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Original poster

Head Lice 'The bug busting method' anyone heard of it.

55 replies

notsofarnow · 30/11/2007 21:03

TBH this is basically what I already do if confronted with headlice but :

Had the nit nurse in school today because headlice such a problem and a massive amount of 4 parents turned up.

She showed us a video of the bug busting method to get rid of headlice, basically washing, conditioning, combing 3 times a week to get rid of the blighters.

But here's the bit I didn't know you can get bug busting kits on prescription, they consist of a white cape, a wide toothed comb and a thinner comb that are specially designed on an angle with rounded ends so it glides through the hair better.

So get to your gp and get your kits and get combing.

OP posts:
chankins · 30/11/2007 21:06

I will do ! I have been combing Dd2 hair for about 4 weeks now, every single bloody night ! Some nights I get two or three, other nights I can't find any. I use a normal nit comb. Its doing my head in that I still keep finding them !

southeastastra · 30/11/2007 21:07

nitty gritty comb is good as it has little spirals to get the eggs too.

rantinghousewife · 30/11/2007 21:11

Yep nitty gritty is the thing. Although I've taken to checking dd once a week and although it's been flying round our school, she's yet to get them this year.

Original poster
notsofarnow · 30/11/2007 21:31

can you get nitty gritty on prescription too?

She was saying our county has a real resiliance problem because people have been using anything and everything and not following the cycle of treatments recommended - even tho she didn't recommend them at all because she says all you need to do is comb which is what I do anyhow.

Mind you the pharmasists need to be educated too or rather the people who serve on the counters in the pharmacy because they will let you buy whatever you fancy.

She was also saying she has had children admitted to hospital because of healdlice problems that have been ignored and kids have had basically huge open sores that are just full of puss. How can people allow thier kids to get this bad.

OP posts:
Original poster
notsofarnow · 30/11/2007 21:31

can you get nitty gritty on prescription too?

She was saying our county has a real resiliance problem because people have been using anything and everything and not following the cycle of treatments recommended - even tho she didn't recommend them at all because she says all you need to do is comb which is what I do anyhow.

Mind you the pharmasists need to be educated too or rather the people who serve on the counters in the pharmacy because they will let you buy whatever you fancy.

She was also saying she has had children admitted to hospital because of healdlice problems that have been ignored and kids have had basically huge open sores that are just full of puss. How can people allow thier kids to get this bad.

OP posts:
Jenkeywoo · 30/11/2007 21:41

If you have a look at the nitty gritty website they have a letter that you can print off to give to your GP which states that you can get a nitty gritty comb on prescription. My little 20 month dd had headlice this week for the first time and I am now doing the bug busting - the nitty gritty comb makes a big difference, I used an ordinary plastic nit comb and didn't get anything off of my head - two days later the nitty gritty got about 20 unhatched eggs .

I am also using a daily spray with certain essential oils added that all have a different purpose: tea tree oil - headlice avoid hair sprayed with this. Neem oil - affects the headlice reproductive cycle so that they can't reproduce. Aniseed oil - kills any remaining headlice and eggs. It's early days so I'm not sure if it will work but it has to be worth a go - I have added some drops into ordinary detangling spray. We all smell a bit interesting! but if it does keep them away it will worth it.

Original poster
notsofarnow · 30/11/2007 22:16

my df sprays her dd with tea tree every day and she stinks, nit nurse said today stop - its and antiseptic and its not true that it keeps them at bay, and its also a toxin so its dangerous to use.

will try the nitty gritty web site, i am sure i've got them but atm only have an ordinary nit comb and its not finding any.

OP posts:
SlightlyMadScreachingSirens · 30/11/2007 22:20

I have a bug busting comb (free from school)and a Nitty Gritty comb (cost £10 but worth 3 times more).

Both are available on prescription

TBH Nitty Gritty is 100 better than bug buster. The Nitty Gritty will remove eggs before* they hatch. It is sooo much more effective. The bug buster will only reomve crawling lice - and IME it won't remove hte very smallest lice.

These days the Bug buster is more useful at removing DDs Cradle cap .

