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!

[motherofdxughters]

Whether it's head lice or not, buy a Nitty Gritty comb. That'll get anything out.

[JustOneLastThing]

This is what the lice look like in the hair, the nits are the eggs.

A magnifying glass and a bright light. Large quantities of white hair conditioner
Knitty gritty nit comb
Paper Towel
Hedrin Once

Repeat, Repeat, Repeat

[AutumnNymph]

Thanks all! I have ordered Hedrin and DDH has said he will tackle with a nitty gritty comb.

Thanks so much for all the replies - totally appreciate it.

[Missmonkeypenny]

I'd keep her off of school until you've tackled that OP

[JustOneLastThing]

This is helpful

[AutumnNymph]

She has had lice before but never on this scale. She isn't scratching too much either. I do have a nit comb and used it to comb it out today after using lots of conditioner - nothing came out which is why I didnt mention nits in my OP.

Poor her, I will pop to the chemist first thing tomorrow.

[FranklyDearIDontRiverdance]

Gosh, that’s a serious nit infestation - the kind you see on a Google images.

I’d treat her every couple of days op, I can’t imagine that’s going to be resolved with a single treatment.

[AutumnNymph]

I feel like such an awful Mum now. The school normally are very fast on catching instances of nit infestation but I know she has been ti the njrse twice this week and its not been mentioned at all!

[Justaboy]

Just hae a quick Google on "head lice" and then look at the google images they look just like the ones on your DD's hair!

Please do not be ashamed in any way on this most every child has them at some time or the other! The school may not have picked them up as they may not right now be doing inspections as after the covid disruptin!

[Justaboy]

Dont do what my old gran used to do, she used to Nuke them! she simply shaved the childs head Bald!!

[JustOneLastThing]

Don't feel bad, the first time DS had nits, I had no idea for too long. He gave them to me 😫.
I am the lice police these days!

[AutumnNymph]

@Justaboy

Dont do what my old gran used to do, she used to Nuke them! she simply shaved the childs head Bald!!

The amount of hair DD has, I won't lie and say the thought dint occur to me :D

[eurochick]

You should treat the whole family - my daughter had a mild case and I still found a couple of eggs in my hair. Shudder.

[Handsoffisback]

I’ve always found tea tree conditioner to be great for head lice OP. Pretty sure it suffocates the little bastards or something.

[Zilla1]

Don't feel awful, OP. You said the nurse missed this (may not have looked). You identified a problem and sought advice. Even without the visual impairment, what you did was reasonable, the visual impairment will have made things harder.

[susandelgado]

Yes, head lice, I can see one in the pic.

[EugenesAxe]

I can make out the tear shape on a few of them, and the big giveaway is they don’t brush out - the eggs are glued to the hair shaft.

If your DH is truly useless get someone to help - hire a mobile hairdresser who’ll deal with it. You can’t do half a job as obviously anything left will keep laying. I would certainly do both lotion and regular combing with Nitty Gritty. I’ve seen ads for a mobile nit removing company before, in case they are still running/ in your area? They hoover out the nits with a filter so you can look at them all (amazing but horrific too 😂).

[AutumnNymph]

@Handsoffisback

I’ve always found tea tree conditioner to be great for head lice OP. Pretty sure it suffocates the little bastards or something.

I have been using tea tree oil and conditioner on her for a few months now. She hates the smell but has learnt to live with it.

With some of the PPs saying it looks like a really bad infestation I am wondering if I need to see the GP and ask for some extra strong stuff to help.

[Bumpinthenight]

The white ones are empty cases which will be left over from the last time she had them. As the hair has grown they have got further down the hair. This will also explain why you haven't found any.

Won't hurt to use Hedrin. The Nitty Gritty comb will also get rid of the cases (and any lice).

[BlueThistles]

would the nits not be nearer the the scalp though ?

[AutumnNymph]

@EugenesAxe

I can make out the tear shape on a few of them, and the big giveaway is they don’t brush out - the eggs are glued to the hair shaft.

If your DH is truly useless get someone to help - hire a mobile hairdresser who’ll deal with it. You can’t do half a job as obviously anything left will keep laying. I would certainly do both lotion and regular combing with Nitty Gritty. I’ve seen ads for a mobile nit removing company before, in case they are still running/ in your area? They hoover out the nits with a filter so you can look at them all (amazing but horrific too 😂).

I actually have that hoover with filter - I bought it off of Amazon last year.

It has never let me down but it couldn't budge the buggers this time

I think I have made DH sound truly useless - he really is - he is an amazing hands on Dad - he just was useless with identifying what it was.

www.amazon.co.uk/Licetec-V-Comb-Electrical-Lice-Comb/dp/B00SRKIOYE/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=V%20comb&qid=1600288788&sr=8-3&tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21

DD loves to see the nits gather there and we do a ceremonial disposal :D

[AutumnNymph]

@Bumpinthenight

The white ones are empty cases which will be left over from the last time she had them. As the hair has grown they have got further down the hair. This will also explain why you haven't found any.

Won't hurt to use Hedrin. The Nitty Gritty comb will also get rid of the cases (and any lice).

This actually make sense and explains why DH hasn't found nits despite looking for them.

[EugenesAxe]

Sorry I cross posted! That’s so weird though, if you saw nothing after combing with a Nitty Gritty. I generally found the ‘mothership’ lice would be around the crown of my children’s heads (three incidences - one bad then a few caught in very neurotic weekly screenings!!).

[AutumnNymph]

`i found these guys - liceclinicsofuk.com/lice-removal-treatment/

i may call them if all else fails.

[canonlydoblue]

Don't feel you need to use a harsh chemical product. A nitty gritty comb and conditioner will work fine. My trusted preventative is then to spritz their hair with diluted tea tree oil every morning. We've not had nits since we started using that.