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Original poster

First time to be 'hit' with lice in dd's hair... advice please...

58 replies

MrsBigD · 02/09/2007 17:04

Since dd's started nursery/school and there have been a few cases of nits/lice I've been very paranoid about checking her head every 2-3 weeks and so far she's been clear. Today however I spotted some, used our zapper and some wet combing and killed off 3 of the little blighters. Couldn't see any egg casings so assuming it's a new 'infestation'.

Was going to go out tomorrow and get some Lyclear (?) as I've heard that's quite good. Any experience on that one anybody?

Just my luck that she doesn't catch it during term time but during holidays!!! Only place I can think off is at the childminder's who I've just notified so she can get her other mindee's parents to check as well.

My questions now...

Am I correct that I best check every couple of days now?

I'm going to wash all the bedding on 60 degrees but do I also need to wash cuddly toys that shared the bed with the kids?

DS hasn't got any but they probably ran away when they heard the clippers coming for him his no. 1 haircut today

With school starting on Wednesday... do I need to tell them when school starts or should we be ok?

Any advice/recommendations highly welcome and appreciated

OP posts:
Blandmum · 02/09/2007 17:07

Don't worry about the bedding and toys etc. If a louse leaves a head for anything other than another head it is dying anyway.

Wet comb with a nit comb and lots and lots of conditioner. Do this every 2-3 days, and withing a week your dd should be clear.

Once you start to treat, the remaining lice will be too small to leave your dd's head, and she isn't a risk of infestation to the other children in the class.

Lucycat · 02/09/2007 17:10

I wouldn't bother with chemical or other solutions - tea tree conditioner and a fine comb - and a lot of patience!

I plait my dd's hair and fasten it up on her head if they are doing the rounds - yes tell school then everyone knows to check - especially the teachesr!

LaCod · 02/09/2007 17:10

ditto to MB
get a posh comb though

tissy · 02/09/2007 17:26

get a Nitty Gritty comb

follow mb's advice

I don't know if it's good luck or not, but I condition dd's hair with tea tree conditioner, even when she doesn't have lice, and she hasn't had them for ages. I read somewhere that lice don't like the smell of tea tree oil...

DarthVader · 02/09/2007 17:26

look here
once you have started this series of 4 wet combing sessions in line with this technique your son will not be free of lice immediately but if you follow the plan he will be unable to pass them on during the 14 day treatment cycle - therefore no need to tell the school

It really does work

Original poster
MrsBigD · 02/09/2007 17:35

thank you and it's dd who's got them not ds. Ds hasnt got hair left to speak of

Shall get good comb tomorrow. I have an electrical zapper comb my friend sent me from Israel as her girls do pick up 'guests' on a regular basis and it defo zaps then dead

OP posts:
Blandmum · 02/09/2007 17:37

soz, typo on my part " weeks and hair should be clear. If yo suddenly get a bit louse dd has been re-infested, as the lice you comb out should get smaller and smaller as time goes on, and you 'get' the bigger buggers!

chinwag · 02/09/2007 17:40

I don't use chemicals. (Doesn't sound healthy to me)

I have had good results with conditioner, in the bath, every 2 days for a couple of weeks.

I think the life cycle is the adult lays the eggs, and the comb gets the adults out. Eggs take about a week to hatch, and the babies take another week to mature and lay more eggs. So I comb for about 2-3 weeks.

They don't jump, they walk; and they need the head warmth to live, so once they're out, they die. I don't think they live on pillows, combs etc.

Very satisfying seeing them all in the bath when the water's run out.

Little blighters!!!

lisad123 · 02/09/2007 17:46

Im all for combing out with a nitty gritty comb and some conditioner. However, I have used chemical stuff too, when the combing doesnt work. It only works if you do it every 2 days, and some nights we just dont get to it
If you do a chemical one, you need to repeat on day 7.
have to say that nitty gritty comb is the only one i know that gets eggs too, but have a needle handy to get them out of teeth.
good luck

lisa

Original poster
MrsBigD · 02/09/2007 18:25

shall get a nitty gritty tomorrow assuming I can get one at boots?

