I CANNOT get rid of nits!

[BoysRule]

So - two DSs at school. For the last term they have had nits every week at least (I suspect they have never gone). I treat them with shampoo every week and comb them. I have just got a nitty gritty comb too.

We went on holiday for two weeks and I took the nit shampoo with me and they still have them. I have used headrin, lyclear and full marks.

I am also treating myself. I am totally at a loss. HELP!!!!

You can't just treat and wait a week. They have ongoing nits. You need to do conditioner/nit comb every day or every other day until they are actually gone.

You need to nit comb daily with the nitty gritty . Once a week is totally insufficient

Once a week won't work for a combing approach - you need to be doing it every 2-3 days for 3 weeks (to cover the full breeding cycle)

If a pesticide-based shampoo isn't working, and you have been following the instructions, then you probably have got a case of resistant nits. That means you need to comb everyone thoroughly and more frequently, and consider using one of the smothering-type treatments as well (eg Full Marks, but it can leave you greasy for a day or so)

Use cheap conditioner, really worked through the hair, and nitty gritty. At least every other day for 2 weeks, to clear adults and hatchlings.

If I do nitty gritty every day will that work? Or do I need to shampoo every day too?

Nitty gritty every day will work. Why haven't you been treating them properly? Good advice on NHS website

On the instructions it says treat and then do it a week later. That's what I have been doing. I will start using the nitty gritty comb and conditioner every night until they go.

Harder on my own hair though as it is long and thick.

Get it cut then

Boys should be easier to clear them , shorter hair so less opportunity to pass them on. I'd suggest you are reinfecting each other. Shampoo weekly alone won't solve it. If your hair is long, tie it up.

I'm afraid bitter experience has shown me not to place faith in the nitty gritty. I recall one instance where I combed the same strand of hair on multiple occasions having spotted an egg, and it still didn't budge. Resorted to fingers in the end.
What worked for us was that Hedrin once. You have to absolutely soak them in it tho.

Every 2nd day

Put cheap conditioner on hair - boots have a good tea tree one that is v cheap and nits dont like tea tree

Nitty gritty comb hair

Shampoo out with normal shampoo

Another one for the Nitty Gritty Comb.
DD has long hair, e just couldn't stop it, white cases of eggs in hair, even though hair was free of chads, this comb stopped it the same day. We do it on clean dry hair.
Brush her hair, till no knots.
Use your normal nit comb.
Then use the nitty comb. till you don't get any more nits on the comb.
Repeat the brush and nitty comb every day, morning and night...
Result no more infestations ever.

Slatherings of conditioner and combing with a head lice comb is the best way, every day - honestly. Far better than the chemical remedies, which the lice become immune to, so are relatively ineffective.

Also, a dab of tea-tree oil at the nape of the neck deters them (they don't like the smell)

(The nits are the eggs laid by the headlice, by the way, not the lice themselves).

We have some friends who keep reinfecting our kids it pisses me off but they're good friends and she does try and clear them.

The only thing that works for us is combing with tea tree conditioner & nitty gritty, then drowning them in hedrin mousse - it has to be the mousse. Leave it on overnight, rinse off in the morning then comb again 2-3 days later to make sure they're clear. I did it at the start of the hols and they're still clear. My boys get them much more/worse than my girl oddly enough.

The actual eggs can be so cemented on that no comb will remove them.

Nit combs (and nitty gritty is a good one) get the hatchlings, and you want to do it often enough to remove the new critters before they reach sexual maturity. This takes (typically) 4 days, out of a lifespan of 21 days). That's why you need to comb no more than 3 days apart for a minimum of 17 days,. I'd aim for every other day for 3 weeks (to be in the safe side)

karlos your comb might have missed an egg or two, but the point of combing regularly , every day or two, is that when the egg hatched your comb would get the baby nit before it had time to mature, mate and lay its own eggs. Mwahahaha (evil baby nit killer cackle).

Eggs do stick on tight to the hair shaft, they have to because if eggs dropped off baby nits would not have access to their food supply .

I caught them from my daughter. After doing the conditioner, nitty gritty etc for a couple of weeks, I thought zapping them with my hair straightener might work. It did! I did dd's hair too and they were finally gone. Maybe your sons hair is too short but you can at least try it on your own.
Good luck. It's horrendous.

It is to be continuous. You can't just treat hair and leave it at that. They go back to school, they get reinfected and you're back to square one.

Every time your kids wash their hair - do the nit comb/conditioner treatment. Every time. It adds a few minutes to bath-time but it completely breaks the cycle of infestation / egg laying / egg hatching.

We used to do it without thinking. It just became part of our routine like brushing their teeth or washing their face. Kids would have their bath / shower then call me in and we'd do the conditioner/comb thing - right up until they were young teens.

Any cheap conditioner will do - just slather it on and comb through the whole head wiping comb each time on a bit of loo paper in between each stroke. It will keep them nit free and no need for any chemicals.

Thank you everyone. I will wash condition and comb every other day until they're gone.

For you OP it is very wearisome.

I had this also.

I now keep their hair really short, number 2 round the back and sides and short on top and haven't had nits this year despite numerous letters from the school asking all parents to check their kids etc.

Just shave their heads OP, there's nothing else for it

I find this shampoo to be really good. It is sometimes in the 1p sale in Holland and Barrett, or you can also get it on Amazon.

I found conditioner the best and I did it every night/every second night and it worked. It's a pain but I had to up what I was doing and it finally worked. Don't trust the nitty gritty combs. The only way is getting a torch, shine it in the hair and comb through in pieces throughly. Best of luck- they are such a curse

Slather on Cheap tea tree conditioner and comb through. Repeat daily.

Boil wash bedding, wash or vacuum all soft furnishings. Bag up soft toys and leave them in shed for a couple of weeks.

And like comebacksun I've used the hair straighteners at the mere suggestion of nits doing the rounds. Your sons hair might be too short but you can do yours.

I also make a hair spritz using water with essential oils (rosemary, lavender, tea tree) and spritz the hair daily after the combing and washing

Like comebacksun I have used the hair straighteners