to WANT to shave DD1's head?

[2ombie5layer]

Ive emphasised want as Im obviously not going to shave her head, but it doesnt stop me wanting to.

I have just spent over 2 hours literally going through her hair with a fine tooth comb in an attempt to get rid of the little blighters that have made a nest in her hair. We first noticed her visitors a few weeks ago when she was scratching away and we found all the bugs. We have tried a couple of treatments, but they haven't worked completely. So after an old thread on here said something about getting some conditioner and a nit comb and spending time going through it all I have done today, but after over 2 hours, I know she still has some in there. We have started to use a conditioning spray that repels them, even though it stinks but as far as I can tell they kill them, but they stay in the hair.

So what am I doing wrong? Ive just lost the will to carry on for now and would like to scream.

Are you using the nitty gritty comb? You need to be combing through every second day at the least.

Chemicals. Every time.

Rather than shave it, you could cut it very short. That would make your combing-out job easier and the hair will grow again, won't it?

YABU to think you can get rid of them in one session. It will take at least a week, combing every other day for an hour. I have very curly, fine hair and it once took me a month, although I was doing teacher training in Nursery at the time, so it could well have been a reinfestation! So, it will work eventually, but give it time.

She could still get headlice again, just in shorter hair. It is blimmin annoying though.

Short hair still gets nits! I have 3 boys who have had short hair at still been infested on some occasions.

Yes to chemicals for initial zap then nitty gritty comb with lots of conditioner on a regular basis.

Some lice are now resistant to the chemicals, which means they simply may not work at all.

Regular, thorough combing is the only sure way, possibly augmented by one of the smothering treatments (eg Full Marks, Hedrin).

YANBU but recently another parent at nursery did this and you could then see them hopping around on velvet like shorn head....

It won't stop them...

you found all the nits last time - but you didn't count on the eggs hatching.

I would dry her hair with a very hot dryer and then use hair straightners on each section of hair to heat kill the eggs.

The eggs hatch after 3 weeks so for 21 days keep an eye and shampoo, condition and then straighten her hair every 3-4 days.

I used olive oil on my daughters hair as it was cheaper, left her hair and scalp looking beautiful and was better than conditioner, the olive oil needs to be left in overnight and then combed out in the morning and then after combing washed, dryed and strightners.

I did this every friday night and when there where nits going round at school I would use olive oil as a hair gel and plate my dd's hair - this prevented the nits in the first place and touch wood we haven't had nits for around 6 years

Straightening frizzles them really satisfyingly, but there is always a couple of mm right next to the scalp that the straighteners won't reach, and in which nits an survive to hatch. You'll still need to comb too.

you have to be on top of the combing. TBH i would be doing it every day rather than every other day. and mix some tea tree into your shampoo aswell.

Ivykaty, I wish more of the little girls in my class would have their hair plaited; so many of them have loose hair swooshing about, and headlice are an ongoing problem. One of the girls has lately taken to wearing her hair in plaits, and it just looks so gorgeous.

My DS2 and his pal had very very short hair, still got the dreaded lice, just made the wee devils easier to spot

I've done the olive oil treatment on my DDs, left them with lovely shiney hair, did take a bit of shampooing out though

The problem is, even if you are vigilant and comb often, there must be someone else out there that isn't, therefore the children keep getting reinfected

Its just sooo frustrating. We do have the spray that repels them, but it stinks. Im going to grin and bear the shampoo too I think. So Ive got to take over 2 hours a day every day to comb her hair. Will straightening too much not ruin her hair though. She's only 4, but she does have very curly hair which means its very difficult to plait, but a very good idea. Haven't heard about the olive oil before, but its worth a try.

Why isnt there an easier way?

I never had any trouble shampooing after olive oil - just water hair and then a good palm full of shampoo all over the head and shampoo out - it was never really any different to a normal shampoo.

I did thugh used to stand dd on newspaper to do the comb through and then rinse the comb after each comb through under the tap or wipe with kitchen towel.

The things with olive oil is it send the nits to sleep so they dont get chance to crawl away next to the scalp - the straightening is just for killing the eggs and as the eggs are not moving there isn't a problem of getting the strightners near the scalp.

I use Vosense nit repelant shampoo and on my DC and hair is always plaited. Daily checks. On the rare occasions their cousins visit they catch nits I treat with chemicals - the entire family and wash all bedding and soft toys from beds plus any hats and coats that have been worn. I comb with a nitty gritty and repeat the following week as required. I take no prisoners!!

IMO combing does not work alone unless your committed as their cousins prove because the are crawling you have to do it properly which takes ages with a metal comb every couple of days and I have found that some people their aunt who use this method do a half hearted effort for a few mins in bath with a plastic comb which will never get rid and constantly are infecting others.

yes straightening her hair will damage it and if her hair is very curly it is likely to be dryer than straighter hair already.

i thought the olive oil smothered the head lice?

Ah a metal comb. Ive just got a 99p nit comb from ebay. So thats more expense then. I have always spent ages doing it, but today I decided I wasnt doing it good enough so went all out. Over 2 hours later and a given up me I decided the best thing was to get on MN to see where Im going wrong. Looks like I need a new comb, the shampoo (does it smell as bad as the spray?) and get some more chemicals. ooh the joys.

oooh crossed posts then.

i thought the olive oil smothered the head lice? so that kills them then? cheaper than the chemical treatments.

The nitty gritty is well worth the money, it comes with a lifetime guarantee too.

I wont use the chemicals they never seem to work.

nitty gritty combs are about £10 - long groved metal teeth which apprently get the eggs out better - I believe that they are available on prescription if you GP is prepared to write one? hth

Someone mentioned on here the comb that shocks the blighters. It doesn't kill it always but lets you know ones there

The olive oil smothers the nits- it doesn't kill them..

That is why you must comb out the hair before you wash the olive oil out.

If you just put olive oil in the hair you would smoother the nits and then washing the hair you would un-smoother the nits and they would go about their business again of laying eggs.

BUT the olive oil doesn't kill the eggs that have been hatched - so the eggs will hatch any day soon - this is why going over the hair with straightners - will kill the eggs.

TBH going over the hair once or twice in a three week period - isn't going to be particularly damaging to the hair.

Add to which you will be coating the hair in olive oil every 6-7 days which will leave the hair in really good condition.

Compared to pouring harmful chemicals all over the hair and scalp of a child I would go with the staightners a couple of times.