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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Headlice - no idea what to try next....

56 replies

IdaBattersea · 09/05/2017 09:37

I am at my wits end.

Have been battling with headlice since last summer. Finally my 2 DC were under control, we went to the hairdresser a month ago and for the first time weren’t asked, “Have they had headlice recently”, no evidence of casings or anything.

Anyway been so focussed with the DC took the eye off the ball with myself. 5 weeks ago discovered that I had a pretty severe case. Treated with Hedrin Once immediately, and again about a week later. Been using a nitty gritty comb daily in the shower.

Anyway DD checked my head last night and they are back…didn’t have any Hedrin so did a very long, careful wet comb last night with lots of conditioner and nitty gritty comb, could see the eggs coming out on the comb, cleaned it after each use on a muslin cloth etc. Dried hair with very hot hair dryer. Anyway DD looked this morning and said whilst they are reduced there are still eggs/ casings there and don’t have to look too hard to find them.

How do I get rid of these and why have they come back even with using nitty gritty in shower every day. I had my hair coloured about 3 weeks ago (just after the 2nd Hedrin treatment) and hairdresser didn’t mention it so can’t have been many but obviously enough left behind to reinfect. I don’t want to use the chemicals a third time as a) they obviously aren’t getting rid of them completely and b) despite claiming to be safe for coloured hair they definitely stripped the colour off last time.

Any bright ideas, just so fed up with this.

OP posts:

bookwormnerd · 09/05/2017 11:09

Treat it with chemical and then use tea tree shampoo and conditioner after to stop getting more. They dont like tea tree. Vosene also do a spray in detangler which has nit repellent in ( think its tea tree) my sister used to get and tea tree stopped the reinfestation.

Strawberryshortcake40 · 09/05/2017 11:10

Delacet. Google it and get some online. Had persistent problems here for five/six years and that broke the cycle. If one of mine gets them now they all get the delacet (me too), problem sorted. You don't even need to comb after, but I do as hate the thought of dead bugs in their hair!

NancyDonahue · 09/05/2017 11:12

Make sure your dd keeps her hair up at school, plaits are good. And try to encourage her not to share brushes, clothes etc. Girls get less cuddly as they get older so less chances for the lice to hitch hike!

lottieandmia · 09/05/2017 11:13

As a family we hardly ever had it until the last year. Then Dd3 had it and gave it to dd2 who's 13. She has very thick hair down to her waist and refuses to get it cut because it's the fashion for girls to have very long hair ATM. It's a nightmare!

Indaba · 09/05/2017 11:18

Headrin overnight treatment works best in this house. Leave it like a conditioner. Wash off in morning. Repeat a few days later. No combing required

AmserGwin · 09/05/2017 19:47

Was going to suggest hair straighteners too

aliceinwanderland · 09/05/2017 19:52

Vamoose is the best I've tried so far.

Hecticlifeanddrowning8 · 09/05/2017 20:06

I once had a hairdresser that swore blind she frontlined her children every time they had nits 😮 and that it worked! .....I could never bring myself to do that though.
My Dsd 6 has the thickest head of hair I have ever seen on a child and is constantly riddled with nits. I spend many evenings combing them out with conditioner and nitty gritty .

InfiniteCurve · 09/05/2017 20:50

Are the eggs/ egg cases you are combing out white or dark brown? Cos unhatched eggs are brown,the empty egg cases are white.And they aren't a problem except that they look nasty and advertise the whole headlice bit.
We found while we could get rid of live lice by wet combing ( it was a faff,but it did work) the empty egg cases took ages,they are stuck so firmly to the hair!

JenniferYellowHat1980 · 09/05/2017 21:42

You need The Lice Program www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/theliceprogram/ and a massive bottle of conditioner as well as the nitty gritty.

The difference is that this program follows the life cycle of the louse and it's eggs - it's a month's worth of combing for the whole family but it's worth it.

Jupitar · 09/05/2017 22:04

My daughter used to get headlice on a regular basis whilst hanging round with one particular friend, I was forever combing and treating her hair, then we got membership of a holiday park and started going swimming every night and suddenly she didn't have headlice anymore. She recently got them again but got rid of them by submerging her head (not face) in the bath for over 5 minutes every night.

