Monica’s Story
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Monica came to Lice Solutions upon the recommendation of her school nurse. She gave the above picture to us so we could use it to show others what can happen if you neglect a case of head lice.
When the nurse first discovered the lice she told Monica there was nothing anyone could do for her – she would have to shave her head and wear a wig until her hair grew back. As any 12 year-old would do, Monica became hysterical. While the nurse was certain Monica’s case was beyond even Lice Solutions’ means, she did, however, make the referral.
Monica’s mother had abandoned the family approximately a year earlier. Dad was left with 3 teenage girls and was clueless. While Monica’s hair length was halfway down her back, in this picture it is not even touching her shoulders. What makes this so remarkable is the fact that NOTHING is holding it up. Her hair was filled with lice and all matted together. Monica could not wear a pull-over shirt and she could not reach her scalp to scratch.
Worse yet, as the picture shows – Monica hated herself and everyone around her. Far greater than the case of head lice was the impact it had on her self-esteem. As part of a needy family, she qualified for free treatment and we did not let the severity of her situation scare us away.
We spent 3 days (11 ½ hours) painstakingly going through Monica’s hair. In the end, we were able to comb the tangles to just below her shoulders and cut the remainder of the matting out. Once the combing was done, we went back through the hair removing the remainder of the lice and nits.
Since then, Monica takes meticulous care of her hair and has excelled both academically and socially.