Jenkeywoo · 30/11/2007 23:30

I'd be interested to see info saying tea tree is a toxin as you can actually buy a special tea tree spray for headlice- I'd imagine it would be preferable to the toxins in most insecticide headlice products. I did read it can be toxic to cats though!

christywhisty · 01/12/2007 00:09

DD only had them twice, both times use the bug busting method, although last time used a cheap plastic nit comb, which didn't work. Then got a metal nit comb and dry and wet combed it most days, so we were getting the babies before they got old enough to reproduce. They were gone after 2 weeks.
I don't bother with tea tree oil.

southeastastra · 01/12/2007 07:55

on here someone recommended vinegar instead of tee tree oil (diluted into water). i'm trying that out atm.

CatBert · 01/12/2007 08:12

"I am interested in getting some of this stuff... At the very least, it's an interesting read...www.headliceprevention.com"

SlightlyMadScreachingSirens · 01/12/2007 19:34

Tea tree is reported to be a repellant...I havn;t tried it

vinegar will dissolve the glue that holds the egg to the shaft...not necssary with thr Nitty Gritty IMO.

CatBert...hmm - not sure TBH. The spray has 3 ingrediants probalby the same 3 ingrediants in all of the other repellants - tea tree, neem oil and another one...and I would seriously be shocked if it is more effective than the Nitty Gritty ...besides the website hasn't been upgated since June 2005 (as far as I can tell but I am not the best expert on webby stuff)

tissy · 01/12/2007 19:50

I use a tea tree conditioner on dd, and she hasn't had them for over a year. That may just be good luck of course!

Now threadworms are a different story.........!

Original poster
notsofarnow · 01/12/2007 22:10

I always thought that tea tree acted as a repellant but she says its a myth and she was the hair hygienist for the county so I don't know I just take what experts say for granted I suppose.

Will see if I can get a nitty gritty on prescription then. Has anyone had any problems getting one on prescription or do they just give it?

OP posts:
southeastastra · 01/12/2007 22:12

ebay is good if you can face having 'nit free solutions' on your fb for a while

Orinoco · 01/12/2007 22:20

Message withdrawn

Original poster
notsofarnow · 01/12/2007 22:25

ohh lovely can imagine dc going to school with stickers saying i've been bug busted

OP posts:
ivykaty44 · 01/12/2007 22:37

I use olive oil method, it is cheap, chemical free and basicly send the lice into a hyperthermic state - unlike conditioner where the lice can run and hide the olive oil stops them dead!

Leave the hair in really good condition and used twice a week for at least three weeks works a treat.

onebatmother · 01/12/2007 22:44

Anyone remember the lifecycle of lice? We're in the middle of it all right now dammit.

so i need to know when the nymphs (newly hatched lice) start laying eggs themselves, to figure out how often I have to through the sheer hell of Nitty Gritty combing out DD age 2(nightmare!) and Ds (a more bribeable 6)

SlightlyMadScreachingSirens · 02/12/2007 00:25

YOu should comb every 4 days (at least)...

TBH with the Nitty Gritty - so long as you are very thorough I do day 1 day 3 and then the next 2 weekends (because weekends are easier). I very rarely find anything after day 1 and 3 as all hte eggs are gone. BUT that does rely on being very thorough the first couple of times and only works with the Nitty Grotty - won't work with teh plastic combs.

onebatmother · 02/12/2007 11:04

thanks - that's generally what I've been doing. god it drives me mad!!! I'm pretty sure ethat I know who is er.. reinfecting us as well!!

Iamshy · 02/12/2007 13:18

I prefer the bug busting method but since I moved from Cornwall, I have been unable to find the kit anywhere, anybody know a link where I can get it from? It would be much appreciated.

SlightlyMadScreachingSirens · 02/12/2007 15:25

Iamshy - you can do the bug busting method with any headlice comb, AFAIK the bug busting method basically dictates which days to comb. Feel free to correct me if I am wrong - but I don't think there is anything special about their comb(s). In fact with teh Nitty Gritty comb you just have the added benefit of removing eggs as well as crawlers. The nit comb with teh bug busting kit ony removes the empty egg shells doesn't it?

Iamshy · 02/12/2007 16:38

No, the purple comb removes the eggs as well as the tiny ones, that's why I want them. The Nitty Gritty is also too harsh for my dd with the curly hair!