Curly girl and nits!

[MsSampson]

Sorry if this isn't strictly a style and beauty question, but this is how I first learnt of the curly girl method, so thought I'd try here first.

DD has just started school, and I've been dreading this moment, but she's just been sent home with a nit comb. I'm not sure if she has them (no itching, and I've had a quick look and can't see anything), but she has incredibly thick and very curly hair, and I can't imagine we're going to get the nit comb through her hair very effectively.

We follow the curly girl method, no sulfates or silicones, and in fact we only condition it, no shampooing. Seems to work well. No dry brushing either.

Does anyone have any experience of nit combing and/or treatment for very curly hair?

[AuldAlliance]

I have thick, curly hair and have, on several grim occasions, caught headlice from my kids. I just use the combs with silicone-free conditioner, grit my teeth and get on with it. For your DD, I'd avoid where possible the chemical treatments as loads of them are silicone-based, and wet her hair, apply as much conditioner as reasonable, and then comb as carefully as possible.

[MsSampson]

Thanks Auldalliance. I'm a bit worried about just getting the nit comb through her hair - it's going to need some serious bribery I reckon.

[AuldAlliance]

I fear you may be right.
My DSs have thick, but straight hair. I find that they seem to get more sensitive to pain as a combing session goes on, so you might need to take little breaks now and then.
Mine are allowed to play on the Ipad while I de-louse them...

[Thisismynewname123]

My dd has long, thick, curly hair. She had recurrent nits one year a few years ago. She about 5/6. It was a nightmare! No easy way around it. I worked my way down to the nit comb. Start with brushing wet with loads of conditioner, then a thick comb, then the nit comb, which would only go through in really tiny sections (and because it's so long, rarely from top to bottom without catching midway because of the curls). Since then, during term time, her hair goes in tight plaits when it's washed and the plaits stay in until it's next washed (usually twice a week) to avoid going through the pain again. It seems to have worked so far. She hasn't had nits since.

[imjessie]

Get a nitty gritty comb and use prevention rather than cure . When the conditioner is on then run the comb through to see if there are any . I have thick curly hair and the bit stuff ruins it . It takes weeks to recover .. I dread it !

[MsSampson]

The nitty gritty comb looks terrifying!! I am on it tonight anyway, straight after school. My head has started itching - I'm hoping it's auto-suggestion... Does tea tree oil help at all? Someone also told me that coconut oil was good, but I was a bit sceptical.

DDs hair isn't long enough for two plaits that could stay in between washes unfortunately - we just had it cut shorter to make it easier to manage, but that probably makes the nit thing worse as it's now flopping in her face a bit. Maybe I'll start sending her in in a swimming cap

[MsSampson]

I've answered my own coconut oil question through the power of google - just as reference if anyone stumbles upon the thread in the future! www.bustle.com/articles/80368-can-coconut-oil-treat-lice-this-might-be-the-one-thing-the-miracle-product-cant-do

[FoddyWaddle]

For prevention we use tea tree oil. I put a few drops in to water and spray all of my DC hair every morning. When i was young and went through a bad patch my Mum would put a few drops of tea tree oil in leave in conditioner. As the conditoner makes it difficult for the lice to attach to the hair. I also lightly spray my DD with hair spray when headlice are going round her class. Since i started this 18 months ago we haven't had any.

[imjessie]

It's fine , the comb is designed with spirals so it gets way more out than the free flea comb thing you get with the treatments . It's fine on my hair but make sure it's wet and conditioned otherwise it will rip the hair out !