I NEVER thought it could happen to me: Head Lice!

*Sigh*...Yeah, I've always heard of it happening to someone
else.

I always believed that "Black people don't get head lice"
and now I know better.

No, it wasn't ME...it was my youngest, 9-year old daughter.
One of her friends had it and although she says she didn't,
I truly believe that my baby broke one of the "golden rules"
I've always taught my children...NEVER, EVER under any
circumstances put someone else's headgear on, use their
combs or brushes or allow them to do the same with YOUR
stuff.

But nevertheless, however it happened, it happened.

It was a very disturbing experience, to say the
least...seeing those critters crawling in my baby's
head...seeing the nits (eggs) attached to her hair strands.

In case you didn't know, she HAD locks...6 years of growing
them and she loved them dearly...said she was NEVER gonna
cut 'em. But on that dreadful (no pun intended) day...I
had to shave my baby's locks off.

*****A DESPERATE ATTEMPT*****

I wanted to salvage them so I did my research and tried
every (natural) remedy I could. I put together a
concoction of coconut oil, olive oil, neem oil and I even
sprayed an all-natural, non-toxic, orange oil-based insect
spray on her scalp. I covered her soaked hair with a
plastic cap and let it sit for hours!

Then, I washed her hair only to discover, while many of the
lice were dead, some were still alive and the nits weren't
going anywhere with that "strategy".

I knew that one of those combs designed for this sort of
thing with those itty-bitty, tightly-compacted teeth were
NOT going through her kinky tresses even after I cut the
locks but left her new growth.

*****HOW LOW CAN YOU GO?*****

So, I ended up cutting it down virtually to the scalp. She
cried...once I left her presence, I cried...but my baby girl
is strong and she was soon okay with her "loss". But she
*did* beg me to get her a wig...I quickly convinced her
otherwise and got her to agree to wearing ponytail
headwraps from various old t-shirts we had around. She
loves those.

Her hair is growing back very quickly thanks to prayers,
genetics and a rosemary essential oil-infused olive oil
that I've (or rather SHE'S) been applying to her scalp.

In all honesty, I think she looks absolutely ADORABLE with
her low-cut TWA (teeny weeny afro) and I've tried to
convince her of such...we all have! But she is not trying
to hear it...she will go nowhere nor allow anyone (aside
from immediate family) to see her with her "bald head" as
she calls it.

Oh well...she's her own lil' woman...I won't force her.

So, that's what has transpired over the last week here in
the King household!

Thanks for "listening"!

Cherie