OP posts:
wheresthehamster · 02/09/2007 18:31

Even after they are clear I would still wet comb once a week or fortnight as part of the bathtime routine.

scienceteacher · 02/09/2007 18:34

I swear by Full Marks solution (or Hederin), a dimethicone based product. It coats the hair more efficiently than electrostatic conditioners, and suffocates the lice.

It's also important to comb regularly, and also to keep long hair tied back.

We were plagued with lice for about 3 years (3 girls in a dubious primary school), and tried everything. The dimethicone treatment + tying hair back was the key. (We did have our girls' hair tied back, but the school finally made it a rule for all and that made all the difference).

FrannyandZooey · 02/09/2007 18:37

Agree Nitty Gritty and combing every 3 days

Good luck

Feedmenow · 02/09/2007 18:42

If you don't want to use something from the chemist, use either nitty gritty comb with conditioner, or with baby oil! Anything oily/gloopy will drown the buggers! But you obviously need to do it every few days to make sure you catch the hatching eggs....

Eve · 02/09/2007 18:42

Nitty gritty comb! best there is.

Used to be mail order only, but I seen one is out local boots yesterday!

MaryAnnSingleton · 02/09/2007 18:43

don't forget to rub through some Nitty Gritty spray or Biz Niz conditioner every day !

scienceteacher · 02/09/2007 18:46

Small pharmacies stock the nitty gritty -costs about a tenner.

chopster · 02/09/2007 18:55

another vote for nittygritty. Yes, boots stock it.

I think I got rid of ds's first time with it. I've jsut done dd's second combing, and only found a few very small lice. It is brilliant.

Original poster
MrsBigD · 02/09/2007 20:34

wow such a resounding AYE for Nittygritty I generally do wet comb dd's hair every other week or so as otherwise it gets so terribly matted I can't brush it. Hence so far we've been 'clear' but somehow those little blighter finally got to her. Can't tie her hair back as it's sort of shortish bob because when it was long it was such a struggle to brush/combe even with conditioner etc. Now she actually likes it so shall stock up on lots of conditioner tomorrow as well as NG combe and 'do' her hair every other day... and mine I think... seem to be very itchy tonight LOL

OP posts:
foxinsocks · 02/09/2007 20:44

don't forget to check your hair too

I got them this time round (grrrr)

BarbieGirl · 02/09/2007 21:10

HI. Just spent most of my Sunday getting rid of my DD's bloody lice and nits (She is 5). Can someone please put the link on here for the nitty gritty comb? Cheers.

Original poster
MrsBigD · 03/09/2007 06:42

foxinsocks... got dh to check me last night as well. So far no show but I shall be wet combing myself too! If nothing else I'll end up with very well conditioned hair LOL

OP posts:
fillyjonk · 03/09/2007 07:04

oh i am bad, i use harsh chemicals

otherwise we can't treat everyone together.

This is a constant ongoing battle for me as I am surrounded by hippy sorts who won't use anything harsh on their kids hair. Or comb it. Or tie it back. Aaaaargh.

We do every other day wet comb but at first sign of infestation we do use Full Marks, as it works.

tissy · 03/09/2007 08:44

fillyjonk- there are lice out there which are resistant to Full Marks etc- it is the overuse of the chemicals that has made them resistant.

I think you're being a bit hard on the "hippy sorts". How do you know what they do within the confines of their own home? And who are you to judge them for not wanting to cover their children in insecticide which will increase the number of resistant lice out there. Bug busting
works.

I am proud to be a hippy sort and my daughter has been lice-free for at least two years. She goes to a state school in the West of Scotland, in a not particularly "nice" area. Mostly she prefers to wear her hair down.

Original poster
MrsBigD · 03/09/2007 08:51

HI fillyjonk we're not the hippy kind, however trying to stay clear off chemicals due to a) whole family having sensitive skin, b) my friend telling me that she once nearly burnt her kids scalp with anti lice chemicals (she went for the strongest stuff out there because she couldn't get rid of the blighters) and c) the bug resistence issue.

IMH if everybody would actually check and combe their kids hair we should be ok . Though I know of at least one family who won't even check their kids because 'we're a clean, healthy and posh household, and we couldn't possibly have lice'... erhem... keep trying to tell them that bugs don't make class distinction

OP posts: