27 weeks pregnant and my 5 year old might have nits?????!!!!

[KateRaeganandMichael]

This is just as a preventative measure - I haven't found anything yet - although the mere thought of them has made me soooooi itchy - but what can I do - can I use the nit stuff on myself and dd - is there something that isn't laden with chemicals that I can use. I've always heard conditioner/baby oil with a nitty comb works - gah don't know what to do!!!

[FernGullysWoollyPully]

Hedrin can be used in pregnancy.

[appleandblackberrycrumble]

Conditioner and a nitty gritty nit comb. No nasty chemicals, and it's the best thing I've found. I've got 3 long haired DDs (one with long, frizzy hair), so have had to deal with head lice a number of times.

[Earthbound]

Yeas, slather in conditioner and use a nitty gritty comb. Repeat every 2 days for a week. Far more effective than pharmacy treatments.

[MadameJulienBaptiste]

Don't waste your money on hedrin.
nitty gritty comb from amazon, tons of cheap conditioner then comb and comb over and over till no more nits or eggs come off.
repeat every other night for 10 days to a fortnight to properly get rid of any that hatch out of missed eggs after each session.
We've only had nits once since using this method.

[SpeccyBat]

DD (6)has had really bad scalp eczema in the past and I am unable to use anything on her scalp apart from simple shampoo. She has had 2 bouts of headlice since starting school and I've managed to eradicate each one manually, without the need of any lotion. It was painstaking work but one which allowed us both to have some 'down' time - her watching a film while I sat in good light with clips and a comb and a basin of soapy water (to drown the lice and eggs). I had to do it in a mega session (whole length of film) followed by mini sessions every day for about 10 mins to drag out all the nits and eggs. She's totally clear not but I also check every few days in this weather, just in case.

[KateRaeganandMichael]

This might be a stupid question but can I just buy a supermarket bottle of own brand conditioner for this task (should she get them?) don't want to have to fork out on expensive stuff unless I really need to - again it probably is a stupid question x

[MadameJulienBaptiste]

Yes cheapo stuff is fine. Anything to let the comb go through easily and loosen the little buggers grip.
The nitty gritty combs are a few quid but a million times better than those plastic ones especially on fine hair.

[Shootingstar2289]

Nitty gritty combs are the best way to get rid of them I've found. I conditioned and combed mine and sons hair everyday for 2 weeks. It was hard work, he was only 2 at the time (caught them at nursery)

Prior to buying the comb, I tried Hedrin. Used it and thought it was rubbish.

[KateRaeganandMichael]

Okay - thank you ladies for your answers - definitely not going to be using hedrin, chemicals scare me lol x will take your advice and douse myself, Dh and dd in conditioner - I hate all this. I've had a quick check of dd's hair (she is asleep obv so just a gentle sweep with my fingers) and I cant see anything. Just panicked as two of the mums from school sent around a mass text basically saying - Nnnnnnniiiiiiiiiiiittttttttssss!!!!!! - and now I'm itchy and alarmed lol x

[RueDeWakening]

I've got a Robi Comb, which is battery powered and electrocutes the head lice. It's very satisfying to use! When it's on, there's a high pitched whine, which cuts out when it's got one :o

DD had nits the other week, I just used this and it worked fine although I then spent a week using it on myself every night without finding anything

[WinterOfOurDiscountTents15]

I don't understand the connection. You can put what you like on your hair, it doesn't get into your uterus.

[FadedRed]

If you haven't found a live louse then you do not treat. Nit comb and check. No live lice=no treatment.

[KateRaeganandMichael]

winterofourdiscounttents1 - I'm just asking as prevention is better than cure. My dds best friend has them so I think its fairly likely she is going to get them given the amount of time they spend together. Also, I'd rather not use chemicals on my hair, at all, for any reason whilst I'm pregnant - simple. XP x

[MissMartin10]

my little sister has never had nits and shes nearly 8 as my step mum puts a nit deterrent spray in her hair which acts as leave in conditioner.. no harmful chemicals keeps then at bay lol

[FadedRed]

There isn't any proven preventatives.
Using treatments will not prevent infestation, but frequent use can cause sensitivity, which would means that when you do need treatment, your choice would be unnecessarily limited.
Regular nit combing can help to prevent a major infestation, because you will be catching lice before they've had a chance to multiply (much).
Coconut conditioner have been proven by research to have a temporary immobilising effect on lice, which makes the little b*ggers easier to catch with your nit comb.

