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Parenting

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Original poster

NITS!!!!

26 replies

alexsmum · 21/12/2004 18:55

Just discovered that ds1 has nits!!!! yuckkkkk!!!!
My friend mentioned that anothern friends son has just had them, I laughingly checked ds's hair only to find a brown crawly thing in there!!!!

I'm slightly freaked out.
been and got the mousse and the special comb and he's siting with it on his head as I type.

thought i'd better let his friends mum's know and called the friend who we think had it originally and she still didn't let on to me!!! just said there had been a case in school.quite annoyed about it- surely we should be sharing this kind of info???
mum said to look for whitish things on the hair.can't find any but have found 2 crawlies.
any advice greatfully recieved!!!!

OP posts:

marinda · 21/12/2004 19:01

Apparently it goes around schools like whildfire - I visited my local schhol with DS with a view to sending him here - lively school but they has outbreak of nits and there were notices to check you hair up everywhere. The white things are the eggs and it is essential to get rid of these. Ther is a shampoo you can buy that clears the lot after about 2 washes - you just wash the hair as normal - think it is called "Durback". Don't worry - seemms disgusting but goes quick. You also need to wash hair of everyone else in the house - Good Luck PS Suffered from it myself as kid!

JanH · 21/12/2004 19:02

Well you get the crawlies first, then they lay eggs and those are the tiny white things - could be you have caught them just as they landed but I would go through the motions anyway.

They are revolting, aren't they!

WideWebWitch · 21/12/2004 19:02

They're a fact of life and you shouldn't get cross with anyone or feel freaked out, you just can't avoid it once they're at school. And nits prefer clean hair, it's a misconception that getting them means a child is dirty. I don't like the chemicals,though we have used them once. If you comb through with a nit comb and conditioner every day for 10 days you will get them all. Or you can get an electric nit comb or a bug busting kit from nitty gritty

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JanH · 21/12/2004 19:03

WWW, last I heard that misconception is middle-class propaganda, they just like hair!

WideWebWitch · 21/12/2004 19:09

ha ha janh, is it? That's funny!

WideWebWitch · 21/12/2004 19:12

There's a typo on that nitty gritty page, it says "Nitty Gritty was devised by three mothers reluctant to use chemicals on their children's hair and it is a highly effective, pleasant smelling natural solution to combat the problem of head" (my bold) Eeek! Someone should tell them!

roisin · 21/12/2004 19:18

My boys have each had headlice once, in the first half of 2004. I have been itching ever since! I wet comb my hair at least every week, and have never found anything ... so when will I stop itching?

DoesntChristmasDragOn · 21/12/2004 19:21

Tea tree oil is meant to be good.

MistltAeroAndWine · 21/12/2004 19:24

Yes - they just like hair - they're not fussy (so it says on the last box of 'stuff' I used. They're the bain of my life atm as my dd has had them three times in two months. Very annoying as I want to blame someone, but can't! Mostly, I just wish everyone in her class would check and deal with any infestation as they must be coming from somewhere, but Head of school and her teacher both very dismissive and wishy-washy about the matter. Might be different if they're heads were crawling!

MistltAeroAndWine · 21/12/2004 19:25

oops - should be their heads!

Original poster

alexsmum · 21/12/2004 21:15

i'm not cross with her because ds caught them from her boy, i'm cross that she didn't tell us that he had them!! there are 4 boys who are very close friends and do a lot of physical play together.if one gets nits we should all know!
have washed his hair now and gone through with the comb and found about 4 more crawlies and lots of little specks which look greyish.I presume they are the eggs???

OP posts:

MerryTissMas · 21/12/2004 21:22

alexsmum, the greyish specks are probably young lice. The eggs are very difficult to remove by combing. Comb again with conditioner in 4 days' time and keep doing it every 4 days until his head is completely clear twice. As far as i remember, the big lice can move from head to head and lay eggs. Eggs take about 3 days to hatch, but the lice take about 5 days to become mature and able to lay eggs themselves. You need to catch the lice and get them off the head before they lay eggs of their own. Keep combing until there are no more big lice AND no more little gery specks, then once more for luck.

