampoo kits are not that good.
Wash all your brushes, combs and other hair accessories in really hot water. Wash all the bed linens in hot water, too. Put stuffed animals and nonwashable pillows in a big plastic bag and seal it airtight. I can't remember how many days it takes to choke them out, but there should be instructions in the lice shampoo for most of this stuff.
Hope this helps! We found head lice in our family one year, and we lived through it. You just need to be very careful for about a week and a half. Don't share hats or hair accessories, especially combs and brushes. Make sure to notify any facilities like schools, day cares, etc. They can tell you what their policies are for handling lice cases.
Good luck!
Molly (07/12/2004)
By
sounds like headlice, a really frustrating and expensive pest to rid yourself off. do what molly tells ya and if ya dont have a clothes dryer invest in one. my kids used to drag them home from school and neighbor. after i got a dryer. it hasent happened in years. whithout a dryer its almost impossible to kill out all the eggs in clothing and bed clothes. then a couple weeks later they re hatch. if you are low on funds try smothering your hair in crisco lard or any lard. put on shower cap for a few days . this will smoother them out. takes alot of shampooing to get out. but easy on hair. (07/12/2004)
By paula findley
Been there done that . Use any Dawn or Lemon Joy in shower same as regular shampoo, as an infested head has likely spread to other regions as well.
By Linne Dodds
Oh Thank God! Someone else with the same problem. I have spent so much money the past couple weeks tring to get rid of fleas. And they must be getting desperate for places to go cause I found 2 in my sons hair when we woke up this morning. And they are definately fleas. I have 3 boys and know what lice is believe me. In a last ditch effort I came out here looking for help and ideas. (08/05/2004)
By
Try using one of those flea combs then try using dish soap like Dawn. You could even try putting a safe chemical for your hair like a treatment for dying your hair that might kill the fleas. I highly doubt it was a flea though. Also try your doctor. He can check and tell you what it is and give you a solution for it. (08/07/2004)
By Melissa
These are fleas, not lice. Lice shampoo does nothing to these beasts. Both my daughters have them in their hair, and it all started when one of our cats got out of the house, became infested, and was let back in. My daughters both slept with the cat after she came back in the house (even after they were told not to). We no longer have the cats, but we're still fighting the fleas. We have used flea shampoos, and it gets rid of them for a while but the little beasts keep coming back.
By Tara
Add a few drops of eucalyptus oil to your shampoo. Peppermint oil is also a natural insect repellent. Borax around the house helps, too. Once rid of them from hair, you may have to ultimately use an insect bomb in your home as a last resort. (08/18/2004)
By Alex
The dishwashing detergent has worked!!!!!! Thank you for the fantastic advice!!!!! Yippie!!!! (08/31/2004)
By Cont. from yesterday.
Chicago's infested too, and it makes me sick. In my 30 plus years as a dog owner I've never had fleas till now. I'm so sorry for the loss of your dog. I've done alot of research over the last two days, and here's what I've learned: Fleas are nasty pests, and it takes nothing short of a war to get rid of them. They can swim, crawl, and jump their way in and out of every thing. They can attack ANY furry animal, and sadly, they can kill a pet. Your pet can develop flea bite anemia, flea bite alergies, and tapeworm (fleas carry tapeworm eggs), and all of these can kill your pet. Go to http://www.hartz.com/Our%20Products/SearchResults.asp for a variety of articles about fleas.
Get the proper medication for your pets from the vet. If you've used anything to treat them, let the vet know.
Regarding you home, bomb it with Zodiak Fogger (use as directed). Throw their beds out in a tightly tied plastic garbage bag with a shot of rubbing alcohol. If you vacuum, discard of bags immediately after use (same as you did with the pet beds). Either flush or discard of fleas picked off of your pet in a sealed plastic bag. They will crawl out of the garbage. Remove sheets, comforters, etc... Take your mattresses off of their frames just incase any eggs have been laid there. Get every area your pets have been in. And don't forget to treat the outdoors around your home.
As for your hair, well, I'm not sure, but I wish you well. (09/18/2004)
By Disgusted in Chicago
Just letting you know that using dog flea shampoo on yourself will not hurt anything. Pick one that smells good! We usd to live in an area where children frequently got head lice, and as a preventative, I would have my kids use dog shampoo occasionally to prevent or kill head lice, it will also take care of fleas in your hair. Fleas are very tough to get rid of because the eggs lay dormant and keep hatching out, you will have to spray year after year. Heat also kills them, hot water, a clothes dryer, a blow dryer for your hair, steam cleaning the carpets, spraying the yard with permethrin. Good luck! (10/20/2004)
By supermom
Whoever said you can't have fleas in the hair doesn't know what they are talking about. My daughter was sent home from school with head lice (or so they thought) and after 1 month of treatment everyday (everyone in the house was treated) I finally had to take her to the doctor cause she was not allowed to go back until she was rid of the bugs! The doctor took 1 look - said your daughter does not have head lice nor did he even think of them. She had it at all she had infestation of fleas! He told me how to get rid of them - that was 4 years ago - never ever had a problem since.
