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Original poster

Quick Lice Question

25 replies

NotQuiteCockney · 07/12/2005 09:49

I found a bug in DS2's hair. It looked like it had wings. Lice don't have wings, do they? It was also quite big, bigger than I'd think lice would be ...

I'm digging out the comb and conditionner, obviously, but it just doesn't look right ...

OP posts:
wewishyouaClaryChristmas · 07/12/2005 09:52

NQC - doesn?t sound like lice to me. Bit late in the year for other bugs tho?
Headlice are a few mm long and look like little beasties with six legs but no wings.

trolleyshoeloose · 07/12/2005 09:57

Lice don't have wings. Wet comb with conditioner though anyway, see if you find any more creepies. Look out for the eggs too. Then you would know.

Original poster
NotQuiteCockney · 07/12/2005 10:01

It seemed to have folded up wings on its back. I didn't see it fly or anything, though. It looked like a tiny fruit fly, I guess.

The creepy thing is, a couple of times I've scratched my head to find a similar-looking bug. So it's combs all around, I think.

OP posts:
IOTAnnenbaum · 07/12/2005 10:04

did it look like this

IOTAnnenbaum · 07/12/2005 10:05

or one of these fine specimens

crimbocrazydazy · 07/12/2005 10:07

Yes they are lice, horrible looking things. DD keeps bloody catching them and is so annoying. I get rid of them and then a week later she gets them again. Really irritates me that parents can't be bothered to take time to rid their kids of these horrible things

One of the parents was taken aside because they had seen 3 lice crawling in her hair. I would have died.

crimbocrazydazy · 07/12/2005 10:07

Not her hair, her daughters

Mistymoo · 07/12/2005 10:14

My ds was at the barbers - got his hair checked first and then when just about finished the barber found one.

I was the only one in thankfully but the barber was good as he did finish the cut as he had checked the hair first and was nearly finished. I treated his hair as soon as we got home there was about 10 lice. Does that mean that he just caught them? Should we all be treated at once even though he is the only one with them?

Original poster
NotQuiteCockney · 07/12/2005 10:25

We haven't had any letters about lice lately. I do the conditionner and comb thing when we get one.

That being said, DS1 could have a few, without me noticing, what with me not knowing what they look like!

I think I may have mistaken the bulgy back body bit for wings. The nanny, who was about to take DS2 away, was sure it was a lice. (Can you say "a lice"? Sounds wrong.)

Off to buy a nit comb as I can't find ours.

OP posts:
lyra41 · 07/12/2005 11:08

louse

Original poster
NotQuiteCockney · 07/12/2005 12:31

Thanks, a louse, a louse. No wonder "a lice" sounded wrong.

Ok, it's definately lice. I found some adolescent ones in his hair, and some eggs, too. I bought the best lice comb I could find, with two rows of metal teeth ... but still, I think it wasn't getting all the eggs, so I picked them out by hand. Great fun. At least he hasn't got much hair, and what he's got is straight.

Poor thing. He's got lice, weepy yucky eyes, and a bit of a cold, too.

OP posts:
Original poster
NotQuiteCockney · 07/12/2005 12:45

Bit of a weird added question - how do I sort out my hair? Or do I have to get DH to do it?

I got out the clippers and cut it all off, down to maybe half a cm (been meaning to do it for a while, the bug fear just made me get my act together!). But I can't really see my own head ... and now I've seen lice on DS2 I'm itching like crazy.

I'm not looking forward to telling the school, playgroup etc etc. Had a good chat with the mum whose son is coming home with DS1 today, and she was very mellow about it. So at least no stress there.

OP posts:
majormoo · 07/12/2005 14:50

Can I ask a question as well?

I've had an itchy head for a few days and noticed a lovely bug on my hairbrush this morning. Yuck. Noticed DD scratching her head a few days ago as well (she is only 2)

Have never had them before. My sister teaches reception and sees them all the time- she said just use conditionner on all our hair and a nit comb. But I've looked on the internet and the sites I saw said that you should use chemical treatments? I don't know whether to buy one or not. Plus TTC at the moment so not keen on loads of chemicals??? Do I just so the combing thing?

peckarollover · 07/12/2005 15:12

NQC - did you just say you shaved your head?

Original poster
NotQuiteCockney · 07/12/2005 16:19

majormoo, from what I know, conditionner and combing does the job. The bugs just get immune to the chemicals. And anyway, the bugs are gross and horrid, but not actually dangerous, I don't think, so nasty chemicals are a bit of an overkill.

And yes, I shaved my head. Well, down to a brush cut. I do it pretty often, but hadn't bothered for a few months. But it is a normal look for me, so not really as radical as it sounds IYSWIM.

OP posts:
peckarollover · 07/12/2005 16:23

lol I thought it was a bit rash thinking you gad long hair lol

Original poster
NotQuiteCockney · 07/12/2005 17:53

Hmm, just bathed both boys. I found an adult louse on DS2 that escaped me this morning. But couldn't really see anything on DS1. But his hair is thicker, and he has a bit of what looks like cradle cap, maybe with a bit of dried blood in one bit. A friend told me today that one of her boys seems to get lice every other week, but the other never gets it.

OP posts:
crimbocrazydazy · 07/12/2005 18:08

Sometimes DD gets little scabs on her head caused by the lice so maybe you just knocked a little scab off then.

Blandmum · 07/12/2005 18:11

NQC are you just going for that 'knit your own youghurt lesbian look' you talked about yesterday
I have never caught them from my kids ....dd has had them 4 times and each time they miss me. I can't think how or why

Original poster
NotQuiteCockney · 07/12/2005 19:24

mb, I don't go for the knit-your-own-yogurt lesbian look. It just happens, naturally.

If the cradle crap type stuff on DS1's head was scabs from lice, then he's pretty seriously infested - the top of his head was covered in it. I've cleared it off, so that any bugs should be easier to see. But I really don't think I found any.

OP posts:
Blandmum · 07/12/2005 19:29

at half a cm the nits would have to be very 'new' to still be on your hair....they lay very close to the scalp and the nits then 'grow' away from the scalp as the hair grows IYSWIM.

Conditioner and nit comb will do you too. Dh can manage it and he has a nnumber two on his hair.

Dd had an awful infestation the first time . I was combing 5-10 out with every stroke of the comb but she didn't have a scabby head.....do you think the cradle cap could be anything else?

Original poster
NotQuiteCockney · 07/12/2005 19:31

I don't know, mb. He's had it for a while, but I tend to ignore it, it's a bit gross, but under his hair. He hates having his hair washed etc, anyway.

OP posts:
Blandmum · 07/12/2005 19:33

How old is he? dd stil had cradle cap at 4.5 (make me and dd sound rather scabby with the admision of the nit ridden child )

Original poster
NotQuiteCockney · 07/12/2005 19:35

He's 4y2m. So it's not that weird.

Hey, we're really gross around here, DS2 (14m) barely has hair, but has loads of lice. Also, weird gloopy eyes. And is maybe a bit warm, and now refusing to go to sleep.

OP posts:
We3kingsofOrinocoare · 27/12/2005 23:09

Anyone else with the nits and conjunctivitis combination? Only dd1's also combined it with a chest and stomach infection too. Bless her. Happy Christmas?!

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