So sorry ... another nits question.....

[Carla]

We zapped our two last week with Full Marks, which is supposed to kill both the eggs and the live things. I have also wet combed twice since then, but today we spotted a live thing in dd1's hair, plus loads of eggs. PLEASE PLEASE tell me where we're going wrong .....

From what I have read most treatment don't zap the eggs, they are tough little suckers!

Your dd might also have been reinfected! It is a pain isn't it?

Wet combing does work, and you can do it as often as you need. I know it can be a drag but it does work in the end.....trust me I am now a veteran of 3 battles with the little blighters

You only have to miss one and if it lays you have to start over. I wet comb dd's hair every two to four days even if I know she hasn't got them, I have done since she started school. She's in Yr 6!!

I've used Full Marks in the past with my 2 DDs successfully - what I do afterwards is literally "wet-comb" every day, 2 x day for several weeks.

I've never needed to do a repeat treatment following the above.

I agree - wet combing is the only way. You have to get every last one and if another child at school still has them then you need to catch the lice that jump on before they manage to lay another batch.

You have to keep on combing every two or three days until you have absolutely nothing on the comb at all (lice or eggs). I believe it takes about two weeks. Yes it is a pain in the neck but it seems to be the only foolproof method.

Use a chemical treatment if you know of one. Then comb through everyday - wet the hair, put on a thick conditioner and comb with a metal nit comb - all this worked for my dds. I wet comb & check everyday (major nit prob at school) - so far this has kept a check on any nits setting up home in dds hair. Hopefully not famous last words....

To be honest I wouldn't use the chemicals as in my experience they do not work. Letf Malathion on dd's hair for 12 hours overnight. Her bedroom was awful, could barely breathe. Combed them through and they were still alive. They are undestructable. I always find combing them through and dropping them in a disposable cup full of boiling water helps.
Comb through every day religiously for 2 weeks and that should do it. We were in the unfortunate posisition that dd was being re-infected every time she went back to school as a girl in her class was running alive and wasn't treated. Thankfully little girl left (poor thing, she was really sweet) and touch wood no more nits!!!!

You aren't going wrong at all Carla. The eggs may be ones that are dead and wont hatch. The live one could be one that was missed with the first treatment, or as happyberries says a reinfestation. The treatment should be used twice a week apart to get any that weren't zapped the first time.

Apparently there are 3 types of chemicals, Derbac M is one, Full Marks is another and there's a third. If one chemical doesn't work, it means the nits are resistant so move on to another one. This is the advice I was given from the Head of a School Nursing Service.

You are supposed to do a second dose of Full Marks a week later, so you could try that, or just keep wet combing every few days until they are all gone, and for 2 or 3 occasions after you've stopped finding any.

I have found solitary one, got it out, ds has very fine hair so easy to see hair and scalp. Do I need to shampoo/mousee/chemical him or just continue to comb tomorrow?

Personally I wouldn't use chemicals except for a chronic infestation. Keep combing with loads of conditioner every few days for at least a fortnight, or until you have two 'all clear' sessions, and you should catch any babies (that hatch from any eggs that may have been laid), before they can mature to lay eggs of their own. It takes a bit of patience and commitment if you do get a load of eggs hatching, but better to avoid the chemicals if you can.

Totally agree with roisin!

I agree as well! Have tried ALL the chemical treatments in the past and NONE of them work. Wet combing every couple of days is the only answer.

Oh- and make sure you wash bedding and any soft toys that are kept in/on the bed as the lice can survive for a couple of days off the head.

thanks, have washed bedding and ordered a comb thru nittygritty.co.uk, that I found on web. I am hoping with a bit of combing and the fact I only found one after a lot of searching, we should be OK.

I agree with what everyone else has said - but i would add that nits CAN live off the head for longer than most people think, so it is a good idea to even wash any Teddie bears that your child sleeps with.
I also used to find that the eggs would not even come off in the comb - i literally had to pull them off the hair between my finger nails.

Bluesky, can you cancel your order? I had to see GP recently and they're available on prescription. 'Pends whether or not you want to save yourself a tenner I suppose it's not that much.XX But - it is really good. I said to dd 'This comb's really good' and she replied 'Yes, and it doesn't hurt me mummy'.

Good luck!

I was wondering about the laundry thing - all the official literature says there is no need to wash the bedding etc., but then it says that the lice can survive for 48 hours and climb back on to hair, so I thought it was contradictory advice. So laundry is the way forward then?

Bedding, teddies and Towels is always my rule ... on no less than a 60 degree wash

I am a bit of a nit virgin, but DD1's preschool have a notice about it ATM. If you do the wet combing thing, don't they still have live lice on their heads, so won't they pass them to others? Or am I missing something?!! Also, what is tree tea conditioner supposed to do to prevent them?
Thanks!!

bump!!!
anyone....

I think with the wet combing thing, you're supposed to catch the live lice, so that they then don't infect anyone else.

Most combs won't get the actuall eggs out, so although you've got rid of live lice, their eggs are still there and will hatch.

Hence having to do it all again 2 or 3 days later, five days later maximum, because at five days, those hatched new lice are old enough to lay their own eggs.

That's what the bug busters stuff says, anyway!

LittleRach...the wet combing will remove all the lice that are big enough to be caught by the comb...anything else that is toosmall to be caught by the comb...i think...is also too small to walk onto another childs head....then 2 days later do it again...you will get the ones that are too small the first time and any eggs that have got bigger ...again and again till your happy dd is free of them!
Keep her hair tied up but check anyway....if you buy chemicals, you still have to wet comb, so I wouldnt bother. HTH

littlerach, not quite sure what you mean. Wet combing is supposed to get them caught up in the comb, at which point you deposit them in a bowlful of very hot water (mmmm, nice lice soup!)

I believe tea tree oil is supposed to put them off (they don't like the smell) but I'm more than prepared to stand corrected!

Thanks for replies, she does keep her hair tied back, so hopefully we will escape!! Will check though.

Someone recommended the Body Shop tea tea conditioner today, as it makes the hair nice and easy to comb through, and apparently nits don't like tea tree oil.

Thanks for the Dr tip Carla.