How do I get rid of head lice this is getting ridiculous

[IdaBattersea]

Posting here for traffic.

We had our first bout of headlice back at the end of the summer term, it was pretty bad, we used Hedrin and nitty gritty comb. Combed daily for about 3 days with conditioner then down to couple of times a week. We had several reinfections over the summer and then again this term. We now comb at least once a week with the nitty gritty comb sometimes twice and I haven't seen a louse for over a month.

Took girls to hairdresser today and hairdresser was starting blow dry she says to me sorry I can't continue your daughter has head lice. I was a bit shocked as we last combed at the weekend and explained our history and she said, the comb doesn't work it won't get rid of them it will make it worse as damages them and you don't get them out you have to use the lotion. She showed me the white flecks in her hair and said that is the eggs, there are no actual lice at the moment.

I told her the school advice said that there was no proof either way that lotion was more effective and it said combing with conditioner was supposed to be as effective, but if that wasn't the case I would go and get some lotion.

The hairdresser said lotion is the only way and I would probably need to do more than once and was adamant the comb doesn't work.

I can't believe this, we have battled with these and followed advice combing through with conditioner and now it sounds like this isn't enough. How can nitty gritty comb make the claims it does if it doesn't work, and will I ever get on top of these?

[Sunnyjac]

Tea tree oil drops in the conditioner when you wash hair, it repels headlice. The chemicals in the lotions quickly become ineffective

[Amtico]

Has anyone used a new gadget called Novokids for headlice? You put a bag on your hair and then the gadget fills it with vapour which kills the lice. It costs £50 on Amazon so I would like to know if it's worth it. We have tried everything else.

[YetAnotherUser]

Blow drying hair helps, as it dessicates the eggs and kills them.

[icy121]

White spirit worked on me when all else had failed. I was about 16 (caught them from a filthy bitch girl at school). Dried my scalp out though!!

Another tip - use lenor or other fabric conditioner instead of normal conditioner. It's incredibly concentrated and the lice and nits all come straight out.

[ilovewelshrarebit123]

I disagree with her, my daughter had headlice last week. I don't put treatments on her hair, I nitty gritty comb every night until they've gone.

You have to be methodical, and section it off and wipe the comb every time.

To be fair she has very long straight hair which is easy to do. If it was thick and curly I might put Hedrin on.

My friends daughter has had lice for months, she's just given up doing anything about them. You can see them crawling around and she just doesn't give a shit, so all her friends keep getting them, poor child.

[bigbuttons]

Listening gold, have used nothing else for years now. Always kills every little bugger every single time. Never gave the torment of combing ever again.

[pointythings]

The easiest way to get the eggs and cases loose from the hair is to saturate the hair with vinegar, leave for half an hour, then wash out. The vinegar dissolves the glue.

For us, Hedrin, vinegar, Hedrin always worked. We also wet combed weekly.
Fortunately my DDs are not into endless selfies so no nits for a looong time now. We're also lucky in that they are both allergic so they itch as soon as they get bitten. We could always catch the lice before we had massive infestations.

[Everytimeref]

My daughter has been battling nits for about 4 years. She is 18 now and still the battle continues. I have tried everything but the cycle continues!!

[jo10000]

Apparently more teenagers are getting them now because of selfies with friends, putting their heads together for photos. My 13 year old had them for six monrhs this year and it was horrendous. Long thick hair. The Nitty gritty comb only worked with lice, not eggs, I had to detach each of them with fingernails and I only had to miss two and I was back to square one. In the end, first week of summer hols I said that's it. We spent an hour every morning for five days with me straightening her hair one small section at a time. I'd been told the intense heat kills them. That was it, thankfully and finally she was clear after that.

[Fontella]

The Nitty Gritty comb does work. No doubt IMHO.

I agree!

I kept my kids lice free with just comb and cheap conditioner every single bathtime. Just make it part of the routine.

The eggs hatch, and you just keep clearing the lice and breaking the cycle so no more lice to lay eggs. It has to be constant but it works and no chemicals involved.

