Fucking NITS!

[PyongyangKipperbang]

AIBU to think that there is no reason why nits should still be doing the rounds?!

We managed to be completely nit free for what felt like the first time in years during lockdown. Not back at school a month and already they are back in the house.

I cannot fathom anyone who allow a child to go untreated for that long, it is neglect surely?

Avon’s skin so soft works wonders!! Spray in and comb out. Surprisingly no oily residue and it’s cheap.

Add tea tree oil to shampoo and conditioner and a few drops combed through the hair keeps them off.

I've never had nits. DS twice. Strange as I have long hair and am usually irresistable to mosqitoes, ticks and leeches!

We are however, on the worming tablets already. No idea how long my precious darlings have been harbouring illicit pets. They have been back at school two weeks so all bets are open...

You'd hope that anti-Covid measures would help (especially cleaning in school), but actually the logistics of hand washing in public places is harder than ever and a good handwash is far more useful than making do with gel.

Went thru school in 70' s & never a nit outbreak. Doing work experience at my old school come 16, they were constantly battling them. I read that in the US, Listerine left on overnight is great. Also, in the late 40's my DM said everyone used white vinegar left on overnight which was mega effective. Obviously you need to rinse off with water first , then shampoo etc & comb.

FYI, if you have a child who has afro/curly hair that you use the lube method on, dont buy baby oil for nits at the same time. DD3 just reminded me of this when I did it shortly before lockdown. 2 bottles of each.

I just KNOW that the checkout lady was judging me :o

These little feckers will always be around. I used to obliterate them with vinegar, it dissolves the substance that sticks the eggs to the gaur shaft, and olive oil. That dissolves their exoskeletons.

I mixed the two together to stop the vinegar running freely and hold a towel above the DC’s eyes, head tilted back, and smother the hair from root to top. Wrap a towel on the head and leave for 30 minutes. Then comb through with a nit comb. Repeat after 7 days.

Either olive oil or coconut oil, cheapest option, both kill the adults.

The only thing I found to work was the the stuff which suffocates the lice and eggs. We used a Lycoclear one which needs to stay on for several hours and makes the hair quite crispy.
One thing I found helped was a weekly comb through wet hair with the nitty gritty comb. I realise it doesn't stop them but I guess it's preventrd them take hold! DD has long, fine straight hair so it's quite easy to do this.
Don't use the preventative sprays as they don't work.

dd had ezcema & at that time was prescribed polytar shampoo frankly i think the little blighters couldn't stand the smell
I am ancient but I cannot remember every having nits at school (in Australia & UK) but when I was cm (in UK a few years back) one of my minded dc gave the little creeps to all of us - Thats when I discovered what nits felt like - the most unbearable itch - how can adults not do anything about them?
we used the chemical twice (the six day gap) than conditioners toilet paper (for the bodies) & nit comb (make sure its the metal comb) & try coal tar shampoo
I have been bitten by all sorts of exotic insects (mosquito, Scottish midges, cat fleas, horse flies & a leach) etc but nothing itches like nits

I read relatively recently that the fad for super long hair and taking selfies with friends has led to an increase in nits in teenage girls.

@Bluntness100

A nitty gritty comb (£10 from boots or free on prescription) and LOTS AND LOTS of cheap conditioner!

And this is why they continue. This is it in a nutshell. This doesn’t even come close to eradicating your kids nits.

Really? Damn, guess we were very lucky then. DS1 had nits only once and I got rid of them with the nitty gritty method. I've used it regularly on both my DC just to check them too. DS2 has never had them and DS1 never got them again.

I did use it very, very thoroughly though, took about 40 mins each time to cover every millimetre of their short hair from root to tip and repeated every other day for three weeks when DS1 caught them - not just a quick comb through a couple of times then give up. Maybe people aren't doing it properly/for long enough? I can't imagine how long it would take to do waist length thick hair.

@lyralalala I wonder if hair type plays a part? My two both have very fine hair. Several of the kids I know that have constant nits have coarse, thick hair.

I never had them as a child. Ds1 never had them at Primary.

Ds2 got them within months of starting school and shared them with me and ds1, and then again a few months later

Maybe people aren't doing it properly/for long enough? I can't imagine how long it would take to do waist length thick hair.

