Nits / headlice

[OnlyWantsOneTwoAndThree]

Dd1 is 5 and in reception - she has curly hair that when wet is below her shoulder blades but bounces right up to her ears when dry.

Every night she has a bath - and we wash her hair and I comb through her hair with a nitty gritty comb.

I'm not a fool, I know nits are one of those things with kids - but for fuck sake seriously, please tell me im not the only one that is CONSTANTLY finding one or two adults a night? Hardly ever an egg, but nearly always an adult.

I treat her with nasty head lice removal stuff (plus me and DP, DD2 etc and wash all bed linen and towels, even car seats etc)

What am I doing wrong?

It does seem that when ever she plays with one particular child (play dates etc, not at school) she always has lots of adults on her head that night, coincidence?

What to do?

It doesn't sound like you are doing anything wrong it sounds like other child's parents aren't treating the nits their child has.

constant use of chemicals doesn't sound good, have you tried using oils? neals yard do one thats meant to be quite good, think you are doing everything you can, combing is meant to be the best - nitty gritty comb is really good

I only use the chemical treatments if I find egg infestation (only done it twice) as I hate them. I'm using tea tree oil spray thing from my local health food shop which sprays on after washing on damp hair and have been using Vosene anti nit shampoo

it really does sound like you are doing everything you can... any chance school can help with some reminders for parents? our school has bug busting day once a month and sends home info to remind parents, what to do etc

we've put cuddly toys in freezer overnight before to kill bugs... only other lice removal thing I can think of, we also vaccum matresses and round beds etc, I'm sure you're doing this already!

Tea tree oil nice you've used conditioner and a nitty gritty comb.

Have found a few drops a day on the hair combed through does wonders

The trouble is that you can do all the right things but if other parents are not, you will be fighting a losing battle.

You are not doing anything wrong. Some lice are resistant to pesticides, which of course means only the combing is having any effect.

You just have to stick with it and keep combing.

Ok. How do i "approach" this friends mother my sister and tell her that I suspect her little darling my neice is infecting my daughter with nits once a fortnight

Only finding 1 or 2 large adults and no eggs would suggest they've recently hoped on wouldn't it??

i agree, sounds as though it's new adults hopping on each time. so frustrating. i think there's absolutely no harm in letting the other parent know.

Not necessarily. They could be hatchings from missed eggs - which as the damned things are more or less cemented on is easily done.

This link which infuses the life cycle of the louse and a recommended combing programme, might be helpful.

scratch scratch scratch...! got me itching now

I'm scratching too! Always do when I open louse threads!

Edith - BLEEUGHHHHHHHH

we do that. We comb. Every bloody night!!

Last night no nits and no eggs. Neice comes over today and tonight 2 adult nits

I tie her hair back at school in the HOPE it makes a difference

It's just fucking constant. I feel like texting all my friends with kids and say
"go and look properly you dullard"

I'm also running out of imaginative ways to keep dd happy in the bath while i do it, as it takes a good 20 mins at the quickest and it's frankly dull as shit isn't it

I not check every few days, conditioner and nitty gritty in front of the TV or with the iPad before a bath.

I think I know who we are catching them from but I'm to to say anything.

I have psoriasis so my skin is pretty itchy as it is, and this week I have an appt with a skin specialist (and some one will be examining my scalp) I REALLY DONT WANT NITS

If you are finding adults so often but no eggs, you need to think about your combing technique. For eggs will be there (adult females lay 8-10 a day) and it seems you aren't getting these out or (more importantly) the young hatchlings before they start to breed. This is probably why they never go away.

I'm only finding adults when she's been with this one child

Any way - I section all her hair up and start at the bottom nape of her neck and work through the hair, I use conditioner so that the comb goes through easily - I then rinse her hair & re comb through

I am struggling with this too. We go thru DD hair constantly but still comes home with them just as I think we've got her clear , I spot some on her head is very frustrating.

In OP you said you combed daily and were constantly finding them, hence my assumption. But even if she acquired adults once from this child, then you are missing the hatchlings from the eggs those adults will have laid, as you do not appear to be finding eggs (difficult as their stuck on) or hatchlings.

As SeventhEverything said, you need to be really careful about sectioning and combing (thick curly hair? At least 30mins each time). Because until you see you are getting rid of hatchlings (before they are adult and laying) you cannot say you are getting rid of them.

could you tell the other mother (your sister) that you found some on dd and suggest she check her dd - kind of making it sound like her dd caught them from yours rather than accusing her, not great if you know she's the culprit but end result might be benificial - maybe buy her a nitty gritty comb and suggest washing bedclothes etc, could you have niece over for bedtime and de-louse her? problem is if the bedding at home isn't washed then they'll only come back....