[fairybaby]

Once you get rid of it, make your own spray by combining a few drops of Tea Tree oil and water in a spray bottle.

I use on my kids hair everyday and (touch wood!) they haven't caught lice again.

Apparently lice hate the smell of Tea Tree Oil!

[luckylavender]

Vinegar - worked a treat on my son

[MovingOnUpMovingOnOut]

Hedrin once works by smothering the lice - so no nasty chemicals of old or chance of them developing resistance.

Combing everything out is the only way to certain they have gone.

[AndNowItsSeven]

Sofia you really don't need to do that!

[SofiaAmes]

Combing alone doesn't do it. You have to actually go through the hair and pull off the eggs with your fingernails. It's slow and painstaking, but is the only sure way of getting all the lice out for good. If the lotion has the chemicals that kill the lice, then it's probably not something you want your child absorbing through their scalp very often and if it doesn't have the chemicals then it's a waste of your time and money.

[Girliefriendlikesflowers]

I have found nitty gritty comb does work but you have to keep on with it as if one egg gets missed you are back to square one!

Also make sure you wash pillows and bedding as well as checked combs etc, we found a live nit crawling across dds comb I poured boiling water on it!!

[AndNowItsSeven]

Gold listerine- the one with alcohol siak head, shower cap leave for two hours. Then rinse conditioner and nitty gritty comb.
Repeat in 7 days.
Listerine is like a miracle product.

[Mellowautumn]

Nitty Gritty and loads of conditioner is recommended by HV's - a vinegar rinse every shampoo for a few weeks will get rid of the egg cases - takes a while and persistence on fine hair.

[StrangeIdeas]

DD kept getting them last year. I used every lotion in the chemist and she kept getting them! And that was with changing the bed sheets and doing mine and DP's heads too. Condtioner and a nitty gritty comb was the only thing that worked. Sat DD in front of the computer and went through her hair. Took ages but it worked.

[Itsnottheendoftheworld]

Always used nitty gritty. It does work. I have never used chemicals to get rid of lice. I only use it on dry hair as well. My girls find it less painful. Works a treat and gets eggs out as well. Doing it on wet hair was stretching and damaging their hair plus I had to rinse the comb after every pull through.
I just pring along the comb and the eggs and lice fall onto the kitchen paper.

[SpaceKoala]

Similar to a previous poster, we use the tea tree oil shampoo, and no head lice at all despite numerous outbreaks at school
May just be luck though

[Tabymoomoo]

I found the lotion didn't work at all and the only thing that shifted them was going through dd's hair section by section with the metal comb and conditioner. Took about an hour last time (sat in front of dvd) as dd has a lot of hair. Plus I used my finger nails to shift the stubborn ones.

I also always wash the kids' hair with Vosene 3in1 shampoo which supposedly contains tea tree oil to repel lice (who knows if it really does work but touch wood we haven't had lice since)
Best of luck! - I hate lice I got them last time dd had them. You try combing them out of your own hair!

[Wookiecookies]

Nitty gritty comb is the only thing that ever worked with my dd. And the oil based nit lotions as these suffocate the little buggers! Although olive oil will do the same job. Just pop loads in for half an hour and comb out with the nitty gritty. Also section the hair carefully and do not miss a single strand.

My best recommendation is never let your daughter attend school without french plaits, or other close fitting hair do, (irritating I know) and get head lice prevention shampoo with tea tree in it. It really really works. Tbh, it sounds like there may be some kids in your daughters class who are just not treating their own kids, or at least not doing it properly twats
Have you asked the school to send out a letter?

[IdaBattersea]

Thanks all. Am certain just casings or dandruff. Bit miffed with hairdresser now but hey ho.

We were definitely getting reinfected by a classmate as if we took eye off ball and missed one combing they would be back not infestation but we would find some.

I use the repellent too now. Feel calmer but it is such a pain. DD is nearly 10 and DD2 7.5 so if 7 is peak hopefully we will soon be over this horrid phase of this particular childhood affliction.