Itax headlice treatment feedback

[carriemumsnet]

Hi all

Thanks to everyone who volunteered to test out Itax a new non-chemical programme of head lice lotion spray (2 treatments per bottle RRP £11.99) and soothing 'anti-itching' shampoo (150ml RRP £9.99).

If you weren't one of the volunteers for the product trial, but have already bought and used Itax, please feel free to add your thoughts too.

So, what did you think of it? What was it like to use and did it work? How did it compare to other nit treatments you had used (if any) ?

Everyone who offers feedback will be entered into a prize draw to win Avène Sensitive skincare products for adults and Klorane hair products for children worth over £50.

It's Ok. You can stop scratching now

MNHQ

bonkerz - I've emailed you
Ann

Righto, here's my review -

Liked the spray, much easier to use than fiddly dribbly bottles. The smell was quite bleurgh at first, but not as bad as some that we?ve tried in the past (I think it was Full Marks that makes you feel dizzy with the fumes!)

It didn?t seem to really coat DD?s thick long hair, like it dried too quickly, so I wondered if I had used enough for the first application, but when we washed it off and combed loads of dead lice came out so it seemed to have worked well

It washed out quite easily (easier I thought than Hedrin which seems greasier), although I did have to shampoo twice.

A week later before the second treatment I nit-combed and was very surprised to find only 5 live lice as usually there are about 20 on poor DD after a week. Used the treatment easily again and a week later she is nit-free (for now at least!).

Quite impressed overall and I?m usually very anti-nit-lotion. We have in the past used twice as much liquid as normal because DD has such long thick hair, but there was enough to do two treatments in this one, and the fact that it only stays on for an hour means we can avoid morning washing-hair-and-rushing-to-dry-it palavas. Might feel differently of course if I had had to pay for the lotion

Probably a good fix for major infestations that won't budge, but generally I think we'll stick with conditioning and combing.

Thanks mumsnet!

mine arrived later than they said by a few days and as of yet we haven't got headlice!!!!!!!!

I intended just to keep the Itax in cabinet for bugly emergencies, but we had to use it last last week on DD (12). Applied well and removes loads of nasties. No complaints of burning or soreness with the spray. Very effective. The shampoo left DDs very long hair soft and easy to manage.
Overall good. Would use again.

like the spray applicator and I have smelt worse. Haven't had a chance to use it yet as for the first time ever my little princess seems to be the only Nitless child in the school !

I'm sure it won't last as she has magnetic properties for nits and dirt, so will keep you posted.

Didn't get a comb either and the package had been opened, not the first time this has happened.

By the time it arrived all traces of head lice had been removed and we are all clear for now. A spare comb is always nice in a pricey pack of treatment, we didn't get one.

Would a hedrin report not be very useful?

Tend to prefer pour type bottles rather than spray as I can put it in my hands and then chase the children around the house.

Liked the shampoo. Not sure it actually detangled, lovely though.

Thanks.

will stick to conditioner and nitty gritty comb far cheaper and less smelly, not enough in the bottle for two applications on long hair, though shampoo was nice, but again very expensive. It was easy to apply though and no live ones found.

what did I think of it?: It was Ok Not keen on the smell.

What was it like to use and did it work? Easy to use and yes it works Prefer bottles not sprays on little ones.

How did it compare to other nit treatments I had used (if any) ? The same.I usually just condition and comb and find that works just as well.

We are now nitfree[twitches scalp in Dreyfusian manner] , but I couldn't actually say whether it was the Itax or the regular conditioner and combing.

Despite there being a "warning - headlice, please check your child's hair" sign on the classroom door for my DD4, neither she or my DD7 have brought any home yet so I haven't tested it. I broke it open for a quick sniff though and it pongs but it's pretty much what I was expecting, none of them smell nice ! I love the idea of a spray but agree that the spray should contain more than the shampoo. And it does seem very pricey for what it is, as it's a bit hit and miss and they don't always work. I'll let you know how we get on if we have any little visitors in the next few days (MY head itches now, just from reading all your comments !!! ) ;)

Ok....