[Sockmatcher]

www.nittygritty.co.uk/products/52/the_nitty_gritty_comb/

[nocutsnobuttsnococonuts]

I agree with nitty gritty comb. any conditioner is fine.

I now buy cheap conditioner for everyday and I add teatree oil to it, then spray their hair with Hairspray every day and luckily haven't had any since. Before that u only had to say nit and guaranteed dd1 would have them despite weekly combing.

[zen1980]

Just for moving forward for you we use the kids vosene tea tree shampoo an spray conditioner in green bottles. Touch wood it completely prevents them and also from bites! We've used this on my daughter since being I'm nursery an she has never had them. Even when I do her hair in a morning I spray some of the conditioner on.
We've even used the conditioner to prevent bites on holiday works a treat!

[SpeccyBat]

FadedRed, quick question - I managed to grab the 2 live louse (lice?!) on DD's head in my first zapping session but still spent the following few days removing the eggs attached to the hair shaft. They would have just hatched wouldn't they? They'd still need sorting?

Genuine question.

[FadedRed]

Yes Speckybat they take about a week or so from laying to hatching. That's the reason that, if you are using chemical lotions to treat lice, you should do 2 treatment a week apart and comb every few days for at least a couple of weeks around treatments. Although the some of treatments state that they kill the eggs as well as the lice, they are not as effective at killing all the eggs.
Head lice are a PITA.

[SpeccyBat]

Thanks Faded. I must have caught both infestations at a very early stage to have been able to zap them all without lotions. Am sure it's buffered up my eyesight though - those eggs are so small

[SpeccyBat]

buffered?L. Buggered!

[FadedRed]

Well done Speckybat, hope your buffered/buggered up eyesight is better.
It is very possible to clear an infestation by effective combing over a period of time. Doing a throrough comb with conditioner 2-3 times a week for as long as it takes. The eggs are laid on and glued to hairs next to the scalp so are difficult to catch in the nit comb until the hair has grown a little way off the scalp. Because it only takes 7-10 days for the eggs to hatch, and similar for the females to mate and start laying more eggs, combing needs to continue for around a month minimum to get all the eggs and the little live b*ggers, otherwise the cycle just continues.
So it's possible to clear lice without chemicals if you have the time, the patience and a compliant Dc. If you have lots of Dc's who hate having their hair combed, then you're on a hiding to nothing.........

The irritation is not the lice biting but the lice poo causing a sensitivity, and can continue for a while after all the lice have gone. So don't assume the treatment has failed if your Dc is still scratching - look for live lice.

The empty shiny nit cases can persist after treatment until combed out, but only treat if you find live lice.

A few very important points for successful irradiation if using chemicals:
Read the instructions carefully in regard to the length of time the stuff needs to in contact with the scalp, it varies dependant on the product used.
2 treatment a week apart are usually required.
Make sure you have sufficient amount for each treatment, don't skimp.
Don't go swimming in chlorinated swimming pool for a couple of days either side of each treatment and make sure the hair has been washed between the last swimming session and using the treatment. Chlorine can affect the efficacy of some preparations.
If you have been using conditioner after shampooing or for nit combing, then wash hair before using the treatment because conditioner makes the hair 'slippy' (especially the silicone based ones) and can act as a barrier coating between the hair/eggs and the treatment product.
Don't use on water wetted hair unless the instructions specifically say to, as this can dilute the chemical.
Sorry for such a long post, but be grateful it isn't a PP slide set with close-ups!

[HexBramble]

Faded, that's a top post.

A friend of mine is despairing of the almost constant infestations her DD is getting. She treats them regularly so by no means ignoring.

Her DD is a club swimmer and constantly in the pool. Am going to show her your post.

[RawCoconutMacaroon]

Winterofourdiscontent,

Slightly off topic, but various synthetic chemicals and drugs applied topically (ie to the skin/scalp) are absorbed into the bloodstream. Some of these can cross the placenta and accumulate in the baby.

I think it's perfectly legitimate to be a little concerned about that.