Fairly easy too - take lysol spray your beds floors EVERYTHING! Vacuum Spray Again Wash Your Clothes, Beds, Pillows, Toys, Everything In A Shampoo They Make For Humans - BY Paul Mitchell (it has tree tea oil) (normally sold at salons) or use Head & Shoulders on all of your clothes.
Make a Mix of -lemon juice, vinegar and tea tree oil! (make it by the gallons in milk jugs.) Use it on the floors through your floor cleaners, in your washers in and on everything, heads, rugs, vehicles, outside beds soak them heavily! When everthing is soaked washed and still wet spray with lysol.
Then repeat once a month for at least 3 months straight then you will be flea free! I keep at least 3 to 5 gallons of this and use it every once in a while (my hubby can't stand the smell but I just spray the Lysol green apple spray on top. He doesn't mind that. He even helps so he can get to the green apple scent faster! As far as dogs & cats go, this is a great mix for them with 1 change NO LYSOL SPRAY & NO RINSING. Dump a mix on them, the doctor told us to mix lemon juice (pure as you can get ) into soft dog food at least once every 3-4 weeks - seems to work great. No fleas! I have also found they sell the imitation to paul mitchell at local dollar stores - use a little more in the mix it will work just the same! Hope this helps someone. It was one of the best things a doctor has done for my family! (We have an outside dog as well no fleas on him either!) (10/28/2004)
By JAWSmomof5beentheredonethat
I am a mother of three, so I know what lice are. I am telling you people who think you can't get fleas in your hair. Get real. We know what the differences are and YES you can have fleas in your hair!!! Try lemon juice one day and viniger the next-full strength - it worked for us. About a week or so should do it. GOOD LUCK! I know it's a headache! (12/10/2004)
By tracy
We had a bad flea season a year or so ago, my daughter copped bites all over her body. She was even accused of having scabies. I had to bomb the house with a bunch of those flea bombs before it stopped. I tried everything before resorting to that, yes even flea shampoo. I used it on myself before trying it on her. So far this year it's not been bad, a couple of times I've had in my clothes biting as it moved. Did bomb the house the other day because we found some dangerous spiders inside. (12/12/2004)
By Cheryl
I had a flea problem in my hair . . . . I moved in with a roommate that had cats with a flea infestation. I used the cats' flea shampoo. It seemed to work, but it kind of made me a little nauseated. (02/04/2005)
By Cynthia
Yup...my daughter gets fleas. I have 5 kids and they only prefer this one girl the most, and then her brother. The rest of us don't get bitten. But my poor daughter gets attacked! She had her first infestation at age 1 1/2. I got them out with a lice comb and we still have to be VERY clean around our house and yard to keep it under control. In fact, life sucks around this time of year for us. No enjoying the spring and summer...just trying to not get attacked by fleas!
(03/22/2005)
By guest
Try shampooing regularly with Head & Shoulders Shampoo. It has the same ingredients as Lice treatments but MUCH cheaper & easier to use. It is the perfect solution for headlice, maybe it will work for the fleas too.
. (04/02/2005)
By Darween
Use dawn dishwashing soap....it also cleans shampoo residue off your hair...it makes hair really shiny...don't use it too often can strip essential oils off hair use it no more than once a month (05/13/2005)
By Rhonda
There is a difference between lice and fleas. Lice are flat and move through your hair to avoid light. Fleas are darker reddish brown and jump. I know my daughter came home with lice and no matter what we did we couldn't get rid of them until I bought a bottle of tea tree oil at Walmart and added it to her shampoo and used it on her every time she bathed and she hasn't had lice since. There are a lot of helpful hints that don't require pesticides that I am going to try becuase our house and the town itself is fighting fleas really bad because the weather isn't cold enough to kill the insects over the winter months any more. Good luck and remember everyone has problems like this whether they admit it or not. (06/03/2005)
By Tisha
I found my hair itching like crazy and have a supply of homemade lye soap from down south. I washed my hair with a bar of this soap, then rinsed my hair out with water till clear, followed by a rinse with apple cider vinegar.
now, I am going to give a my cat a rubdown with some vinegar diluted with water.
