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Original poster

Need to ask a question about nits!!!!!!

48 replies

blossomhill · 27/09/2004 21:17

Dd has come home with nits again! I bought come full marks mousse and combed hers and all of our hair through. All of us apart from dd were clear. Dd had 1 nit (which was dead) and 2 eggs. I thought that was the end of it and when I comb through I am really thorough. Anyway thought I had better comb her hair through again tonight and found about 20 eggs. They were tiny really and unfortunately didn't find any live ones.
Could it be that theses were in dd's hair on Saturday but were too small to come out on the comb. It's just as I haven't found any lice I am worried I may have missed them. Don't know how though as I always take ages and go over the same section of hair about 20 times to be sure.
Has this happened to anyone else that you have found eggs and no lice? Any help on this would be great. These things are the bane of my life!!!!!!!

OP posts:
Original poster
blossomhill · 27/09/2004 21:18

Meant to say that I originally found them Saturday and that's when I treated them. I then combed through again tonight!

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charliecat · 27/09/2004 21:22

My supervisor at nursery found eggs and no lice the other day, 3 days later she had big eggs, big nits and was riddled so be vigilent!
The best way to deal with it is conditioner her hair and wet it, go through it loads, and do it every couple of days that way any small eggs get removed as they are big enough to be caught by the comb and any weeny lice get caught befor ethey can lay any eggs.
If your getting them loads have you looked in her friends hair?
My friends dds best friend is riddled, so her dd always gets them much to her annoyance.

KBear · 27/09/2004 21:24

I found Lyclear better than Full Marks mousse - it's like a conditioner that works in ten minutes. I bought some when DD started school last year just in case as she'd had them at nursery but (touch wood) she's had none since she started school. I do check her hair all the time and I'm ready for them!! ha ha (My head's itching just thinking about it!)

Original poster
blossomhill · 27/09/2004 21:27

To be honest there was a little girl that dd played with who was and still is riddled with them. Fortunately (don't mean that horribly as she is a lovely girl) she has left her school a week a go. I suppose dd could have caught them a week a go? Do you not remember the thread I posted about dd's birthday party where this same girl scratched her way through dd's party. She had 5 big live ones in her fringe - yuk!
I will comb it through again tomorrow and will tell the school. Although I did tell them this morning and quite often I will let other mums know, especially the ones that dd plays with. I would rather everyone knew and then they can treat there kids!

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Original poster
blossomhill · 27/09/2004 21:28

kbear - I am sitting here scratching. I have treated myself on Saturday combed through and nothing. Again I combed through thoroughly today and nothing. I feel itchy though. It's all in my mind I think!!!!

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bobs · 27/09/2004 21:28

My dd had nits all through one summer - we used Lyclear (doc said not to use it more than twice). She kept on getting reinfected, and the only way to get rid of them was to wet comb with conditioner every couple of days - soryy to say you can be as vigilant and careful as you can, and she can still get reinfected if in contact with others who have nits - really frustrating!!!

Tessiebear · 27/09/2004 21:30

The eggs are so difficult to spot! I went through DS's hair the day after i had killed two "live" nits with Full marks and found about 60 eggs!! I literally had to pull them off the hair shaft! I did this for about a week - finding the odd egg. I still managed to miss some and caught the "hatchlings" with full marks the following week

Dingle · 27/09/2004 21:30

A mum in the playground the other day was saying about another mum she'd met in the chemist.When she asked advise from the chemist-the other mums attitude was-don't bother, they don't work!Just check their hair every HALF TERM OR SO! Is it any wonder that ds is sent home with an advice sheet about nits every day if that's the attitude! I am itching at the thought.

Original poster
blossomhill · 27/09/2004 21:30

It just makes me so bloody mad that people don't sort the problem out. I can't stand the thought of dd having nits, it really freaks me out. I will do everything I can to get rid of them. Obviously I cannot stop the re-infection though. I just feel so sorry for her as she gets very distressed when I comb her hair through as I usually take an hour.

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Dingle · 27/09/2004 21:35

I've been lucky so far, ds has had them a couple of times.I try to keep his hair really short now to make it less stressful for us all. One week before the summer hols, he came home with adult lice 3 days on the trot, I was convinced that I had cleared him of them each night.
I cringe at the thought.

Original poster
blossomhill · 27/09/2004 21:42

I would just love to know what is the point of nits and why do they exist?

