What is the best treatment for head lice?

[electra]

There are a lot at dd1's school and she now seems to have a few eggs.

Is it the case that the whole family is no longer treated?

I have heard of a 'bug buster' kit which is apparently safer than Full Marks mousse (which I heard was withdrawn)

What would you all advise? It's the first time one of my children has caught this and I have two younger ones (including a baby).

bump

I have never had to use chemical means - the nitty gritty comb with conditioner, every other day for a week, sorted my children's nits out.

thanks for your advice - I will definitely get one!

I was told that tea tree conditioner is especially good. It can take a while and it's a bloody nuiscance having to treat everyone! I used anything and everything. I was told that the one-hour treatments are not so useful.

We are in the middle of this.
I woould comb with the nitty gritty every day. Everyone. Boring but effective.

I agree - loads of conditioner plus nit comb. Repeat ad nauseum

Another vote for conditioner and combing - every other day for 2 weeks makes sure they're gone.

As I understand it a lot of the chemical treatments are no longer fully effective, so you still have to do the combing anyway.

Thanks everyone - can you buy these nit combs on the high street?

Yes, any chemist will have one

My chemist told me to use tea tree shampoo and conditioner after treating for lice and continue using them for a while. She also suggested drops of tea-tree oil in the bath. Seemed to work for me after I got them from my niece. I have long hair and it was a nightmare combing them out. I ended up with loads of split ends.

Here, not the UK, they shave the head of the children a bit extreme but it works (probably the best for the baby though)

Metal toothed nit comb on wet hair with loads of conditioner on it. Rinse comb after each comb through - not in the bath but in a sink or separate bowl of water. Then rinse off the conditioner. Then after the bath spray on some de-tangling spray and comb again. This however won't get all the buggers. Next step is to go through the hair and crush the egg pods between your fingernails - this prevents them hatching overnight and starting the whole awful cycle again. Remember it only takes one for it to be a never ending battle. Crushing the live ones between your fingernails is enormously satisfying too! They can live for over week - so this is a really good way of finishing them off. The whole combing business needs to be repeated on a daily (twice if they're really bad)basis. Letting your child suffer with head lice is really cruel and can lead to a lack of concentration at school due to the itching. Also complain to the school if after repeated combing your child is repeatedly infected - someone else isn't combing!!!!

We do DD at least every other day and yet she is constantly infested.

She has long thick hair and despite me putting it up every single day she is obviously still catching them over and over at school.

I really don't see how a nit nurse can be more of a breach of human rights than it is a breach of my daughters right not to get an infestation.

grrr. can you tell this is a touchy subject?

There were articles published in the British Medical Journal in ?2006 and ?2007 (sadly now behind paywall). Both found that diligent wet-combing was as effective as other treatments, and, with the rise of the resistant nit, possibly the only efficacious treatment.

Aside from that, leave-in repellent conditioner is a good idea in outbreaks. I like the Boots one (it's exactly the same teatree based formula as the one they used to sell in the aromatherapy naturals range), or just use tea tree oil.

Hi Gigantaur - so if nearly every other day isn't working you'll need to do every day at first - maybe even twice for the first couple of days. (I didn't say it was easy - but it does work.)

I do agree that it's more then soul destroying when it starts again though. You just have to keep at it for your kid's sake - when they're a bit bigger they can have a go at the comb through themselves if you've used lots of conditioner. Best incentive to keep combing is the danger that you'll catch them too.....

Hair straighteners and crimping tongs will fry the little buggers. Drawback is that it won't get those in the millimetres of hair closest to the scalp.

We comb through daily for 3 days when she has had them and then every other day (unless she is at her dads) once we think they are gone. but still after a day of not combing she has at least one or two great big fat ones. They can't be from the previous outbreak as then there would be lots of baby ones too.

We are currently french plaiting her hair and then spraying it stiff with hairspray in an attempt to prevent them settling.

can't say as we have noticed a difference yet though

Sounds like you're doing everything you need to. The ginormous ones come from someone else - either at school or elsewhere. Does your ex have other kids? Only reason I ask is because my kids caught from their step sisters - their mum wasn't doing any combing at all.

no he doesn't. and they don't seem to come into contact with too many other young children whilst withhim either.
she is definitly catching them from school.

I have caught them a couple of times too which makes me even more frustrated.

i bloody hate them.
I go for shaving the entire school and de lousing everyone all in one go.

I buy Tesco's Tea Tree conditioner and nit comb with a Nitty Gritty.

I've tried Full Marks etc and combing seems to be the only way to get rid. Gutted. My DD has gorgeous long ringlets but despite plaiting and a hair band she's constantly infested.

Bring back Nitty Nora!!!