Please help me figure out what this is on DD's hair (pics attached)

[AutumnNymph]

Calling on the collective wisdom of Mumsnet for help, please. Can you help me figure out what this in on my DDs hair? She is 9 and for the past two weeks has had this fIaky thing on her hair. She has thick curly and lovely hair.
I initially thought dandruff but even with dandruff shampoo and tea tree oil etc It hasn't had any effect - in some places it's so many of them its tough to comb through.

I wondered if it was just dry skin but again its stuck to the hair and wont budge - it also seems to be increasing by the day.

The fact that I am visually disabled and close to blind doesn't help and DH is being useless.

Please please help!

[NameChange84]

She’s crawling with bits bless her

[NameChange84]

nits

[missyB1]

That’s a headlice infestation. Don’t panic just get to the chemist. And in future use a spray conditioner that is designed to deter lice on her hair every morning before school. And buy a nit comb and check her hair once a week.

[Wigeon]

If you google nits on dark hair that’s exactly what they look like - sorry. Nit comb, available from pharmacies or probably supermarkets - get your DH to do it very systematically.

[Austereorange]

If you want to check the head lice theory then put white paper on the table. Get her to lean over it and brush her hair like mad (or ruffle it up) - at least a couple of live lice would drop with that infestation and you (or someone else) would be able to watch and see if they are moving specs or just flakes. I still think with an infestation that bad she’d be scratching like mad!

[ExplodingCarrots]

After googling nit eggs I'm pretty sure that's what she got here. Nitty gritty comb, head lice treatment and lots of conditioner you need. Your DH needs to not be useless now and help get this sorted as it will take a bit of time to treat.

[namedchange112]

If this were nits she'd be crawling. It could be product build up; either way if your vision isn't great your husband is going to have to take the lead on this one.

[tryingharder92]

On second thoughts it does seem to be on the top at the front, maybe where gel/mousse is applied. Nits tend to like near the neck and ears don't they?

[BlueThistles]

it does kinda resemble hairspray or hair gel build up too.

[SaltedPeanut]

It’s very difficult to see from a pic. As others have said if it is nits she is infested and school would have mentioned it.

Does she have psoriasis? It is quite common to have psoriasis of the scalp and nowhere else.

[Bluntness100]

Op both you and your husband also need to be treated and you need to wash all your bedding and towels

Use the proper head lice treatment, the strongest you can get and do it twice, a week apart, and then keep checking.

[LoseLooseLucy]

It looks more like product build up to me.

[Bluntness100]

Looking the size and shape and the fact it’s increasing by rhe day I’m fairly sure this is head lice, and it’s a very bad infestation.

[JustOneLastThing]

Head lice in my opinion.

[BexR]

Another vote for head lice

[Bluntness100]

Oh and also buy a nit comb. Before you treat her, wash her hair, apply conditioner and then comb it, if it’s live you’ll see them on the comb or in the basin of water as you rinse the comb. The lice themselves are dark brown /black.

[Ffsnosexallowed]

Nits. You'll need a nitty gritty, lots of conditioner and lots of patience

[Nonamesavail]

Have school not asked you ? Definitely headlice.

[BrokenLink]

Those look like nits which are the eggs of headlice. The chances are the whole family have them. You need to use copious amounts of Hedrin and leave it overnight. The treatment will need to be repeated 2 weeks later. To prevent future infestations, put conditioner in hair once a week and comb thoroughly with a nit comb. Inform school so other parents can check their DC's. It may be possible to obtain the Hedrin free. Ask at the pharmacy.

[nothingcanhurtmewithmyeyesshut]

Nits. She is riddled with headlice bless her.

[Daisychainsandglitter]

Headlice!
The first time my DD had them there were lots of eggs like your DD's as I didn't know what they were. I'd never had nits and neither had my brothers or sisters growing up so I didn't know what to look for. Be prepared though they look quite bad and it took ages to fully get rid of them the first time round.
The second time I knew exactly what they were and was far more prepared and they were gone within a week.

[HolyMerlot]

The only other thing I could suggest is perhaps the aftermath of a burnt scalp after the hot weather we've had?

A few weeks ago I sat outside with my hair down and my parting burnt. I wasn't out there for long at all but usually my hair would be tied up in the sun (with no parting) so that skin was essentially fresh I had absolutely no idea, there was no pain or tenderness. I only noticed when I scratched the top of a my head a day later and I could feel stuff all through the top of my hair (adjacent to my parting like your pictures show). I thought I'd accidentally put food or something in my hair until I realised that the line of my parting had burnt, scabbed, leaked(?) and then gone hard/flaky.

[ilovebagpuss]

Head lice I’m pretty sure and that’s a lot. Probably the lovely thick hair. Fret not I have no eyesight problems and once my eldest started doing her own hair I just didn’t notice that she had them once So you are most definitely not alone in missing them. Poor thing had a red nape of neck and quite a few like this at the base of her head.
Hedrin once for about 3 weeks and nitty gritty combing killed them. We did all need to be treated though.
My DD felt better as soon as the stuff went on her head she said it was a relief.

[Oblomov20]

Poor dd. That's the worst case of nits I have ever seen.

[AutumnNymph]

Wow so many answers. It did occur to me that it was nit eggs and we did treat her for nits - I use a V comb for her to help suck out the lice and while she had them before - DH and I have not found any nits. DH is good at hair combing and nit removal - he just couldn't figure out what this was.

We don't use any products on her hair.