To wonder about vegans/headlice

[Fanfeck]

Headlice are unfortunately at the forefront of my hairline mind today and I'm wondering what vegans, or anyone who is totally opposed to the killing of animals do about them?

I'm not one of them, kill them all (lice I mean!) is what I say!

I release them into the garden once I've carefully combed them out.

Nah, just kidding. Sink of hot water. I roast the fuckers.

Has anyone else's head started itching reading this thread?

Surely vegans are against the exploitation of animals? How is removing parasites even vaguely relevant?

It isn't really relevant in all honestly, but I see why people are interested.

We have serious issues with headlice in this house. My 5 yr old dd keeps getting them. Every time i wash her hair (maybe every third day) I go through with nitty gritty comb. If i find any i'll use a chemical product. I follow instructions exactly. We KEEP getting them... Have said it in school - they've put a notice up.

I try to go through hair every day with comb but I don't think this is very effective unless hair is wet? Is there a better way of daily checking?

I'm actually taking her for a haircut tomorrow as we are so sick of them.

I put tea tree spray on every day but its not effective either. And she almost never scratches - they don't seem to bother her. I catch them from her but find myself itching straight away. My boys have longish hair and they have hardly ever got them. Any other tips? My pharmacist friend told me that headlice are becoming resistant to a lot of the chemical sprays....eeeeeekkkkk...

How would combing be any better than chemicals (in terms of animal welfare) - surely they die anyway if you comb them out? unless you plant them on someone else

Expecting a vegan not to get rid of headlice because of their principles is like expecting them not to wash so as not to harm the bacteria on their skin...

The chemical products are an absolute waste of money. Soaking wet hair, lots of conditioner. Comb section by section - nitty gritty will remove eggs too. Repeat every three days to catch any you missed/newly hatched. After two nit-free combing drop to once a week, which is good practise in case they catch them again. There will always be some child at school who doesn't get treated.

Dry combing is a waste of time as they can wriggle away from the comb.

Obviously you do have to draw the line somewhere. Take three examples: humans, cows and headlice. Most people would refuse to kill humans. Most people would be happy to kill headlice. In between you have cows - well, in my view, a cow is more like a human than it is like a headlouse. For me, the obvious place to draw the line isn't between humans and everything else.

Being a vegan means you don't consume animal products, not that you never kill anything for any reason. Unless the vegan is proposing eating the headlice then their diet is irrelevant.

"Subject has been done to death on here."

I've never seen this particular and specific topic discussed on mn in all the years I've been posting here. Even if I had, who asked you to moderate subject matter?
Gets on my tits that does.

I think you have veganism confused with Jainism!

Being vegan means doing as much as you possibly can to avoid animal suffering and environmental destruction. It's impossible to be 100% vegan because of the way food/medication/literally everything is manufactured so it's about doing as much as you can.

All medication has been tested on animals and so is not technically vegan, but myself and every vegan I know would take meds if we needed to. I see nits in a similar vein - I would absolutely comb them out and use treatment if I need to.

Some of DS's friends in school are Jains. I've never checked what they do. I can't imagine how I would start the conversation.
"I am not implying that your son has headlice...err but theoretically if he did get them... what would you do?"
Other mum "what do you mean? My son doesn't have headlice?"

Almond the adults only survive on a host, but the eggs are glued to the hair shaft. So combing without any product that gets rid of the eggs only works until they hatch, and lay more eggs.

I don't know any vegans but the few vegetarians I know don't appear to have a head full of lice, so I assume they deal with them just like a non vegetarian does. Having said that I do know one who gets upset if anyone swots a wasp or fly, haven't asked how they feel about mosquitos though.

Im vegetarian, have been since I was 9, completely against killing of animals however headlice is a bit different imo. We have a knitty gritty comb but once I've got them out they go in the bin and outside where I'm sure they die. My son has headlice twice, both times he has reacted really badly to them so if the nitty gritty comb didn't work for whatever reason I would absolutely use the stuff that kills them.

I don't eat animals

So I won't eat headlice

Wouldn't think twice about getting rid of them though

My diet has nothing to do with creatures that live in my kids/my hair

Have you confused Vegans with Buddhists?

Vegans don't eat animal products. Unless you eat headlice this is a total non-issue. Hint: nobody eats headlice.

Moving you worded it better than me but that's what I was going for!

People always assume I'm some sort of virtuous person who gives a shit... Nooooo, I just don't want to eat things that have been alive. Lol!!!

Headlice are not animals guys! They cause sores and all sorts of nasty infections.
Plus you can't go and get your hair cut until you've gotten rid of them so unless you never get your hair cut, then I would suggest eradicating them somehow.

Damn it, I'm itching reading this thread!!
Here's a picture (googled) to show you what happens if you leave the little bastards.
You're welcome.

Headlice are animals...

You should definitely get rid of them though!