Headlice

[Sabbath]

I am probably going to rant about this so i apologise in advance.
My dd who is 4 has been going to her nursery for about a year now. And since last summer she has constantly caught headlice, at first i was treating it with all the shampoos and mousses, which was costing me a small fortune, in the end i gave up and have just been using the nit comb. I have tried tea tree oil, shampoos, leave-in conditioners, all sorts, and still she is getting them. I am constantly having to change her bed and sterilise all hairbrushes, and it is becoming a real pain. I have spoken to her nursery everytime she has caught them and all they seem to say is that they can't do anything apart from put a poster up which has been up there for ever it seems and sometimes in a letter home. I was just wondering if anyone else has this problem and what their school or nursery did about it. I can't see why they can't get a nit nurse in or have a session checking the kids hair. I am making sure I get rid of them, and do her hair practically everyday, especially when she has been to nursery. I am at m y wits end and my dh is really cross about it.

PLEASE HELP

Sabbath - can't help as not had to deal with it yet, but didn't want you to think nobody was listening!

Sabbath, I know you have had a word with the nursery but there must be someone there with a child that is not being as nit concious as you. Why dont you try and get the other mums support and have a word with the nursery leaders. There must be another mum just as sick of nits as you are. About the problem of controlling it I feel you have done everything and there is not much more you can do except the advice above. Maybe the nursery could identify the slack mum and have a word with her. I agree with you that nits are a pain in the a**.Hope this helps.

Thanks all, I have spoken to afew mums and asked if they have had a problem,but haven't which is making me very worried that it is just me. I seem tofeel very small when i bring the subject up to the nursery,and that i shouldn't have said anything, especially everytime she gets them but i don't know what to do, it is a nuisance, they just seem to really like her hair. I am always asking her if she saw anyone scratching their heads and told her not to put her head next to anyones. but she still seems to get hold of them. Am I not doing something that i should, I keep feeling it is my fault.

Sabbath -- how can it be your fault unless you have the nits yourself???

Is it possible your DD is getting them from somewhere else? Some pillow on the settee, or other object that isn't getting sterlised?

No it is not your fault. I think you have done everything you can, i would just perservere with the daily nit combing.Maybe you are right she just attracts them. Sorry I could not be more help to you.

IT IS NICE TO KNOW SOMEONE IS LISTENING, MY DH IS GOING TO HAVE A WORD WITH THE MANAGER OF THE NURSERY, MAYBE SOMETHING WILL BE DONE. AT LEAST THEN I KNOW FOR SURE. I WILL JUST HAVE TO KEEP COMBING, I D0 CHECK US ALL ASWELL AS HER. AND I HOOVER AND CHANGE HER BED EVERYTIME SHE GETS THEM AND EVERYWHERE THAT I THINK THEY MIGHT BE. THANKS

Sabbath - don't know if it works but my hairdresser told me to brush Citronella (sp??) thru DD's hair as she gets older. Apparently the smell keeps the little b***s at bay!! She has used it on her kids all their life and she says they have never had nits. HTH

Sorry to hear of your problem sabbath. Unfortuntalely there is no such thing as a 'nit nurse' any more. It was a role the school nurse had and I remember doing it as a student nurse in a paediatric ward years ago. However, it is now classified as an assault to examine a child's hair for lice. However, the nursery could invite the Health Visitor to come and do an awareness raising session for parents to highlight the problems that arise when some parents do not check and treat their children.
A friend of mine had this problem with her dd at secondary school. It is a problem for many parents. She bought an electric comb which kills the lice and she has found that to be really effective since she has to keep doing it. She also makes sure her daughter has her hair tied back. Hope it resolves soon.

I had the same problem and no matter what I used it didn't seem to go away - think my dds hair was also a popular nit hiding place. Tried everything you did but they persisted and also relocated to my hair. Only resolved when I moved dd from her nursery - not the main reason she moved, I hasten to add. I had been about to cut all her hair off as tying it up didn't work/leave in conditioner, nit comb, etc, etc, etc. Did find the mousse thing one of the more helpful products and she hasn't had nits since leaving the nursery. YET.