I ususally feeds her a capful of cider vinegar in her drinking water...got to start it up again, but now I need to trap up some these fleas that I can see every now and then. (07/23/2005)
By pat
Humans can get fleas. My daughter had waist length hair and fleas. Big difference between fleas and head lice. After cutting a foot off her hair, in a last ditch effort I used kerosene oil. Smells awful but works like a charm. That was 4 years ago. (08/02/2005)
By shelly
i can not get rid of the fleas in my daughters hair, have tried everything but they come back. i have used head & shoulders as recommended, alcohol as recommended, tea tree oil as recommended and many other home remedies to no avail. any other suggestions. thanks (08/07/2005)
By Lynda
I don't know about girls I am just tryin this, but for boys with short hair, try Johnson & Johnson Lavender Baby Oil. Fleas don't like the smell. (08/19/2005)
By Jenn
If you've tried everything and still can't get rid of whatever is bothering you, call in the professionals. Go to a doctor or to the health department and get checked. They can tell you for sure what it is. They also have more powerful solutions available. If you have tried the commercial OTC products and you aren't getting results, then be sure to tell them that.
Don't suffer needlessly. I agree that home remedies are a good solution when they work, but sometimes they just don't do it.
Also make sure to wash all your bedding and clothes and dry them well in a dryer. It is the dryer that kills the bugs infesting your hair. Make sure everything gets good and hot before you take it back to wherever it belongs. If there are other members of your family, treat their things too. It is virtuallly impossible to live in the same house with an infested person and not get infested yourself.
Spray your mattress and pillows (if they can't be washed) very well with a commercial spray designed to kill lice and/or fleas. Do this while the bedding is in the washer. Vacuum all floors, especially carpeted ones, every day for at least a week. Remove the bag and take it outside to the trash immediately when you're finished. The vacuum will pick up the pests, but it won't kill them. Also consider using eucalyptus oil to prevent reinfestation. They hate it.
Also soak your combs and brushes in an insecticidal solution made with water and some of the insecticidal soap that is sold OTC. Better yet, discard them and replace them. If you do throw them out, do something to help prevent someone from getting them out of the trash and using them.
If you live in an area that has bad lice or fleas, be sure to check all members of the family daily and wash everything frequently. Use a dryer. Put tea tree oil in the shampoo. Vacuum daily.
Denise (09/24/2005)
By Denise Roche
Oh yes you can get fleas in your hair! I've seen it. It just isn't common.
Denise (10/09/2005)
By Denise Roche
I`m having this problem with my daughter and it`s driving me CRAZYYYYYYYYYYY. The day care director keeps telling me she has lice. I had her to the doctor and he said no lice. Everytime they or a parent sees her scratching her head they check her. Vet said in his 30 years of practice he has never heard of fleas in someones hair. We are frustrated. We bathed her last night and used flea shampoo. Going to try the dish soap route as I`ve seen mentioned on here. Also mayb the tea tree oil. (02/23/2006)
By Judy
Go ahead and use the flea shampoo. My daughter is 5 and we use it on her. Just remember to use conditioner with it. We do it about every other week. We seem to have them under control. (03/23/2006)
By Judy
I found the answer!! After trying EVERYTHING under the sun AND moon, only two products actually work--and even they take a while!! This is a VERY long, drawn-out process. Fleas are unbelievably tough to get rid of -- once they infest your body.
1. I used Kleen-Free (bought it from Natural Genesis, in Tennessee) and De-Flea Concentrated Shampoo. I mixed a very strong solution of Kleen-Free (3/4 Kleen-Free and 1/4 water) and sprayed myself day and night. It contains enzymes, one of which is protease...which "digests" proteins....which is exactly what fleas (and all other pests) are made of. Humans are protein also--so be careful to not overdo it if you have sensitive skin. I usually wash it off the next day.
2. De-Flea...I tried the regular shampoo, but decided to use the concentrated form. It is very potent too, and will sensitive your skin as well. But, between the two, you will definitely get to them. It might take a while--it is NOT an overnight process. AND--sometimes you think they are gone and feel that you are out of the woods...don't believe it!! Keep using it every day for at least 2-3 weeks AFTER you stop feeling them. ANd then...continue to use it every other day...etc., etc. Wean yourself, so to speak. DO NOT mix these products together--I don't think that will work!
I also sprayed down my mattress and then used a new vinyl mattress cover every weekend (they lay eggs, which take 1-2 weeks to hatch).
Good luck to you all. I went thru' a VERY tough time, and even cut off all my hair -- to about 1/2 inch long. These creatures LOVE, LOVE, LOVE hiding in your hair. (05/18/2006)
By JC.
In my earlier feedback I mentioned using De Flea Concentrated Shampoo...just wanted to add: When I used it, I did NOT mix it with water, as stated on the container. Again....they are EXTREMELY difficult to get rid of, so I used it full force!! (I paid no attention to the "warning" on the bottle...I called the company and asked why they had a warning on the bottle since the only ingredients were natural...and, as usual, the FDA forced them to put it on!!) If you really STICK with the De Flea (every day you need to spray it all over your body and let it dry...and in your hair for about 10-15 minutes before washing out) you WILL get results. It is probably best to keep your hair VERY short - for best results. Good luck to all!! (06/19/2006)
By JC
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