Tell me about nits!

[Smithagain]

There are head lice at DD1's school. We've been fine-toothed combing her hair, and haven't found anything. And she has very fine, blond hair so I think they'd be easy to spot...

But I'm in a permanent state of anxiety every time my own scalp itches a bit. And I suffer from dandruff, so I never quite know whether any white bits in my hair are bits of scalp or "something else". To make matters worse, my hair is very thick, long, curly and well-nigh impossible to comb.

So give me all your headlice-identification tips. How do you tell the difference between nits and dandruff anyway? Part of me would be happier if I did see a little wriggler - at least then I'd know my enemy!

[OggsFrog]

Nits are actually the white empty egg cases of headlice.

Combing is the best method of eradication.

If you had any lice then combing should pick them up.

The first time dd had them we looked at them under a magnifying glass.

(If you pull out a hair and put it next to them they crawl up it really quickly - we spent ages looking at them.)

Now we line them up along the side of the bath and squish them with the edge of the comb

[OonaghBhuna]

the best thing to do is to put conditioner in your hairsand then comb with a lice comb. They come out easiy because the condioner makes the hair slippy. If you have them you will notice the difference between dandruff and nits...:0

[babygrand]

Nits cling to the hair and are much harder to budge than bits of dandruff.

[Twinmummyx2]

The 'live' nits are crawly and fast and look like large grains of sand with legs!! the white bits that are stuck to the hair are the empty lice eggs. Any blackish coloured round bits that are strongly stuck to the hair are the actual eggs that are waiting to hatch.

Keep combing at every hair wash time then you will be able to catch any before the do their worst. They multiply quite rapidly!
You are right they are easier to spot in blonde hair.

Good luck!xx

[Blandmum]

baby lice fart their way out of the egg sac!

(my all time fave head louse factoid!)

You can tell the difference betwee dandruf and nots, the nits are stuck to the hair shaft. If you can easilt dislodge it, it is dandruff, if it stays stick to the hair, it is a nit