Sabbath, have you asked the nursery whether anyone else has the problem. You say the Mums say that their children do not but do they know how to check for headlice? There are some excellent leaflets around to increase awareness, maybe you could get hold of some and ask the nursery to distribute them to the parents.
To transfer from one person to another, it is my understanding that the lice have to 'walk' from one hair to another as they don't fly so there must be some physical contact of hair, either that or they will live on shedded hair for a while so is that another way they could be being passed on in the nursery? What dressing up/pretend play stuff do they have? Does it include hats or hairbrushes? Do they ever share hats/scarves or sunhats?
There is also a National Nit day when everyone is encouraged to check their hair - the idea being that if everyone checks and treats their hair at the same time it should cut down on the problem - some schools and nurseries seem to take part in this but ours doesn't - could you encourage them to take part?
My dd now always wears her hair in plaits to school thus reducing the amount loose hair flying around and she now rarely gets them. Good Luck, they are a pain - as you well know!!

Just found this on the web - next National Bug Busting Day is 10/07/2003
Bug Busting is an educational programme in reliable head louse detection and treatment. Pupils take home the information that parents need in a friendly Bug Buster Kit. The children motivate their families to check all members properly on National Bug Busting Days.

Organiser Community Hygiene Concern
Sponsor(s)
Contact Name For more information about our schools programme and offers of Bug Buster Kits at wholesale prices, send three 2nd class stamps loose plus a self-addressed sticky label to
Address Community Hygiene Concern
Manor Gardens Centre
6-9 Manor Gardens
London N7 6LA

Telephone 020 7686 4321
Email [email protected]

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Sabbath, I've heard from a number of friends that Pantene products seem to keep the little critters at bay. It was a coincidence that we found out and I don't know why it should be, but anything is worth a try. Good luck.

I had to cut my dds hair so it is really hard to plait, but I do tie her hair up. I used tea tree shampoos but didn't seem to work and proper oil, the pantene products was intresting, as i have used conditioner in her hair. Thanks for all your suggestions, she has only until september then she will go to big school, so hopefully the problem will stop. thanks all

Well today when i dropped my dd and ds at nursery, I over heard a mum saying to her kid 'have all the visitors gone now' and checking his hair. I sort of know the lady anyway and I said ' you having this problem too' We talked about different shampoos etc, she said she used this stuff called nitty gritty' it is quite expensive but it seems to work. I am just happy that is not just me and my dd, and it is a problem at the nursery school. I feel it is soo unfair that one mother is not checking their hair, as it is a pain. Anyway I have had one whole week of no headlice, and I have used the pantene product, conditioner, so maybe that is why. Well they break up for two weeks easter holidays so, I will see what happens when she goes back. HOpe the pantene thing is working. Anyway will let you all know what happens in the few weeks to come. Hopefully we will have cracked it.

I have had three children that have all been through nursery, infants and junior school. They have all also had lice and nits, unfortunatley there is always going to be one family that do not check their childrens hair or use a lotion to clear it. Most boys hair is relatively easy, girls on the other hand can become a nightmare. My eldest daughter has thick long red curly hair, all the way through school she was unlucky enough to share class with such a child and constantly caught lice, after about the third time it starts to feel like a loosing battle, but you know you have to battle on. The best lotion to completley kill all lice and eggs is LYCLEAR it is quite expensive but works great you use as conditioner and leave in for 10 minutes then use a metal lice comb for best results, obviously because children now get them more frequently schools don't recomend using lotions but this is a good one for special occations (beginng of holidays,weddings) its nice smelling otherwise you need to condition your childs hair every three days using nit comb. If your eyesight is not so good please ask a member of your family or a close friend to help you, this may sound drastic but i had a friend whose kids were always smothered in them and when i watched as she tried to do her kids hair i realised she couldn't see the lice properly but i could, you also need to comb the hair in small sections part it and start from the bottom of the head (like a hairdresser doing a perm)it realy doesn't matter what conditioner you use but a more silky one or teatree do seem to be better.
THE LIFESPAN OF LICE: once an egg is laid it takes 7 days to hatch it then lays eggs when it is 7 days old so by nit combing every three days you shoud be able to eradicate in two weeks. This must be done otherwise the circle continues. I hope this helps.

Thanks for your advice, especially that they take seven days to hatch. I knew you had to break the cycle,and have been doing this, and I crack it andf then she gets them again!!! VEry annoying. She also has thick red hair, but i seem to see them and just keep combing until I feel that they are all gone. I find it hard to get rid of the eggs though, the comb seems to go over them and I have to phsically pick them out with my fingers. my ds never seems to get them thank god, so at least I only have one head to do, although i contiually check his hair too. and the rest of the family. I have given up on lotions etc,,, I can't afford to keep coughing up pounds and pounds on treatment, for her to get them again the following week etc. So I resort to the conditioner and comb method. Thanks again for the information though,