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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU that I don't seem able to shift nits

42 replies

bostonkremekrazy · 26/03/2018 22:03

just that....I have treated DC age 5 every week for the last 5 weeks now using VAMOUSSE as advised by GP.

I treated her thursday, no live nits left, used the comb to get all the eggs out....today - 3 fully grown lice in her hair AGAIN. they cannot have grown from any left over eggs since thursday....aaargh.
I went to the pharmacy, they said I cannot retreat her hair with chemicals again till Thursday. (I've bought a lyclear treatment they recommended ready for Thursday)
So I've used the Nitty Gritty comb, conditioner and got the 3 lice out, combed loads and found some more eggs, got them out, combed, combed. Washed her hair in Tea tree anti-nit shampoo....

For school hair in pigtails....plaits won't hold as hair is too fine.

The bedsheets are changed and 60o washed after the nit lotion. The other kids are checked and treated if they have them - boys in household had hair cut short and haven't had them again.

What else can I do?

OP posts:
BareBum · 26/03/2018 22:04

Hedrin once has worked in our house.

alligatortoss · 26/03/2018 22:05

Coconut oil. Lots of it.

Then comb through.

HagueBlue2018 · 26/03/2018 22:07

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

NC4Now · 26/03/2018 22:07

We had a year of this. Bloody nightmare. I think the kids at school were all passing them to each other. We cracked it over the six week summer holidays and haven’t seen them since.

dementedpixie · 26/03/2018 22:08

If there were new adults then she probably picked them up again at school. Condition, comb and put hair up. No real need for the bed washing

fourandnomore · 26/03/2018 22:08

We are having this nightmare too. My two eldest just keep getting them again, we get a letter pretty much every week from school, reinfection is never ending. I'm going to try coconut oil tomorrow, thanks!

dottyaboutstripes · 26/03/2018 22:08

Nitwits (I got it from amazon)
First time in months that my boys are free from head lice!

SpacePenguin · 26/03/2018 22:15

I've had success making dc more aware of head contact with friends. We all hate the process of getting rid of them, so I explained how they keep getting them because of hair-to-hair contact and if they want to stop the cycle, they have to be really conscious of contact. Some kids will take that in and others won't really get the importance, but it seems to have reduced the number of incidents we have.

Seryph · 26/03/2018 22:19

You need to be combing her hair every single day. It's no good leaving it.
I'd also have a chat with school as they are probably going around and getting a letter sent out to remind everyone might help.

Original poster
bostonkremekrazy · 26/03/2018 22:29

Yes we are always nit free in school holidays...

school sending letters out weekly at the moment....so clearly there is a big problem.

I wasn't hot washing bedding originally but the pharmacist said it may help as eggs can live on the pillowslip for 24 hours - arrgh.

I was combing almost daily before bathtime - but will go to daily now thanks.

I'm not sure telling her to keep her head away from others is having any effect at all! but I have tried.....

Is any coconut oil ok?.....

OP posts:
liz70 · 26/03/2018 22:35

What I did was to smother hair in olive oil (comb it through with a wide toothed comb), cover with shower cap and leave overnight. Rinse and wash the next day. Repeat the whole cycle a week later, then repeat a second time four days after that. It smothers the little shits, and the repetitions catch them at all stages of the life cycle. It worked for my DDs, and it's chemical free. You really have to slather the oil on.

Teachtolive · 26/03/2018 22:35

Apparently one of the reasons but infestations are on the rise is because of kids taking selfies! They put their heads together for the picture. Maybe do what you can to talk to her about how she might be catching them and ways to avoid them?

Original poster
bostonkremekrazy · 26/03/2018 22:44

DC is 5....kids put their heads together all the time. No phone or selfies, just kids playing....

I will try oiling her head Grin

OP posts:
LockedOutOfMN · 26/03/2018 22:50

Ties hair in bunches then plait the bunches and secure the ends then pin the plaits up on the head (halo style or in little buns).

I'd slather in cheap conditioner and nitty gritty comb every night or two, as well as doing the Hedrin as per pharmacist's instructions.

