To clipper cut DS’s with lice

[ThatHappyAmberDog]

DS7, 9 and 11 all have lice. I’m in the process of treating them but their hair is quite long and very thick. I have bought a pair of clippers from Amazon and plan to buzz their hair after school to make their treatment easier. I imagine they won’t be fond of this but it is going to save me hours of treatment and it will grow back. AIBU?

Please don't shave their heads! Do you use a hair dryer to dry their hair? It's the best think a keeping nits at bay as it dehydrates the eggs. This weekend do a comb through with loads of conditioner to remove the majority and use the hairdryer after until the hair and scalp are bone dry, then dry every night after a bath/shower... it really works!

That's all I did with my boys. They refused to sit to be treated and preferred just getting it off.

There's some sort of trend going around someone was telling me round here. Not totally a number one but close.

I still remember this happening to children in the 70s whose parents would give them drastic haircuts when they had nits , the bullying was horrible as everyone knew why they did it .

I was just trying to work out why I would have seen this many times over the years and others wouldn't and would be so disbelieving.

It might not be head lice related but it certainly happens round our way.

Get yourself a Nitty Gritty comb and lots of conditioner (and patience). You can't shave their head unless they really want you to. Yes it sucks having to de-lice, I have 2 girls with very long hair, so I do know, but its just one of those shit jobs you have to do as a parent.

Hi op,
Please don't shave their heads. I highly recommend Nitwits to get rid of lice and eggs. My daughter has long, thick hair and I'd tried various products as well as combing with conditioner in between treatments but nothing worked. Nitwits worked with just one treatment. It says you don't even need to use a nit comb. I did, just to be sure. I bought it off Amazon 😊

Ask them! It'll help preventing getting them again.
But let them decide. Explain it and give them a choice.
I don't think it's lazy but practical as long as they're happy to have it done. If not treatment it is.

There was a family near me nearly 25 years ago that shaved their 3 daughters when they got lice. Ironically, they kept clearing them to be reinfected by others who weren't treating them. They were being 'blamed' as being the 'poor' family.

Hair grows back, it doesn't stay short for long. I can completely understand why OP is considering this. I never got to that stage with mine, as they already had short hair. But I understand why others would choose this option purely for practical reasons.

I still remember a few years ago I accidentally shaved all my DS14 hair off, he was upset but I said it grows back and he did get used to it. I stupidly put the wrong size clipper on - user error🙈

My daughter had lice a few weeks ago. She has extremely thick, curly waist length hair. We dud a couple of treatments, and they've gone. I think it's a bit harsh to do a buzz cut unless they actually want it!

I thinks it's quite a shaming act.
Also, do check the uniform policy. Some schools say no buzz cuts in their policy.

How did this happen and what grade? 🙈

That's disgusting you're going to have loads of chopped lice

Ywbvu
my sons are same age as your 2 eldest and I can’t imagine them letting me do that and even if they did they’d be traumatized
not to mention probably bullied at school

that all being said shaved heads are not unusual round here (I hate it though)

if they want you to do it that’s different but I imagine that’s unlikely if they currently have long hair

and who does anything “after school” on a Saturday?!

Chances are you have them. Will you shave your hair?

Just douse them in cheap hair conditioner, let it sit for a while and comb it with one of the nitty gritty combs.It's not really difficult.
If you do this at least once a week for a few weeks they'll be nit free.

Alot of schools don't allow buzz cuts, our school doesn't allow anything below a 2 hair cut. But buzz cutting your kids hair over lice is ridiculous. You put the lice lotion on to kill them - then you fine comb them all out. It's not a fun task, but you will have to do it anyway.

The school will also have to send out a note to the class letting parents know there is an incidence of lice in the class - and your boys turning up to school with two shaved heads will just let all the other children know exactly who had the lice 🙄

I’m the opposite of all these responses, I think it’s cruel to allow them to have nits when you can shave it all off in minutes. I shaved my hair during the pandemic and it was so nice not to have to worry about lice combing.
The treatments don’t work first time (IME) and as you’ve experienced it’s cruel to pass them onto parent who don’t need any additional pressure.

Can lice use clippers?

I would treat rather than cutting their hair off.
My DD currently has head lice and it's a nightmare but we are persevering. Her hair is long and thick.
Do your boys want a buzz cut?

I do DS's with a number 5 on top and then 3-4 on the back and sides. I think it's a nice style, I would think something like that would be fine. Or if you don't want to comb and they don't want it cut use Hedrin Once and do two treatments 7 days apart. I used to do this for my DD who has sensory issues and very thick hair.

Yes absolutely. It's just a buzz cut. It will soon grow out. You're lucky they're boys!

Just do a normal cut not shaved but maybe a little shorter than normal. Nitty gritty comb with conditioner then treat then the next day repeat with comb and conditioner they’ll be gone quickly

are you going to shave your head at the same time?