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Original poster

Dam,ned headlice

44 replies

Soulfly · 16/05/2004 22:07

Right i know theres probably lodes of threads on headlice but my daughter keeps getting them and i have had to resort in cutting her hair alot shorter. I have tried everything teatree oil nad shampoos and conditioners, all the lotions and potions. Any suggestions anyone?

OP posts:
Freckle · 16/05/2004 22:17

DS3 had massive infestation over the Easter holidays. I dealt with it through wet combing and he is now clear. However, although I'd dosed myself twice with Full Marks mousse (DH is a wuss and wouldn't check my hair for me), I discovered last week that I now had a fairly healthy crop. Only very large beasties, but no eggs. I was so freaked out that I bought something called Suleo M (Malathion) and thought to have it on overnight (it says 2 hours for killing livestock, 8-10 hours for eggs). The fumes were awful. Having wrapped my hair in a towel and opened windows, it was still so bad that neither DH nor I could sleep for streaming eyes and I'm not sure it did our breathing any good. I eventually got up and washed my hair at 1am and did another 3/4 hour wet combing.

It says on the box, suitable from 6 months. I wouldn't let that stuff anywhere near a child, let alone a baby.

So, not much help, other than as a warning not to use it. The Full Marks mousse might be OK, although I found it very difficult to get on the scalp due to the length of my hair. I think they might do a liquid version, which would probably be better on longer hair, i.e. anything other than a crew cut

Original poster
Soulfly · 16/05/2004 22:31

i have used that full marks stuff, but if you catching it al lthe time, it gets really expensive.

OP posts:
bobs · 16/05/2004 22:36

DD1 kept on getting infested one summer and I tried EVERYTHING. Don't waste you money one the electronic zapper by the way. The only thing that worked was wet combing with loads of conditioner on a regular basis - get them while they're little befor they can lay eggs.
I kept a live one I found next to the sink one night and at 3am it was still alive. A magnifying glass is also usefull to differentiate between lice and dry scalp.
One mum sent her (hair deloused) daughter to school with her hair smothered in gel, plaited and tied tightly to her head - and she still got them. I would also question who your daughter is playing with - apparently heads have to touch for lice to move across but I wonder if there's a new strain of the jumpimg variety

Original poster
Soulfly · 16/05/2004 22:38

i know, i tell her not to put her head next to anyone. but shes gonna get them shes gonna. its just really annoying. GRr

OP posts:
SofiaAmes · 17/05/2004 00:07

I've discussed this in previous threads, but we went through over a year of dh's ex sending his kids down every weekend infested with nits. I'd have to wet comb them and ds and myself, send them home nit free and they'd come back 2 weeks later infested as everyone in their mother's house was infested and no one did anything about it.
The wet combing with conditioner everyday until they are gone and then everyday for another week and then once a week until they are 18 works very well. I never used the the poisons. Also, make sure your dd does to school with her her tightly plaited if it's long and give her strict instructions not to use anyone else's hairbrush or hat or jacket.

mummytojames · 17/05/2004 00:26

soulfly it sounds as if your dd is a breader i was as a child and the only thing that will keep the away is everytime you wash her hair conditioner and comb the things out i should know the doctor said i was the first girl he had ever heared of that could become emune to all the treatment on the market at the time

robinw · 17/05/2004 06:30

message withdrawn

roisin · 17/05/2004 08:41

Soulfly - why not have a word with your school nurse, and see if she can do an information session for all the parents, (and see if you can get your head to actively invite those people who really need to be there!) Our school nurse did two sessions, particularly for reception parents: showing a video and answering questions, and it seems to have really made a difference.

lars · 17/05/2004 16:42

Soulfy, My dd keeps getting head lice too. I've resulted in putting neat drops of tea trea through her hair while washing and leaving some of the conditioner on the hair and then drying.Our hairdresser said it breaks their legs because the lice can't grip the hair- Let you know if it works.
Ive also used the solution that frecke is on about on my dd. Two hours is all she could bare and she had to sit out in the garden due to the fumes- powerful stuff and not sure all children could cope with it- but they came back maybe because I didn't kill all the eggs but you know what it's like you feel you've got them all out. I think she just caught them again. larsxx

hmb · 17/05/2004 17:12

RE the Tea tree oil, it works, but isn't 100% effective. It doesn't break their legs, but they don't lie the smell and it will tend to put them off taking up residence.

