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Original poster

shaving girl's head ot get rid of nits?

79 replies

marykat2004 · 29/08/2010 14:54

Hello has anyone done that? my friend kept her son's hair at a 'number 1', which means extremely short, hair for the duration of primary school.

But has anyone cut their girl's hair short to prevent nits? I once met someone in Devon who had done so but I don't know how to get in touch with that person. All the girls in DD's class have long hair. DD does not want her hair cut short.

we have gone through 2 treatments already and doing a third tonight. on the 6th of September i have an operation. I will not be able to be nit combing for several weeks after the op at least, and DH won't do it (he cut his own hair to "number 1" rather than deal with the treatment.)

thanks

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ShinyAndNew · 29/08/2010 15:35

This is utterly absurd. Your DH would rather shave his daughters head, against her wishes than spend ten minutes each night combing and you would consider letting him? Shock

Is this a joke?

Dh is useless at hairstyling. Ponytails baffle him, but he still tries. He has still done the nitty gritty when we thought they were infected.

Brasso4 · 29/08/2010 20:46

I am shocked. This sounds awful, just for reference there was a little girl at the school I teach at who had had her head shaved due to nits, she was under child protection consideration because staff at her primary school were so concerned about this action and the impact it had on her self-esteem.

onimolap · 29/08/2010 20:52

With hair at the length you describe, I think you could get a heck of a lot better protection than a short cut, by plaiting and smoothing a bit of repellant leave in conditioner over it (I like the Boots one).

unfitmother · 29/08/2010 20:54

Sounds horrific to me and pretty much like neglect.

amberleaf · 29/08/2010 20:55

Are you serious?

also do you really think that having short hair means she wont get nits? she will still get them, the combing will be easier but you will still have to treat her hair all the same.

My boys have short hair-nits are still a pain in the a*

lucykate · 29/08/2010 20:57

do not cut her hair short. that is such a cruel thing to do just because your dh can't be arsed to sit and nit comb her!

nannynick · 29/08/2010 21:02

"For many women, this hair-shearing process remains in memory perhaps the single most terrifying and humiliating event that happened in the camps. In many ways, shearing took away an external characteristic used not only to establish femininity, but as a method to reaffirm one's feminine sexuality." (Source: Women's Sexuality in WWII Concentration Camps

Don't think I need to add more... the above says enough.

AllSheepareWhite · 29/08/2010 21:05

Buy some Neem oil, shampoo and conditioner such as this one. Once you have treated and combed through with Neem oil you can use shampoo and conditioner regularly to keep the nits at bay. That way you don't have to think about that close shave :)

unfitmother · 29/08/2010 21:09

I presume OP is at least having both arms amputated or this will turn out to be someone's idea of a 'joke' as OP has disappeared.

TitsalinaBumSquash · 29/08/2010 21:10

I have very long hair, i plait (sp?) it when im going somehwere i know head Lice will be rampant, i plait then spray with Teatree repelant.

Wink
saintlydamemrsturnip · 29/08/2010 21:10

You can't give your dd a grade 1. Don't be silly.

Is this a joke?

marriednotdead · 29/08/2010 21:21

Perhaps OP is having breast or shoulder surgery...
Cropping a girls hair against her wishes is cruel and would traumatise her. I speak from bitter experience Sad

deakell · 29/08/2010 21:26

Your OH needs to get his act together and just comb DD hair.

It would be so awful to cut it just for this reason - seriously, how lazy is he!

UniS · 30/08/2010 23:00

Nowt wrong with short hair on a girl. BUT a simple grade 1 or 2 will look a bit brutal. I did it once ( on me) and I didn't recognise myself in a mirror. And I had short hair before, just not quite THAT short.

Personally I quite liked
" graded up to a 4 round the sides and about an inch and a half long on top" Short enough to comb, short enough to dry very quickly.

Sadly Whatever you do short will need bit of style to stop her looking like a boy now that long hair is soooooo common for girls.

follyfoot · 30/08/2010 23:07

When I was 8 my mum took me to the hairdressers for a very short cut because my hair was always knotty and tangled easily. It felt like a punishment.

It was 40 years ago, and I remember to this day how humiliated I felt. In fact so humiliated that I wore a hat to cover my shame - I can remember as clear as day exactly what that hat looked like. Dont do it.

Tie it back and if that doesnt work, plait it.

Katisha · 30/08/2010 23:11

Same here. Sudden short haircut after years of long hair at about 8 or 9. I have no idea why my mother did it. Must ask.
I went to school with my hood up.

MadameSin · 31/08/2010 08:32

Makes no difference. Ds2 has a number 1 and still gets them. Vosene do a 'Tea Tree' spray you use after washing their hair .. that seems to work for him. All part of the wonders of primary years I'm afraid Wink

shongololo · 31/08/2010 08:50

i though men didnt get nits because the little blighters dont like all that testosterone....

Tell your DH that anyway.

ANd dont shave your child's hair - we are only just back at long hair stage with teenager who hated us for keeping her hair in a chin length bob. shaved hair would be a total humiliation and you may as well hang a big sign around her neck saying "UNCLEAN".

My friend swears by tea tree behind the ears and down to nape of neck - just a dab, neat, every day. Shes a school nurse.

Friends of girls at school get tea tree oil in a squirty bottle of water and give kids a quick spray each morning.

Tie her hair back really tightly in braids.

Have her sleep in braids too - stops getting into a tangled mess in the first place.

Make sure you wash the whole family's bedding at 60deg.

HSMM · 31/08/2010 08:55

My DD has long (half way down her back) thick curly hair. I nit combed her hair once or twice a week all the way through primary school. If I didn't do it, then DH did it.

munchkinland · 31/08/2010 09:08

My dd has very long hair and is just about to start year 1 she did
not have nits at all last year, but did when she had shorter hair in nursery.

Prevention measures are the key, once you have got rid of them ask your dd to have her hair tied back (ponytail or plait) and spray a light mist of hairspray every morning.

Don't cut her hair just to prevent nits it won't work!

PosieParker · 31/08/2010 09:14

All you have to do is condition and comb through every night unyil they're gone and then every three nights to ensure you get every last one. Cutting your dds hair short so your DH won't have to brush it is Shock.

booyhoo · 31/08/2010 09:17

sorry your DH needs to suck it up and do this for his daughter. she has said she doesn't want short hair. if you cut her hair you will be making a big mistake. hair can mean alot to a child. tell your DH to be a proper dad and do what needs done.

booyhoo · 31/08/2010 09:20

and also. put your DD's hair in a tight ponytail and then plait the ponytail to minimise contact with other kids' hair.

OnlyWantsOne · 31/08/2010 09:23

Please please dont shave your DDs hai because of the nits - poor girl, tell your DP to grow up and man up.

When I was at high school a whole family of kids, (at least 2 girls) had their heads shaved to stop the nits they had caught off younger siblings, terrible terrible effect it had on their confidence.

rainbowinthesky · 31/08/2010 09:40

Not many threads make me swear but this one is unfuckingbelievable. Shit and lazy parenting.