Nit combing-how to stop the screaming!!

[Pawslikepaddington]

Need to nit comb dd's hair tomorrow am (was meant to be tonight but she fell asleep on the way home). How on earth do you comb their hair for 30 mins with a nitty gritty? A once over and dd is SCREAMING so hysterically it is untrue. I can't leave her unchecked, argh!

Lots and lots and lots of conditioner and a big bag of sweeties.

chocolate?

He he, sweeties at 7am will keep her quiet actually! Can you see the blighters through the mega thick conditioner? Her hair is really thin so the comb pulls like mad!

And just in case that doesn't work-any back up plans?

A fantastic dvd?

Yeah because the blighters end up in the water or on the tissue when you clean the comb. The other alternative is, wash the hair the night before with lots of conditioner then rinse it out and pleat the hair so it is completely tug free in the morning, then the comb should glide through the hair. And a BIG BIG bribe for after.

Will bribe her with the toy shop-she still has birthday money to spend! Do I have to do this every week to check her hair? Or whenever we get a letter home?

If she can see that it is not that bad the first time you do it then she should let you check regularly. I just do spot checks on my dd's tbh, just whenever I feel I havent checked in a while, or if they have been scratching. Good luck.

Comb through with a normal comb, then a regular nit comb, and then finally a nitty gritty.

30 minutes? Really? Oops! usually I just comb through with some teatree conditioner and it does the job. (Alberto balsalm I think, don't get a really cheap one as my kids reacted to it). Just comb through and get her used to it.

Comb through, examine on tissue or side of sink, and if you've got one of those bug-magnifier thingies, better still.

Probably not a sensible option but if DD has long hair could you get it cut shorter - she will get less of those really painful two hair knots then...

It is above shoulder length, as we have problems with hair brushing full stop (which is why I am hyperventilating over this!!). Phwoar this is scaring me, I don't know why!!

I just use loads of conditioner, comb through with a normal fine tooth comb, yes lots of screaming and then with the 'Nit comb'. I use it and it really doesn't pull at all, not like all the other ones we've tried.

Presumably she has got nits? Or is this a precaution?

It is just a precaution, as I have been on websites (smacks head with hand) that says you cannot see them by looking at the scalp.

Lots of conditioner.

Plonk in front of telly

Comb thoroughly with a wide tooth comb

Section

Comb each section with a wide tooth comb and then the nitty gritty. Go all the way to teh end of the hair shaft. Don't try and pull the Nitty Gritty out half way down - it will tug and tangle.

Rinse the comb in a big jug/glass of water. All the blighters sink and you will see them in teh bottom of the glass.

Yes you can, you can see the little buggers scuttling around if you have an adult one. And they look just like they do on that advert when they're sat around drinking tea or whatever.

A lot depends on colour/texture/thickness of hair. Don't panic, give her a bag of popcorn or something, let her sit in front of the tv and very calmly comb away.

I sold it to mine as 'did they want bugs in their hair'?

I use a detangling spray on well-conditioned hair. Also got dd's hair cut to jaw length.
It's a f*cking nightmare. And she gave them to me and my hair is long and thick .

This thread is giving me the creeps. I hate the damn things. My dd had them for 6 weeks once (I could not get rid of them and she kept re getting them at nursery). One day I saw her scratching and parted her hair and there they were. YYYYYUUUUUUUCCCCCCKKKKKKKKK. That was the final straw I wrote a letter to all the parents in the nursery as the nursery wouldnt let the parents know and she never had them again after that. Someone in the nursery hadnt noticed their child had nits and he was re infecting the kids.

i know everyone says to use loads of cheapo conditioner normally, but i tried that once and it was a disaster. dd has thick, long, ringlet-y hair, i need to use the best, thickest conditioner money can buy or the comb tears at her hair. but with kerastase or somesuch and the judicious use of a lollipop and tv to keep hands and eyes occupied, it's absolutely fine.

I use Dove conditiner personally.

I go through a bottle a week (on 2 children) when we are treating headlice....but it is soooo worth it.

It is at times like this I think maybe having a boy is better! I have kept my nice and easy conditioner to one side, have just done my hair and it is clear (we co sleep, so a good sign!) and actually have popcorn in-woo! Did have a complete freakout moment though when I found loads of black specs floating in the water-I had forgotten that I had been wearing a black woolen jumper, and my hair had been laying on it all day!

oh god, ive not even read the thread and this strikes fear into my inner core!!! I think i will just be done with it and shave DDs head when she starts school. Honestly - she screams blue murder now if i even brush her hair, ever so very gently with a magic brush that doesn't hurt. The Nit comb??? Shoot me now!

Earplugs, definitely and a good film.

Woooohooooo! We are clear!!! She was not happy, but bribery was key! (And the threat that I would have to cut all her hair off if she didn't let me do it, as it was not fair to give nits to her friends if she has them! Gosh I'm mean!!)