Nits Nits Nits!!!!

[MssHardbroom]

For the last few months we have been taken over by headlice and nits! My daughter has very long hair and also ASD with sensory issues so it is an extra nightmare. It started about three months ago and I started off with the NHS guidelines with the conditioner and nit comb on prescribed days. I thought that would be ok. Found nits about a week later after end of treatment! Since then have tried about four different branded treatments following the instructions carefully and following up seven days later. Have just had a phone call from school to say DD is scratching her head and appears to have nits. I can't pick her up as I'm in work and got the distinct impression they're thinking single parent, not caring for daughter etc, receptionist was extremely snotty on the phone. In fairness it touched a nerve as I do now feel like the crappiest mum alive and I'm at my (nit) wits end with the blighters. This is the first time she's ever had them (she's 11). I don't recall nits ever being this much of a problem when I was young, you seemed to apply a treatment and they were gone?? Any advice support would be so gratefully received.

The life cycle is 3 weeks so I would repeat after a 3rd week rather than just do the 2 treatments.

Nitty gritty comb. Buckets of cheap conditioner. Divide hair into small sections so nothing gets missed. Can you get her to sit in front of a film while you do it so she's distracted?

Treat with nit loot ion once a week for at three weeks, four would be better.

We had the same problem with DS, I think there are super strength lice in his class!

If she still has them after treatment then someone else is infecting her

Use tea tree oil a few drops in conditioner and direct to hair in the morning to help keep them off

I feel your pain! Sounds like she's catching them off someone else in her class. Does she wear her hair up in a bun every day? Swinging ponytails aren't enough.
IME I didn't bother with the over counter treatments, I just did conditioner and nit comb every 3rd day for 2 weeks. They hate tea tree oil too, so if shes happy to go off to school with a few dabs to back of neck and behind ears etc then that will help.
However, once she's nit free you'll need to keep up with hair up-dos every day...get those snappy things so she can do messy buns, doughnuts etc.

Yup. ^ nitty gritty!!

Nothing worked for me except nitty gritty comb everyday for about 3-4 weeks.

I did the not combing twice a day for about 3 weeks and then every other day. I was still catching teeny tiny eggs. It took bloody ages and we had to get up early to do it but they are thankfully clear now. Just keep going and up the intensity of the treatment. And check yourself too. Best of luck x

Nitty gritty. We had an outbreak in school that lasted for about 6 months sometime want being treated and it just kept getting passed on. Nitty Gritty and conditioner every 3 days. How long is long - do you plait it up for school?

Super duper down to the back of her.legs long. I plait it every day for school , never leave it down. Because of the problems we want to get it cut to Bob length or shorter but obvs need to get rid of the creatures first :(

I just plait it. Think it's too long to do a bun. We want to get it cut, Bob length or Pink style (she loves her). I think this is a good idea as she swims a lot and has a very sensitive scalp as to pain when brushing but obvs can't get it cut until we get rid of the little sods :(

Cut the length off, work on getting rid of the nits, then get a proper cut. Good luck. It's a nightmare.

Condition and comb with nitty gritty
Hard if asd makes that more difficult though
My son caught them luckily he had 2 quite big ones but that’s it but loads of eggs
Used prescribed stuff but didn’t do much so conditioned and combed for 2/3 weeks every other day. It’s hard - I’ve got 4 so did this every day, and wore my own hair up.
I used tea tree conditioner the cheap Alberto balsam type as we went through so much.
Hope you can eradicate them, shame to cut her hair though sounds beautiful I had very long hair as a kid can imagine combing it is a nightmare for you

Anoop like olive oil and mix 3 drops tea tree 3 drops of peppermint and 3 drops of lavender oils put it on the hair and stick a shower cap over after an hour comb through with nit comb as it pulls eggs out the put shampoo directly on the hair and massage until all hair is covered rinse then wash as normal.
My ds2 has very sensitive skin so reacts to not lotions I looked online at different solutions and through trial and error found this works and the oils seem to be a deterrent for about a week and a half.

An oil not annop no idea what happened there.

My youngest was plagued by the things. Hyper-tactile and dyspraxic and TBH I do think some of the medical treatments she has had for failure to thrive and benign tumours have left her susceptable to the brutes.

The lotions did not help so I bought a really good nit comb and very good conditioner she could stand the smell of and spent every evening for three months combing. Her hair was midlength and I always plaited it. I swear there must have been a sign saying tasty scalp this way.

In the end I explained how badly she was being affected to the hairdresser I have used for years. They very kindly saw her as the last person of the day and cut her hair. They know how hyper-tactile she is and went at her speed whilst cutting. I can honestly say that was money well spent as it allowed her to also comb her hair and feel more in control of the bitey things.

Short hair, comb and conditioner worked were longer hair, comb and conditioner did not. IF you have a friendly hairdresser and a kid whose life is being made a misery it might be worth having a quiet word with them and ask for their help.

My Son has thick curly hair & seems to always pick them up at school.....late last night I gave him his bedtime hug and spotted one again by his ear!
Searched all through cupboards hoping had some treatment left but nothing.
I suddenly had an epiphany......my face wash is tea tree and clay!
I set to work massaging it into his scalp paying particular attention to round his ears and nape of neck ......added a little water if it dried out and then combed through.
Left it on his hair for 15 minutes checking if it was tingling or uncomfortable but he said it was refreshing......
Washed out in bath and combed through with small toothed comb.
I could see the dead ones floating in the bath - It worked!!!!!

It might be worth having a word with the school and asking if they can organise a 'bug busting' day, i.e. getting all parents to comb on the same day, so that the risk of re-infestation is lower. It's so frustrating when you've worked so hard to get rid of them and then you're back to square one.