Help with nits- even I can’t get rid!

[goplacidly]

13yo DD got nits a few months ago and I think we successfully got rid (I treated myself too as I started feeling itchy and even if it was psychosomatic I thought I’d better be safe!). Then at the start of the hols I noticed a few eggs in her hair. I’d been feeling itchy then too and I asked her to check me and she said she could see eggs. So we both treated ourselves and combed with a bit wit comb too (although mine was probably less well combed as I have very tangly curly hair). Today I have noticed another egg on her! We are
going to treat us both again but do you have any failsafe methods??

How often are you using the comb? You need to slather on the conditioner and spend a good twenty mins for long or tricky hair going through it at least every other day for two weeks. We've got a nitty gritty comb which is the best I've found so far.

My failsafe, especially with dd1 who had thick longer than waist-length curly hair, was mouthwash.

I think it's called Listerine. You pour it all over dry hair. Put it under a shower cap for 15 minutes, wash as normal. We used to say the nits get drunk as they'd just float off. The disadvantage is that it doesn't kill the eggs so you need to redo it every 5 days a couple of times.

I suspect someone in dd's friendship group wasn't treating them because we had a term and a half of being constantly nitty. She reacts to their bites so she had these really painful spots all round the edge of her hair and down her neck.

Then someone put us onto this and she'd just wash her hair as above twice a week, and she never had a problem again.

I was only using the comb once after treating but will take this advice and repeat several times and also use the listerine trick!!! Thank you.

any idea of the best brand of lit lotion to use?

I used to just use a nit comb on damp hair with conditioner in at least every other day until they are all gone. We used to have competitions for the most lice and the biggest lice. A bit gruesome, I know, but made it more bearable.

I thought that the lice were getting resistant to the lotions which is why they don’t work that well.

Runny conditioner every other day, comb with a nutty gritty comb. My long haired teenage son was absolutely infested & this worked although we did do it for about a month.

Yes, conditioner and nit comb every other day for a few weeks is the only way. We’ve been battling nits for about 5 years! I start with nit shampoo and then conditioner for several weeks - until I no longer find anything. Within a few weeks they always come back, because she catches them again from someone else in the class. Can’t wait for the day she manages to stay away from other heads!

The only thing that worked on DD was the electronic comb. Used immediately after school.

Electronic comb?

We just used standard one like this:
Listerine TotalCare Zero Alcohol Smooth Mint Mouthwash 500ml | Toiletries | Superdrug

It's cheaper than nit treatment too!

I use Nitwits on DD. It’s great stuff, easy to spray on and you don’t need to comb so it’s great for Afro and super curly hair types.

I just used the nitty gritty comb on dd with cheap conditioner. Combed through her hair every day at first for a week, then every other day and kept doing it until I didn't get anything out at least 3 times in row

My SIL swears by Listerine and cheap conditioner. She alternated between the two - put copious amounts on the hair, cover with a shower cap, remove cap and comb through thoroughly, wash hair. The important thing about Listerine is to get a neutral colour…if you have blond hair and get blue Listerine it will stain.

The treatments with dimeticone are best as they suffocate the egg as well as the lice.

Use a nitty gritty comb to get them all out. It takes about an hour to do long hair properly.

Maybe you still have egg cases remaining rather than proper nits.

We comb every Sunday night here. Three girls 16, 14 & 10. The 2 eldest have waist length hair. So far we have only had lice once since the 16 year old started primary school.

I used to buy a conditioner marketed as an overnight mask. Percy & Reed and Michael Van Clarke both do one. It suffocates lice and eggs in the night and then you just rinse it off as instructed and have lovely conditioned hair. I also always used straighteners on DDs (and me) if I was concerned I might have missed some as my hairdresser explains that it ‘cooks’ any eggs so that they can’t hatch into lice.

I use nit-not on my son's long, curly hair - usually only needs one treatment with thorough combing, plus a second combing a week later with conditioner.

doesn't sting, doesn't smell, has worked every time.

Another one who just uses cheap conditioner and a nitty gritty comb. But you HAVE to do it frequently. We ususally do every 2 days for the first week, then every 3-4 days for another week and then continue to comb/check once a week until all clear for a decent length of time (another 2ish weeks).

It's fucking tedious, but it works.

Comb at least every three days for 21 days (life cycle)
you need to really cover the hair with conditioner and make sure you comb thoroughly.

Neem oil worked when everything from the chemists I threw at the problem failed.
Leave overnight with a plastic hat on, best on non school days, 2 days even better. It reeks, it nuked them, their reproductive system, eggs, the lot. Follow up with conditioner & nit comb, tie hair up. Good luck

I’m so tired of nits but finally found a way to get rid of them quite quickly which is also with a nitty gritty comb after one treatment of Lyclear shampoo to wipe out most live ones first.

We put conditioner on when DD is in the bath and then first brush through and then when no knots are left go through every single bit of hair with the nitty gritty comb. Do that every other day as part of a normal bath and routine. It’s been 5 days now with no sign of eggs or nits but it’s now part of our routine so I’m going to stick with it.

Use a dimethicone treatment like Hedrin Once or nitwits. Combing with nitty gritty comb and conditioner works well if you can do it thoroughly but that’s impossible on your own head.

You need to stick with combing every 2 or 3 days for a couple of weeks to completely clear them.
Combing doesn't get rid of the eggs, so they can hatch afterwards, starting the cycle again.

Heated straightening or curling iron. Kills nits and the eggs too.

My daughter had a problem with nits but they kept coming back as other kids at school had them. We finally got rid of them in the summer holidays. My hair dresser agreed to cut her a short bob (I told her about the nits) then we went on holiday to Newquay and a combination of sea water, shorter hair and not mixing with kids who had them finally got rid of them

Comb every couple of days until they are gone. Then once a week after that for at least a month. Tight French plait for daughter at school and no sharing combs etc.

I found a yellow nit comb which is the best as it shows even the tiniest of the little buggers.

We had a nightmare time with nits for years. Both kids have long thick hair and second child hugs everyone.

Last time I'm pretty sure I got them from a wholly hat in Primark !