Headlice, I feel ill 😷

[DarkDarkNight]

I recently stayed at a theme park hotel and could not stop scratching my head when I woke up. It was intensely itchy. Google said it is unlikely you can catch headlice this way and more likely to be bed bugs so I came home and immediately hot washed everything I took away but the itchy head didn’t stop.

I know you should only treat if you see a live louse but I used Hedrin once last night as I was so paranoid. This morning I scratched the nape of my neck and felt something, sure enough I pulled out a dead creature. I have stripped the bed and done a 60 degree wash of all of the bedding and all the towels from the bathroom.

I have a nitty gritty comb and more treatment on the way but I can’t wait so I bought another treatment, a nit comb and some conditioner today as I need to do something. Should I treat with the Lyclear or comb with conditioner?

If you started itching the night you were there you'd probably already had then a while. Just keep combing through with the nitty gritty and conditioner, no need to keep treating them as long as the whole family have been done.

Yeah it's something like 3 weeks before the itching starts or summick like that. Gives them a chance to get a proper hold.

Just conditioner and comb them out. Stick a film on.

You need to check the whole household.

It was the day after and it got worse and worse over a few days. So it was just a coincidence? It was such an immediate thing I assumed it was an allergic reaction to the laundry detergent or bedbugs/lice.

I will treat my son too (will conditioner and nitty gritty be enough?).

It's the histamine response to loads of bites. It eventually starts to irritate until you want to claw your head off.

Have you checked the bairns head? Look behind his ears and the nape of his neck for empty eggs. They're a sort of dewdrop shape attached to the hair.

gamerchick yes that is it, I felt like my head was on fire, I was itching everywhere just at the thought.

My son will be back from his dad’s tomorrow. I plan to do a check and comb through. He wasn’t itching and I haven’t seen anything but now I have found something definite on my head I will start combing.

I am currently sitting with another treatment on. I know it probably won’t do anything so soon after the last one but I am starting to catastrophize. I will comb through with conditioner after my shower then do a conditioner comb-through pre-shower tomorrow.

Conditioner and combing through is the best way

Do not overdo the chemical treatments they are quite harsh chemicals

I have conditioned and combed through. I was not very good at sectioning but have hopefully done some good. I will repeat tomorrow.

I put some tea tree in with my shampoo then blow dried my hair on the hottest setting. I have changed my clothes, chucked out old combs and brushes and put the towels in the wash again. I can’t stop thinking about it.

I had eggs once and didn't know until a hairdresser told me! Worked in a school at the time. Never actually did manage to find any myself in my own hair but did a couple of treatments and same hairdresser checked they'd gone. Hair dresser initially refused to blow dry my hair as heat makes the eggs hatch apparently. Not sure if this is true but she thought it was. Very common op, most people get them at some point.

The nitty gritty is great if you have to comb your own. They are horrid but nothing to feel ashamed or upset about.

Oh dear! With four sociable DCs and long hair myself, I've had headlice more times than I can count. I keep a nitty gritty comb in the shower and have a thorough comb through whenever I start to itch. It always fixes it. I think we adults notice the itching sooner than kids do and that's why they never really get a hold on my head like they can do my kids if I take my eye off the ball for a while. Just keep combing every day or two, both of you until they're gone.

Thank you for your replies. I can’t wait to get the nitty gritty! I am definitely going down the preventative combing from now on route.

I know I shouldn’t feel ashamed but I really do.

Charlotte do you use any preventative sprays on your children or are they a waste of money? I’ve seen the Hedrin one that looks quite good but have also read about a bit of lavender oil in water.

The preventative sprays, tea tree a total waste in my opinion.

I've had ongoing problems with my DD. They take hold soooo quickly if you don't keep up with it. We've used so many treatments over the years and finally had a result with Tesco's head lice treatment, £3 something a bottle but you MUST do it a week later, not before! It does what it says and kills the lice AND eggs (which some claim to do but don't!!)

Regular combing and conditioner really helps but we've found that some lice can be missed and the eggs WON'T come out that way.

It's also a non greasy one too so you won't have to wash it out more than once (which you have to do with many others).

Good luck!

Thank you loveyoutothemoon

I feel like I am not covering all my hair when I section and comb (I have lots and lots of fine hair). I have blow dried it again after wet combing and am hoping the heat will help.

I am going to treat again with the lotion after a week.

OP what is coming out when you comb?

Is it even effective to comb your own hair. I am using two mirrors but it feels a bit hopeless.

Use a treatment that contains dimeticone as this suffocates the eggs as well as the lice.

Treatments that use permethrin (which lyclear does) are not so effective.

Info about this at end of page www.nhs.uk/conditions/head-lice-and-nits/

you shouldnt need a mirror section out your hair and work through it - the comb picks it up

Wipe the comb on a bit of tissue each time and you should see the dark specks of lice.

Is it possible you have an allergic reaction to something else?

Thanks FruitPastille I used Hedrin Once on Wednesday and will repeat it after a week. I have gone over the top and ordered Full Marks but bought Lyclear yesterday as I couldn’t wait. If the Full Marks is no good I will just stick to Hedrin and more combing.

Quartz I found one dead louse the morning after treating myself with Hedrin. During combing there were around 7 nits on the paper and a few things in the water. I also cleaned my brushes and combs I used to detangle and found one louse and possibly a very small one (nymph?).

I feel like crawling out of my own skin, but my head doesn’t feel itchy any more.

Update: I found some nits and one louse in my son’s hair while combing through with conditioner. I’ve put Lyclear on because it’s all I had in and combed again afterward.

I used a light and only found a few at the nape of his neck. They were really stubborn and going right through the teeth of the comb after trying for ages with my nails and tweezers and putting some vinegar on which I read was meant to loosen them I eventually resorted to cutting the hair out .

He is the polar opposite of easy going and I’m not looking forward to the constant combing with him. Thankfully although his hair is longish on top it is also quite sparse and it’s easy to lift his hair and see his scalp.

I do admire you. The first time my youngest got them as a toddler, I shaved his head. There's no way he would have sat and be combed.

gamerchick I absolutely love his hair, but seriously considered shaving it. I can suddenly see the attraction.

Well I did feel a mixture of relief and guilt. But his hair wasn't that silky baby hair when it grew back in, just that boys hair. But it solved the lice problem.

Did you have to go really short?

Yeah, no guard short.