Liked the fact it was a spray, liked the fact it washed out easily, didn't like the fact it didn't really work. The lice we combed out were still alive, so as it doesn't do anything to the eggs you might as well use conditioner. In fact when DD reinfested (bloody reception) we had noticeably better success using just conditioner than the Itax. Shampoo was quite nice though.

Compared to others we've used? Fullmarks works in a similar way although quicker and more effectively but with the huge downside of having to wash your hair with washing up liquid to get it out. Hedrin (I think) is the other one we tried (one that kills eggs as well as lice) Loved the fact it was so effective but as it's so harsh and we only seem to get reinfected from the school within a couple of weeks, we save it for the rare occasions where we really need to be 100% clear straight away.

We have received ours but are surprisingly (since dd is refusing to tie up her long hair these days) still nit free!

very smelly solution, really unpleasant.

isn't as easy as conditioner and nitty gritty.

shampoo, nice but completely unnecessary, and expensive. would never fork out another tenner for it. dd loved it, saying it looked really 'posh'.

really don't think i would bother with it again.

I used to use delacet on my hair because I found combing me really difficult and just wanted everything to be dead. That really stank and stung but it used to kill everything, eggs and lice (though sadly no longer, the little buggers must be getting resistant), so this really didn?t smell too bad to any of us, didn?t sting and was a breeze to apply.

I also found the bottle too small, there wasn?t enough for 2 applications, I only did eldest dd who has really thick long hair and it took most of the bottle to wet her hair completely once.
I also didn? t get a comb so don?t know if their comb is any better than mine. All the lice I combed out were dead. I did shampoo 3 times but all lotion seemed to be all out after that. I don?t know whether it would have worked completely because I only had enough to ?do? her once and she did still have some lice a week later.

Itax is more expensive than delacet (though I need a whole bottle of that for each person). I have also used quassia bark (which is a lot cheaper and has variable results but is very easy to use); Full marks, which is crap, and conditioning and combing, which does work if I am absolutely relentless with all 3, for about 3 weeks.
So if there had been enough and I had used it a week later as directed and it had worked (!) I would use it again.

Still waiting on an infestation to use. Had used hedrin before the sample arrived as couldnt wait any longer

2 kids both with longish hair, didn't go very far (but not much does) it did kill some of the nits but it also relies on you combing out the live ones

Tried it on both DDs, not very impressed.

The spray smells terrible, and it barely managed both girls hair once. Combed thoroughly after an hour, left the solution in overnight, washed out in the morning. Nits and lice still there

The shampoo seems very difficult to wash out. TBH I have much better results using standard conditioner and a nitty gritty comb.

Oh and no comb with my pack so we used a nitty gitty comb that we already had.

Hi all

The itax folks have been in touch in response to a couple of queries that have come up: Apparently, as a precaution, it's not recommended to use Itax during pregnancy or when breastfeeding. Also you can use it with any comb - they don't provide a comb with the treatment.

Thanks for all the feedback so far and hope everyone is now nit free.

MNHQ

Oh bugger. That rules me out then as got the product but dd hasn't had nits yet, and I'm 27 weeks pg!

haven't needed to use it so far.

smell not pleasant but like the packaging.

It will have to be good to be the nitty gritty comb

meant BEAT!

The shampoo was really lovely, gentle and mild and smelled lovely too. The spray was a bit worrying to start with as it smelt very chemically and said that it wasn't to be used on kids with asthma (my child has mild asthma) so I took it to a pharmacist and asked him what the ingredients were - all harmless & the smell was alcohol. It worked really well but to be honest it wasn't really any better than good old conditioner and is three times the cost. The conclusion I came to is that you just have to nit comb childrens hair about twice a week and three or four times if you find lice. Best to just do it every time they have a bath and hair wash using your normal conditioner.