Head lice

[LuckyAmy1986]

This is my first experience with them (apart from me having them when I was little) DD has them, discovered them today. I have a nitty gritty comb. I put loads of conditioner on and combed through. If I do this every night for a week or so, is that enough or do I need to buy a treatment from the shop?

I have checked my hair and can't see anything but my god it is so bloody itchy! Hoping it's just in my head.

Any other tips would be welcome. I am going to change her pillowcase once a day.

[Thermostatpolice]

Facelikeaslappedarse can only say that treatment has always worked for us. The suffocation kinds.

[LuckyAmy1986]

People really are divided on this! I caved and bought some hedrin once gel so will use that when she gets home from school. I take it after using that I then do the whole comb with conditioner thing? Then I will just make sure I do that regularly from now on to prevent rather than having to treat.

[ThatsPoker]

Got to agree, buy the treatment and give a proper good comb through - Hedrin spray works for us. And then repeat in a week.

Conditioner is simply not enough with an infestation - I've learned this the hard way!!! Wash the bed sheets too. I'd not risk it NOT washing them.

[londonista]

For a proper infestation I double down on it all. But I have boys so easier.

First I nitty gritty comb the whole head using coconut oil. Then I wash in hedrin to make sure I didn't miss anything. Bedding gets washed. Coats go in the freezer. Hoodies and hats get washed. The uninfested members of the house get nitty grittied as well.

If you want to scare yourself, read Susannah whatshername from Trinny and Susannah fame, read her account of trying to get rid of them. Years of work and then eventually they called in a professional!

[dentydown]

Treatment, comb, more combing, even more combing then treatment. It took me 6 months to get rid of head lice completely in he family. I have no idea if the summer and hat wearing made a nice little head incubator for the eggs or there was a kid at school constantly giving them back to the class.

[GreenTulips]

It's not rocket science, and it's not hard - just five minutes a day!!

Tell that to the 90% of parents that don't do this!

The only effective treatment is parents being vigilant and they aren't

[KriticalSoul]

That's just it, if there's a lousy child, you're just going to keep having a problem.. I let it slide as I'm going through a divorce, but normally I only use the Vosene anti-louse shampoo, and nitty gritty the kids thrice weekly (every other day).

Until this week with DS we hadn't had a single louse for 5 years.

[LuckyAmy1986]

I did also buy that vosens shampoo

[JemOBalm]

Tea tree oil.

8 drops in every bottle of shampoo and conditioner.

I've been doing it for years and 2 DC at primary school. Never had nits.

[c3pu]

Drying with a hairdryer helps as it dessicates the eggs and kills them off.

[londonista]

Jem quite liking the tea tree oil idea.

TBH I think my boys just like a nice little head massage from mum while I'm on the hunt.

[JemOBalm]

It really works. A primary school teacher friend told me about years ago. So when my DC started school I started doing it, and it works.

[ittakes2]

I love nitty gritty - still use it for my dandruff!! Helps take out the stuff quickly.
But go with the suffication option - nitty gritty you only need to miss one and it all starts again...

[Ilovecamping]

Found over the counter treatments did not work for my children, instead used nit comb and conditioner, after clear made sure hair was brushed thoroughly every day.

[LuckyAmy1986]

Jem - do i just add 8 drops to a new bottle of shampoo then shake?

Ok just used the hedrin, washed out. It said conditioner not necessary but I did anyway and had a little comb through. There were some what I am are presuming baby ones (tiny and black) in the comb. Is this normal? Should they not have all washed out? I am hoping they are dead at least!

[GreenTulips]

They don't wash out - you still need to comb

[astoundedgoat]

Full Marks. We get them every couple of months (there's a child in DD's class who NEVER gets treated).

[LuckyAmy1986]

They don't wash out - you still need to comb

Was I supposed to come before I washed the hedrin out?! It didn't say to.

[relaxitllbeok]

@ThisLittleKitty you may be lucky. I was so scared of nits I bought a Nitty Gritty before my DS was even born. He never caught them, despite lots of letters home from various classes over the years. Now old enough that if he gets them he can deal with it himself!

[AnotherRanger]

From what I remember using it Lucky the hedrin once kills all the nits and then you just come through with conditioner afterwards to get them all out as even though they're dead they're still clinging on to the hair

[AnotherRanger]

I meant comb*
I think a lot of them fall out when washing it out though but some pesky ones cling on for dear life

[LuckyAmy1986]

Ah right I see. Ok I did a comb through but I’ll do another one tomorrow. Thanks!

[JemOBalm]

Jem - do i just add 8 drops to a new bottle of shampoo then shake?

Yes. Every bottle of shampoo & conditioner. Do it all the time and it should keep them away.

[londonista]

Yeah keep up the combing.
There are no silver bullets, unfortunately. You miss one egg and you're back to square one. And of course many parents don't sort their kids out properly so once it rips round a class it can re-occur.

[freshstart24]

I accept that whatever method you use, thorough combing is needed with nit comb. However, I can't understand how some posters say it takes minutes?

It takes FOREVER, like an hour even on shorter hair. My family all have chestnut brown hair, so the blighters blend in incredibly well and I have to double comb- two hours.