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bobs · 27/09/2004 21:52

To plague mums up and down the country and make them go totally spare!!!!!!

neetsmassi · 27/09/2004 22:36

There was a thread a while a go about this and someody recommended using baby oil instead of conditioner - I tried this - it was fantastic - it was as if the little blighters couldn't hold on as it was too slippery.

Original poster
blossomhill · 27/09/2004 22:36

My dd has such think hair as well. I wish her and her friends weren't so cuddly with each other. It is sweet but that's how they catch them. Ds (nearly 7) on the other hand has never had them!

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Original poster
blossomhill · 27/09/2004 22:38

neetsmassi - comb through with baby oil instead of conditioner? Sounds good but how do you stop them looking like they have been dipped in a chip pan?
I almost feel guilty sending dd in to school tomorrow but I can't keep her off everytime she gets them as she'd never be there. Anyway I am acting responsibly by treating her!

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neetsmassi · 27/09/2004 22:47

Blossomhill - I used to just wash her hair afterwards and put her hair in plaits the following day - she has long curly hair so this was a good way to get it to behave. I've recommended the baby oil to a couple of friends and they all agree that it works better than conditioner. Might just have to live with the chip pan look for a few days if their hair is short - Sorry

dolally · 27/09/2004 22:57

I have been fighting a losing battle with nits for weeks, (with my 2 dd's). See the other thread under Health and Full marks mousse ... sorry don't know how to link it up with this.

Suffice to say I have tried all the products at the chemist, followed the instructions TO THE LETTER, combed for at least an hour and they don't work. I think the unhatched eggs must be virtually indestructible and, since you shouldn't use the chemical treatments more than once a week, by the time you do, you're riddled with nits again. That's why I reckon maybe the conditioner & combing is the best, since you catch them every couple of days as they hatch. Last night I also put some tea tree oil on my eldest's hair for the final rinse. I have done both of my kids twice now with two days in between and will keep this up for 10 days. So fingers crossed.... It is SO frustrating isn't it? My poor dd's are very patient. Also check out www.nittygritty.co.uk for a comb that looks good - I haven't tried it yet but probably will.

It's strange I don't ever remember having nits as a child, must ask my mum.

losttheplot · 27/09/2004 23:42

Nit veteran speaking here!! Last summer all my kids inc my 1yr old dd kept coming home from the childminder with the little bs. Turned out some other child she looked after was infested with them. I got very adept at spotting them and dealing with them. I used the wet combing method. I wouldn't use any of the chemicals their hair because 1) they are highly toxic 2) they're not very effective. I came across an excellent little kit at www.chc.org/bugbusting/
You get 1 yellow comb for the lice - excellent for spotting them - and 1 purple very, very fine comb, specifically for the nits
I wouldn't be without them and check everyone's hair on a weekly basis.

Original poster
blossomhill · 28/09/2004 09:26

Thanks losttheplot. I have just ordered that comb set. I think dd's eggs are so small that the normal combs are not picking them up.

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charliecat · 28/09/2004 09:40

Oh yes BH i do remember the thread, have you not had any nit free time since then????
They are a hideous nightmare, I have twice had one big bug in my head and spent the next couple of weeks going throught my hair only to find nothing.
I HATE THEM!!!!

yoyo · 28/09/2004 10:25

Nitty gritty comb is excellent - it has grooves cut into the very long prongs so you get the satisfation of maiming the blighters as you find them. I am paranoid and check hair thoroughly every day. Am now spraying with the nitty gritty spray daily as rife in eldest dd's class. So far so good. When I find them I use Nice'n'Clear lotion which you leave in like a conditioner and do the combing with it every 2 days.

grumpyfrumpy · 28/09/2004 10:57

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
blossomhill · 28/09/2004 17:59

Thinking of using the baabyoil tonight. How much should I put in. Dd has a longish bob.

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foxinsocks · 28/09/2004 18:05

ok, I am a nit virgin so to speak. Dd has v thick, dark, curly hair and cradle cap (!) and whilst all her mates were riddled with nits, she didn't have any at all. But now I am worried that I haven't been looking hard enough.

Exactly what do I need to look for in her hair? (is it eggs, live lice - are they easy to see?)

Original poster
blossomhill · 28/09/2004 18:10

foxinsocks the eggs in dd's hair are tiny, so minute. That's why you have to take so long and I think that some are too small to be combed out. That's why I have ordered the bugbusting kit! They are laso the same colour as dd's hair - it is impossible
I have to go now ans spend yet another hour combing through dd's hair. She hates it. I have to tell her she has spiders in her hair!!!!!

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