I think this is the problem. Ten minutes then theyre done. I do it properly, which in DD4's hair take about an hour and a half. I do that as standard to keep them at bay but if we do get a proper infestation then I use Boots own treatment alongside (or the baby oil thing if we have a couple of weeks off school).

Damn, guess we were very lucky then

Yes you were. And did your son have short hair or long hair like many girls do? Because I’m fairly sure you’re not so ignorant to not know that’s a key factor. Right.?

[quote Jointhecircus]@lyralalala I wonder if hair type plays a part? My two both have very fine hair. Several of the kids I know that have constant nits have coarse, thick hair.[/quote]
Probably it is.

I think the kid's personality also plays a part. It's not a huge surprise to me that the one of mine that has never had them is not a fan of people in her personal space; she's not into hugs, hates selfies etc.

I think a large part may be that she just doesn't get as close to other kids as her siblings do (though doesn't explain the never)

For the people struggling to get rid of them.(not you OP as you sound on the ball). You need to go all out. Most people have the outdated opinion that live don’t live off the head for longer than 24 hours - they can and do.

-Bag up all soft toys and quarantine them for a week or so in the garage or somewhere out of the way that kids can’t get to them.

-Wash all bedding - ideally daily full bedding changes but pillowcases at the very least and bedding every third day.

-Disinfect all brushes and bobbles

-Vacuum everywhere - under beds, mattresses, couches etc.

• treat everyone in the house. Even if you have no itching or signs of bits still use the stuff and change your bedding and disinfect brushes etc. Men with hardly any hair still get washed too.

-Change all towels every day. For at least a week.

• rotate jackets if possible and if you can wash it or at least tumble dry for 10 mins a day to kill any bugs.

-things that the hair does touch (like school bags) that can’t really be washed I give a run over with a sticky lint roller brush each day.

So it’s a week on constant cleaning and washing as well as treating the hair and nit combing but it will work and you can get rid of them first time.

Hair straighteners can zap them too. However, you can't get right to the scalp which is where the eggs tend to be.

Bag up all soft toys and quarantine them for a week or so in the garage or somewhere out of the way that kids can’t get to them

They can actually take months to die not a week.

@BluebellsGreenbells
I generally find a week to a week and a half works well in a cold place like the garage. I don’t see many children being too happy with losing access to all of their soft toys for months. I’ve never seen anything that says they can live without host for months (do you have any links for me to look at please?). Most advice says 72 hours but I go a week to two weeks to be safe.

I do also generally run the vacuum hose over them too when I take them back out again. I’ve never not been successful in getting rid of them first time. DD has caught them 4 separate times and it’s worked first try.

My primary school kids had a couple of infestations in the past and I found that the best treatment is the hedrin - nitty gritty combo. Neither are quite enough on their own. I usually do a check with the comb after the hedrin treatment and I am still finding some of the little buggers.
So far no nits yet since going back after lockdown but reading this thread I am already dreading them..

Oh god I had no idea they were such a problem. DD just starting reception and she's never had them so far, despite attending nursery since 10 months old. I remember having them once or twice as a child.

Year 3 was a nitty year for DD. Anything we did didn't affect the little visitors. They didn't go until the summer holiday. She hasn't had them since and is now in Year 8.

Been the same with worms here OP! How the hell did we get worms when kids were apart for so long. (Well again it’s because treating the family cost me £20, and most people don’t realise the GP will prescribe!)

Oh god I haven’t checked dds’ hair since being back. I’d assumed there’d be less around! Dd3 has a boy in her class with long hair and the mum has 5dc and believes all dc have nits... well in dd3’s class this is true because despite the rest of us treating our dc this mum doesn’t

Over lockdown I shaved my sons and my hair off and nit combed my daughter every week although I had no evidence of nits. I was not going to be the parent cultivating them for the return to school. My daughter luckily fell out with the kid who has nits and we’ve had no bother since. It is neglect and children should be sent home for it.

It is a class issue. My kids were at a private school- most of the parents didn’t give a toss. I work in a deprived area- attitude completely different and seen as ‘neglect’ etc and a huge stigma.