Another nits question - your advice please

[Lazylou]

DD has got nits and headlice. It started about a week and a half ago and I dutifully bought some stuff for them. I did what the packet said and got the nit comb out, combing, combing, combing. I couldn't get all the eggs out though (I even resorted to picking them out of her hair myself). The packet said to do it all again in a weeks time, which is today, so have done it and combed her hair a squillion times again but there are some eggs still lurking.

How do I get the eggs out? They'll keep hatching won't they and she'll have headlice for ages? What should I do? She is scrathcing her head so much that there a sore red lumps on her head, as well as spots that have bled. I feel so sorry for her. I have never had to deal with nits before so this is a first experience for me.

Thanks

[Boco]

Nitty gritty! They get the eggs out.

[lljkk]

Get a bright light and keep picking the eggs out by hand in the meantime (not too hard if you have good fingernails and child has fair hair). Comb every day to keep getting rid of live ones. You have to comb and comb and comb. There's no getting away from it.

[Lazylou]

I slapped the nit potion on her head and combed it all for ages. I didn't realise I had to keep doing it . I haven't combed it with the nit comb since last week, except for today when I have de-nitted again.

[snowwonder]

you have to repeat thos every few days for ablout 2 weeks

the nitty griity comb from boots is good although expensive, £10.00, but i felt it was wworth it

i also use boots tea tree conditioner

i hate headlice

[FrannyandZooey]

Please don't use any more chemicals on your dd's head, especially as her skin is broken. They do state that they aren't to be used if there are cuts or abrasions on the head.

Comb every 3 days for at least 2 weeks or until you find no more lice. Wet hair and put conditioner on everytime before you comb. Wet combing is more effective than any chemical and is the safest method.

[missgriss]

I caught nits for the first time ever when I was 18. I have really thik hair and it was a nightmare to get rid of them all. The only thing that really worked for me was combing every day with the nit comb and conditioner. It's very annoying but it works eventually.

[Arriety]

Here is a link that someone else posted on here that is for a nitty gritty comb on prescription

www.nittygritty.co.uk/ng/resources/nittygritty_available_on_prescription.pdf

[Lazylou]

God, I feel terrible now. I didn't realise they were this much hard work. Thanks for all your replies and F&Z I won't use any more chemicals

[JoanCrawford]

Can I just a quick question about nits? Had letter round from dds pre-school to say, nits have been found in one of the children in her class, and to keep a look out.

Now I've been searching through dds hair every night for the past week and not seen anything. She has very thick, very curly hair. I've never seen a nit before.

Are they very obvious to the eye? If I've searched through the scalp for 2 mins (the longest she'll allow me) and not seen a nit, can I assume she hasn't got them?

Sorry for hijack and total ignorance.

tia.

[JoanCrawford]

[Seona1973]

have you been using a nit comb when you are checking your lo as the head lice are very small and you would probably not spot them by using just your eyesight. To detect them your lo needs to have wet hair, preferably with conditioner left on and then you need to systematically check the hair in sections using a nit comb. You need to run the comb down through the hair keeping it in contact with the scalp and then check it after each stroke. I used to sit dd in front of a dvd with a snack to keep her still long enough to do it properly - it can take 10/15 minutes to do properly (longer if your lo has long/thich hair)

[kittyhas6]

They would be difficult to spot on thick curly hair, and even more difficult if the hair is brown.
The best way to check is when her hair is wet and with a nit comb. Nits are very good at hiding when in the hair. You could also look forwsigns of dried blood on her scalp, yucky I knoe and of course if she's itching a lot.
To be honest I always assume that there is a least one child in the class who has nits at any given point. It's easier to do regular checks than wait for a letter from school.

[JoanCrawford]

thanks kitty. DD hasn't been itching thankfully. Will get a nit comb. Is it that common then? Are we talking more than once a year that nits do the rounds? I know you hear about nits but dd is my first and I realise I'm clueless about this stuff. I can never remember having them myself, though that's not to say I didn't.

[Judy1234]

They are much easier to spot on dark hair than on my blonde children. The eggs are white/yellow and look like dandruff but they don't easily come away from the hair - they're stuck on.

You need to soak on whatever chemical you use and let her sleep with it on. In the morning you'll see the bodies of teh insects on the pillow. Then wash it out. That worked for us.

Or use something like Hedrin which is very good.

[Idreamofdaleks]

IT would be unusual to find headlice by looking at the scalp unless your child has a massive and long standing lice infestation - to screen your child you need to soak the hair in lots of conditioner and use a headlice comb like the one from the bug busting kit linked to at the start of the thread. Comb the whole head.

The average infestation is around 10 lice.

The bug busting method never fails in my experience. Just use their combs every 4 days until the infestation is clear and try to get your school to promote the method if you can, otherwise you will have frequent reinfestations. Reception year is the worst in my experience.

[JoanCrawford]

ok, so my initial vision of little flea type things crawling around the scalp is abit off the mark? I'm to look for eggs.

I'm itching just thinking about it.

[Idreamofdaleks]

It is wise to screen your child every fortnight...expect several outbreaks a year...it is true that there are always active heads within any school

[Idreamofdaleks]

Use a louse comb on a wet head with conditioner. After each stroke wipe both sides of the comb on kitchen roll. You will easily see lice if there are any.

[Idreamofdaleks]

You are unlikely to see flea type things crawling on the head because they zap around so fast to hide when the hair is parted!

[Judy1234]

Depends on the stage of the cycle. Usually it's easier to find eggs.

When you say you bought some stuff is that just a nit comb or a lotion too? It is very hard to get them out by combing, almost impossible not to miss one whereas the treatments murder the little fellows and kill the eggs.

It's a controversial issue as to how you treat them.

Also if she has them it is very likely the whole family has so we often had to treat all 5 of us.

[JoanCrawford]

oh, bloody awful. Had no idea . Thanks for helping all

[Idreamofdaleks]

The first time is the worst!

Wet combing is highly effective and the easiest way to screen your child too. Chemicals often don't work. Get the bug busting kit and you will never look back! And its cheaper too

[kittyhas6]

I have found combing to be more effective than chemicals. Even if you don't get them all out in one go them you injure them and they can't lay.