The Nitty Gritty Comb.....

[FireFaerie]

DS has had nits a number of times since starting school, and after only being able to get the lice out and his hair being infested with eggs i splashed out the £10 on the Nitty Gritty comb yesterday. It works wonders!!! Makes the £3.99 one ive been using look useless! BUT its a SOD to clean!!! If i run my nails through the teeth will i make the spirally bits blunt? Anyone have any suggestions on how to clean this wonderful thing?

Try soaking it for a couple of minutes in soapy water then using an old toothbrush to get between the spokes.

It is fab isn't it (I would pay £25+ for a replacement is it is so fab). I just rinse it in a pint glass of water between sections of hair (and then you can see what you have removed as the lice and eggs sink to the bottom). I rinse it under the tap when I have finfished.

If you are worried about cross-infection I think you can sterlise it in pan of boiling water although I have never bothered with this.

Thank you both. Il try these out tonight. Im on a mission to rid him of all them poxy eggs before the end of the week!

If you rinse the comb in a glass of water you can see exactly what you are getting out. Would definately recommend doing this.

Not had the pleasure of nits yet, but as there is usually someone in dd's pre-school group with them am trying to prepare: have got Nitty Gritty in advance, and used it to check mine and dd's hair with it but....it seems to really tear at both our hair, very hard to pull through?

Is this normal, or do I have crappy nit-combing technique?

Also, if I've combed for 5 minutes on a very fine head of shortish blonde hair (ie all over, twice) and not found anything, is that enough combing?

Sorry, feel a bit virginal about all this - am sure the fastest way to learn is to catch them, but also thought maybe occasional nitcombing good preventative measure

I personally use a plastic 'bug buster' comb to detect. I find them very hard to see on teh Nitty Gritty unless you rinse in the glass of water.

When I have confirmed an outbreak then I use the Nitty gritty, as it is coarse and I suspect that regular use is not great for the follicles. Even then I comb whole head with a wide tooth comb and then as I seerate each section, comb again with a wide tooth comb and then a fine tooth comb (or bug buster) adn only then do I use the Nitty gritty.

Also I have found you have to go right to the end of each strand. You can't pull the Nitty Gritty out half way down a strand as that just doesn't work.

What works for me is the following.
Comb down a stroke with Nitty Gritty lifting the hair to right angles with the head. Now you have 'grabbed' a section of hair hold with left hand. Now Slide the comb down at the scalp and pull to teh ends. Now slide teh comb in close to teh scalp but sideways on (and rightangles to original stroke). Pull to ends. Now slide in from teh top again. Each section of hair actually has 4 strokes with the comb. It may be overkill but it is bloody effective.

I know this is of no help to you, FF, but thought it might help others reading the thread: you can get the comb free on prescription from your GP if you ask specifically

Yes you can if your GP is prepared to prescribe it. A friend went to get one and he wouldn't prescribe it. She is on a vlow income and said she couldn't afford one w/o prescription and he told her to go and buy a 50p plastic comb .

A friend and I have gone halves on one for her as it will hopefully prevent our children getting lice off her daughter.

My GP is useless, unfortunately, so i didnt really feel like wasting my time going to see him, in truth. I mean incapable of the most extreme degree! Id change Surgeries if there was another near enough.
Good point though, also apparently you can get them replaced for free if they break according to the packaging! So im alot less bothered about the cost now
But yes, others will be better off getting it prescribed.
Thanks for everyones advice here, its been great. Esp. Pint Glass!