Remind her about not touching heads and ask if the school could also remind them, e.g. in assembly, or before sending them out to break?

altiara · 26/03/2018 22:58

Can you do French plaits? Or if no plaits at all then twirls the pigtails into little buns on the top of her head so there’s no hair hanging down for the lice to hitch a ride. Then spray with the tea tree oil mix or anti lice stuff.

Also you could buy an electronic nit comb to zap the buggers. Cost me £20 about 6 years ago in boots. You run it through dry hair and if it buzzes you’ve got one. Do it every day. Do their friends if they come over to play. So good not to use chemicals or have to do wet conditioned hair nit combing. My DD has ridiculously long thick hair so was a nightmare.

DropZoneOne · 26/03/2018 23:03

Coconut oil - big tub in supermarkets for about £3. Scoop out about 50ml worth for a little head. Microwave for 10-20 seconds to melt it then allow to cool slightly. Add a few drops of tea tree oil.

Coat roots with the oil then brush through to ends. Cover head in a shower cap or cling film for half an hour - this will suffocate any live lice same as the silicone Hedrin / Lyclear. Comb through with nitty gritty. Shampoo well!

Next day, spray hair lightly with water with a couple of drops of tea tree, tie back then hair spray. The tea tree seems to deter the lice and hair spray makes it hard for any determined ones to climb on.

Repeat after a few days to catch any eggs that hatched.

I use this as DD had an allergic reaction to Hedrin. Plus it leaves your hair lovely and soft!

dementedpixie · 27/03/2018 06:52

Eggs are glued to the hair so won't be on the pillow. Nhs says hot washing of bedding is not required. Not much you can do to stop reinfection if they are sticking their heads together at school

TheDuckSaysMoo · 27/03/2018 08:22

Conditioner and nitty gritty daily until they are gone. Watch you tube to make sure you are sectioning the hair and combing correctly to ensure you're not contaminating clean hair. Hair spray makes the hair less attractive for reinfection. Good luck Flowers

NowtSalamander · 27/03/2018 08:27

It sounds like you are getting rid of them, she’s just getting reinfected. We have had this with one child in DDs class for two years. There’s no escape! None of the many repellent ideas I’ve tried have worked.

I’ve complained so much to school that now DD wears a hat all day - this has been the only thing to keep the buggers off her.

restingbf · 27/03/2018 08:48

I found out blow drying the hair kills lice and dries out the eggs, my girls had nits a couple of months ago..I just kept blow drying their hair every 2/3 days after washing and it worked...you have to be persistant etc section the hair. I used conditioner/nit comb at first to get rid of most of them..for stubbon eggs, malt vinegar spray on the hair loosens them. The blow drying keeps them away now.

BishopBrennansArse · 27/03/2018 08:51

We had this issue. DD just kept going back to school and catching them again from a kid that wasn't being treated.

My hairdresser recommended a soy and argan oil leave in treatment which leaves hair so slippery the lice have trouble gripping.

It's worked so far. That, and plaits hairgripped to her head.

JackieReacher · 27/03/2018 08:54

We're in the same cycle. Just bought that nitwits from Amazon too (Amazon also much cheaper for lyclear). It's only one child and me that gets them, the others free and clear. And I've reached the point when I no longer know whether it's nuts or lyclear making my head itch- much itchier 6 hours after treating than before :-(

Branleuse · 27/03/2018 09:00

You need to put nit repellant spray every day for school as well as treating the nits with insecticide,
Tea tree oil or neem oil spray, and then tie hair back

BishopBrennansArse · 27/03/2018 09:22

@JackieReacher I think you're possibly at the point where you need to give your scalp a rest from the chemical and go to conditioner and comb for a bit. Or oil overnight and smother the buggers.

Original poster
bostonkremekrazy · 27/03/2018 11:32

Yep we also have the nit repellent spray that i put on her head before school each morning....
I will try everything suggested and be clear now over the Easter hols.....
.....its so crap that I know she'll be clear the first day of term after Easter and within days the whole cycle will start again.

OP posts: