The Dreaded Nits

[AlternativeMoniker53]

I discovered DD's head crawling with lice yesterday after a week away. I've Headrined the family, DD for 18 hours, everyone else for 8-10 overnight as I didn't find anything on us. This morning I combed through DD's hair for an hour. I found no live lice but absolutely hundreds of clear, apparently empty nits. (Eeewww!)

I'm aware that there may well be some live eggs remaining, they'd be very hard to see in her light brown hair. I'm planning to treat again with Headrin in 7 days as per the instructions. I've got a double-layered, metal nit comb I bought in a pharmacy but it's not shifting the empty eggs at all. I'd like to remove them as they are legion and very noticeable in her hair.

Is there anything you would recommend? I've spent about £30 so far on two bottles of Headrin 4% and the comb. I'm planning daily combing with the nit comb and conditioner until several days after the second Headrin application but I'd really like to shift the glued-on, empty nits ASAP.

Get some really nice slippy conditioner, (L'oriel for Normal hair is ok) wash hair, apply plenty conditioner and leave for half an hour before you start combing, and they should start shifting. DD will have beautiful shiney hair.

Do this every week

Do it to your self in the shower and you can ditch the insecticide.

PS, a metal nit comb with a handle is easier, I used to use a flea comb from the pet shop

You need a Nitty Gritty comb. No other comb is as effective!

YY nitty gritty comb. Also just pulling them out with your thumb and index finger as they are glued on. Little bastards but also strangely enjoyable to do

Nitty Gritty comb and lots and lots of conditioner - the cheap stuff is fine. You can put it on dry hair, section it off, and then comb through. You need to do this every couple of days before the eggs hatch. The lice are often resistent to lotions and potions - combing with conditioner, followed by a tea tree solution spray is the only way to really get rid of them.

YY nitty gritty comb. Also just pulling them out with your thumb and index finger as they are glued on. Little bastards but also strangely enjoyable to do

www.amazon.co.uk/Mikki-Grooming-Small-Animal-Flea/dp/B003XW7PF0/ref=sr_1_4?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1392642755&sr=1-4&keywords=flea+comb

Personally, I find a flea comb cheaper, just as effective and easier on the hands, and easier to use on myself. If I go to the pet superstore, over the road, they have a large range to choose from, unlike the chemists. Why do they not make nit combs with handles?

Nitty gritty head comb definitely the best and worth the money. I recently discovered having fought and lost the battle with head lice for years and years with my older daughter (the rest of us did not suffer) that blow drying her hair every time she washed it finally sent the hateful buggers on their way. She is 19 years old, and they ALWAYS came back until we started using heat on her long straight hair.

Thank you for your recommendations. I've perused the nit section in Boots (in the aisle of shame!) and saw the Nitty Gritty comb at £7.99, down from £9.99. It all adds up very quickly doesn't it? I'd already bought this one so I think I'll give it another go but with the tons of conditioner on for half an hour tip before spending any more but certainly bear it in mind. I also saw this Protect and Go spray in Boots which claims to prevent infestation, has anybody used it?

The heat is interesting as well. I had a friend who was always immaculately turned out and she went to a very smart, city centre hairdressers where they turned her out with wet hair (truely shocking!) as they wouldn't blow dry it as they'd found a louse. Apparently the air would spread them around.

Hair dryers are a good way of finding lice as they move towards the heat. A hot one must be a bit of a surprise. I can't imagine them blowing around - they hang on tight! Poor friend!

I found tight pony tails helped as they lay the eggs in the warm bits (usually right next to the scalp, but under the pony tail in this case) and when you take the pony tail out, the eggs are no longer tight against the head and therefore cool and don't hatch. I used to wonder how come DDs had unhatched eggs part way down their hair, but I hadn't noticed an infection, until I realised this was happening.

Also, most of the lice came from one poor little girl who was not combed regularly (or at all - she was supposed to do it herself) and had enormous lice that could move very, very fast indeed, so they had probably moved onto someone else after laying eggs. So tea tree, pony tails and fringe under a hairband were our best defence. (And weekly combing).

If the conditioner makes their hair too slippery, you need a tub of cheap hair gel to keep their hair in a pony tail. I accidently smothered one once. Very satisfying to find it stiff and dead

DD's hair is looking absolutely beautiful, I must say, super conditioned and combed . So far no sign of a remaining infestation, I'm so hoping we reach the end of the week and reuse the Headrin and come out of it clear! I've read a few reviews of the Protect and Go, all positive, so I might blow the £7 on that rather than the Nitty Gritty comb in the first instance. DD' is at a girls' secondary school where they spend all their time tossing about their glossy, artfully dishevelled, manes, the controlled enforcement of hair being tied back at primary school has completely gone. Ew, I'm itching now!

My DD had this a few month ago first time she's had them used hedrin at the start but found it didn't work much then I was told by a work mate to use conditioner on her hair
I wet the hair rub it in then used the comb got the eggs and the lice out no prob you need to keep checking the hair and get rid of any you see plus vossenne shampoo and leave in spray are good too

I've been buying this conditioning spray from Poundland and have used it since the summer on DD's hair. So far she's been louse-free. Cheaper than Hedrin .

YY to a Nitty Gritty comb and just conditioner. We've had two infestations so far (not bad as oldest DC is 10!) and just used this. Comb every day until they are gone (took 2-4 days depending on level of infestation and length & thickness of hair).

To be honest we gave DS2 a number 2 shearing when he had them first in his longish curly blond hair rather than having to comb through it.