It isn't the person that becomes immune to the treatments, it is the headlice!

The headlice can be shifted by using lots of conditioner and combing them out, but you have to be very careful to cover all the head, miss one and you get to start again. It also doesn't stop the child being re-infected, but neither do the insecticide treatments. You can tell if you have a new infection because you will have full size lice. If it is the case that you have missed a few, they are unlikly to be full size, IYSWIM.

Good luck and happy scratching

dinosaur · 17/05/2004 17:15

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This has been withdrawn by MNHQ at the poster's request.

rsv1000r · 17/05/2004 17:17

I tried it all - tea tree oil, the special treatments, electric nit comb, metal nit comb (better than the plastic ones, plaiting her hair every day for school and my daughter was continually re-infected - as hmb says you can tell a re-infection as you have full size nits - I would get her clear during school holidays and she would come back after 1 day with them again - complaints to the school - children being suspended - nothing worked, the only thing that kept them under control was to comb her hair through with a nit comb every day after school - until she was in year 5 and the school stopped them sitting around desks and put them all individually facing forward - no more nits!!!!!

I just hope I don't have to go through this again with ds who has just started primary.

hmb · 17/05/2004 17:20

It is awful that some parents just don't seem to bother and it only takes one in the class to re-infect everyone over and over again. And little kids love to huddle together when they play.

Glad I teach in secondary! They don't want to get close to you by the time they are 11!

roisin · 17/05/2004 19:40

Dinosaur - we did tell the school when ds1 had them. They send a letter about bugbusting home from school to all the classmates as a reminder every time they know of an infection.

Piffleoffagus · 17/05/2004 19:49

We wet comb every single day with conditioner, we also leave conditioner in or put hair mouse/lacquer in as it prevents nits from adhering to the hair and apparently they do not like the taste os texture of treated hair.
This got a bit much for my son who opted for the shave off, but with a girl they are prob more open to hair styling!
There is one boy in my sons class who never gets treated its a bloody nightmare.

gloworm · 17/05/2004 20:17

bioforce Neem Riddance has worked for everyone I know who has used it. it not only kills the lice, but kills the eggs too!
Biz-Niz conditioner can be rubbed through hair every morning and almost always prevents catching lice again.
Metal combs also seem to work better (maristows is a good one.)

dinosaur · 18/05/2004 11:26

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mothernature · 18/05/2004 11:34

Did you know you can get treatment for headlice free if you go to you Dr's? if you have problems with headlice do inform the school as they are powerless to inform other parents until it has been reported. Oh lord I'm itchy all over now...yukk.

tamum · 18/05/2004 11:39

I think different schools/education authorities have different policies, dinosaur. Our authority and hence the school has a policy of no longer sending out letters when there is an infection, so there is actually no point in reporting it. My ds got to P5 wihout ever having so much as a single louse, whereas dd (now in P1) gets constantly reinfected. I just wet comb with conditioner every few days now as a default . It's definitely worth trying different combs- I acually found the Boots metal ones useless, I could see the louse and the comb went straight past it. The best ones I've found (in my extensive collection ) are the ones that you get from Bug Busters . Where did you get yours from, gloworm?

gloworm · 18/05/2004 11:45

maristow metal comb from any any good health shop (probably not Holland and Barrett, but an independant one!)
I own a health shop and we sells lots of them, customers recommend them to their friends as they seem to work so well. hanen't had a single complaint about them yet!
also they are gentler on hair and scalp than sharp plastic ones, and last longer.

roisin · 18/05/2004 11:55

Gloworm - I just read your profile. Donegal? Beautiful! Can we all come to you for the next mumsnet meetup?!

dinosaur · 18/05/2004 11:58

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gloworm · 19/05/2004 17:00

dinosaur, i'm relishing my anonimity a bit too much at the moment to say exactly where I am...you know what small towns are like.

where do your cousinsm live?

dinosaur · 19/05/2004 17:01

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Jaybee · 19/05/2004 17:18

I have found a tea tree and lavendar spray in repellent that seems to be working - I did a link to it in a previous thread. The combs I find best are cat or dog flea combs as they tend to have handles which make then easier to move - the teeth are the same as a metal nit comb (yes I have stood in a pet shop and compared them - how sad am I?)