Mumzypopz · 09/05/2017 22:05

Once I'd got rid of them out of my daughter's hair using the chemicals (sorry, can't remember which one, may have been hedrin, I used to comb tea tree oil through her hair in the morning, and also switched to tea tree shampoo. she never got them again.

missymayhemsmum · 09/05/2017 22:05

Have found that getting dd to wash her hair in the bath, slather on conditioner then come and sit in front of wolfblood on i-player in her dressing gown while I comb with the nitty gritty comb and kitchen roll, then go up and rinse, then have her hair curled with heated tongs reduced the headlice count and the screaming about tangles. Still took a month of 3 nights a week combing and morning plaits.

You could try the olive oil and clingfilm method on your own hair?

user1487175389 · 09/05/2017 22:25

I think combing with conditioner works well if you have one dc, but in a larger family it's just writing off a massive chunk of the day, every day for the foreseeable future.

hedrin once and the protect and go stuff seems to be working right now. but getting itchy reading this.

wageslave · 09/05/2017 22:40

Me daughter had many bouts of lice and we spent years combing and recombing, but when she started to use straighteners they went and didn't return. The heat seems to kill both eggs and the insects. I would have let her use them from a much earlier age had we realised how effective they were, it would have saved us all so much trauma, especially as her hair is very thick and I doubt we really managed to reach all of the infestation, despite my best efforts

wageslave · 09/05/2017 22:41

My daughter not me daughter!

FeedMeAndTellMeImPretty · 09/05/2017 22:48

I do a wet comb and hair straighteners whenever DD gets them - about once every 6 months at most. DP's kids seem to have them constantly despite buying enough Hedrin to sink a battleship. I've never bothered with it. DD wants a pixie cut and I'm veering towards that as a solution!

3luckystars · 09/05/2017 22:52

Do everyone with the Hedrin once, then again a week later and again a week later.
Keep combing. You will get there. Just Keep combing!

Keep all brushes and combs in the freezer. And find out if someone close is reinfected you and CUT THEM OFF.

user1494237944 · 09/05/2017 23:00

Sympathise - all three of mine were infected - ds was crawling! Very short hair was in order and tea tree and combing worked and never came back. My girls have long and very thick hair - constant combing, conditioner and every product on the market - then tried Hedrin and amazingly it worked - used a week later and they have been clear ever since. But we had months of getting clear and then being reinfected by others not doing their children But after Hedrin we were clear - the relief. Although I am now scratching my head - excuse me I need to go and check.

TangledSellotape · 09/05/2017 23:07

Teacher friend told me years ago to put 8-10 drops of every shampoo and conditioner in the house (everyones) and to keep doing it.

I have, every bottle for years. 2 kids in primary for a few years now.

Never once have either they or us got nits, even when we get letters from school saying they are going around again. Never.

Tea tree oil it works.

TangledSellotape · 09/05/2017 23:10

Sorry

put 8-10 drops of tea tree oil in every shampoo and conditioner in the house

AnnaFender · 09/05/2017 23:11

If it's just the empty egg casings and no live ones you're probably okay. Headlice lay their eggs close to the head to incubate, the 'glue' they use to attach the egg to the hair is very strong and even when hatched the empty casing will stay attached to the hair. Once your hair grows a bit these casings become more visible, whixh is probably the stage you're at now. We use a comb set that comes with a special comb designed to get rid of the empty egg casings. Otherwise research what will actually dissolve the casings.

I too have a child with very long hair that is constantly being reinfected at school (definitely the case as every school holiday she gets clear!). We've been clear for 4 weeks now! It's the longest stretch in term time for about 2 years! fingers crossed

ArcheryAnnie · 09/05/2017 23:13

Hedrin did it for us, wonderful stuff.

Then an electric lice comb (about £20 from Boots), which I loved because you used it on dry hair, so whenever I got paranoid about the lice coming back I could do a sweep with the electric comb and see the state of play.

liz70 · 09/05/2017 23:36

Slather hair with olive oil and comb right through. Cover with shower cap and leave overnight. Wash out (as best as you can) the next morning. Repeat after 4 days. Repeat a week after that, just to be sure.

Disgustingly greasy, but chemical free, and worked for us.

Witchend · 10/05/2017 00:04

Apparently selfie taking has meant nits have become much more common in teens.

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