Original poster

alexsmum · 22/12/2004 09:09

ok-as soon as he got up this morning I combed again.and found another crawly that looked like like it was on it's last legs, and a few more grey/black speckles.Have removed them-the speckles seem glued to the hairs which is why i thought they must be eggs? can't see anything similar which is white??
his head seems pretty clear now.thought i would take him to the barbers and get it trimmed but paranoid in case it's not clear.
I can't believe his head is in such a state and I haven't noticed.I wash his hair every other day or so and it obviously is brushed every day and i'm always fondling and stroking his hair. How did I not notice?????
feel like a really bad mother.

OP posts:

blossom2 · 22/12/2004 09:15

Alexsmum, don't feel bad about nits. its just one of those really annoying things about having children. i'm just waiting for threadworm to appear.

I found the best way for me (and have tired most things) is the old method of putting loads of conditioner on hair and then spending ages combing her hair. DD has dark but very fine hair so it was a real pain. I used to let her watch TV whilst i was doing it and we turned it into a game sometimes - she would check my hair. Still does now!!!

be warned, these things are persisted to say the least and it took 2 months. to get rid of an outbreak last summer. i then remained parnoid for the whole summer.

HTH

Original poster

alexsmum · 22/12/2004 09:20

yeah!!! his hair is really fine too and so the comb doesn't catch anything - I have to pull them off with my thumb and forefinger.
I've also been doing the combing while he watches t.v but he's not very patient and gets grumpy really quickly.that's 4 y/o boys for you!!
what do you think about the barbers? do i risk it???

OP posts:

fostermum · 22/12/2004 09:30

i dont know of a school who hasnt got bug problems,because you arnt allowed "nora the nit nurse" any more, we used to have some one regulary come and check,i would put some one in my will if they could find a permenant cure that didnt involve going bald,nearly all the kids that come to me are infested

Original poster

alexsmum · 22/12/2004 09:34

it's horrible isn't it fm? he has never had anything like this and his hair has always been his crowning glory, and i feel horrible about this.if one kid at school has it we should all be told so we can take action.

OP posts:

noddyholder · 22/12/2004 09:45

also recommend nitty gritty my ds is always getting nits and I am always combing them out Its part of school life I think

Original poster

alexsmum · 22/12/2004 09:47

ok need an opinion on the barber please from one of you more experienced mums.yes or no??

OP posts:

MarsselectionboxLady · 22/12/2004 09:56

why do you want to go to the barbers? Were you planning to anyway? Nits settle near the root of the hair. They have a two week cycle. Just wet comb daily for a few days then comb with conditioner every three days. You should be fine within a week or two. Shouldn't worry about it. Nits/lice are part of children's life. There was a thread on this just a few weeks ago. Anyway, good luck with the bug busting.

Original poster

alexsmum · 22/12/2004 10:01

yes!!! he needs a trim and although i think it looks clear am paranoid about going in case its not and tony the barber finds something yucky in ther!!! don't worry i'm not going to do the shave his head thing!!

OP posts:

hosannainIXELsis · 22/12/2004 10:11

Derbac M is definitely the best stuff to use. The down side is thats its about a tenner a bottle. And another vote here for the nitty gritty comb, also expensive but well worth it.

Lara2 · 22/12/2004 10:32

Having a class full of nitty children, a son who always brings them home, and being prone to it myself (even with really short hair!!), I agree with blossom2, the old conditioner and fine nit comb method is the only way to get rid of them.

Original poster

alexsmum · 22/12/2004 10:33

thanks for all your advice guys. can anyone advise me on whether it's ok to take him for a haircut???

OP posts:

JanH · 22/12/2004 10:41

I would say not for a few days - when DS2 had nits most recently the hairdresser who comes to the house to cut his and mine said she wouldn't touch him until he was clear - it's not fair on everybody else she cuts.

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