The dreaded nits

[LunaLoveg00d]

My 10 year old has been complaining of an itchy head for a few days, have checked her all over and found a grand total of 3 nits. We are both sitting here with Lyclear plastered on our heads and I will be doing the combing thing every day for the next week! I'm not itching but the last thing I want is little crawlers in my hair.

I haven't gone through this nits thing before and am clueless - thinking 3 nits is probably quite a mild case? What do I need to do with bedding and pillows? Have washed hair brushes in hot water and Fairy liquid, do I need to bleach/bin them???

[dementedpixie]

Nits are empty egg cases and the creepy crawlies are lice. Why have you treated yourself, did you find lice in your hair too? Use conditioner and comb every few days for the next 2 weeks as well as well as repeating the other treatment after 1 week so as to break the lice life cycle.

You may wish to wash bedding/pillow cases but it's not really required. Remove hair from brushes and don't share them, no need to bin them

[LunaLoveg00d]

I thought we all had to be treated - like you do with threadworms...

[Flumpsnlumpsnstuff]

No only if you find them! But tbh chances are you both had them !
Live lice are evil bastards that get everywhere so I would wash everything then burn it all, burn down the house and move and you will be fine ! Until next week when the come back wit their mates nothing to worry about and certainly no reason to start stealth treatment of visiting kids do it

[dementedpixie]

You're only supposed to treat if live lice are found on your head. You may or may not have had them. Dd is the only one who has had them in our family and ds has never had them

[LunaLoveg00d]

I haven't found any on me after combing. Found one more on DD which makes a grand total of 4.

I think we've done really well to avoid them up until now, we get regular "there has been a reported case of nits in your child's class" letters and none of the kids have been affected until now.

DD is fine about it, apart from when her Dad told her the only cure was a number 3 buzz cut all over.

[sadie9]

I used to do the treatment again 3 or 4 days later to make doubly sure, because they can (usually) come back if you don't.
And comb everyday and check for live ones by rubbing nit comb on the white tissue.
Are you sure there aren't any eggs (they look like grains of sand that don't brush away, google for good measure) stuck to the hairs near the roots. 3 seems a very low number for creatures that can reproduce literally in 1 day.