Fucking Nits! I thought it was bad enough when she was 6!

[OccamsLadyshaveToo]

DD is 14. She has long hair almost down to her waist, currently dyed 4 different colours. She also has nits for the first time since Y4. I know this because I now have them too.

She won't let me check her hair because it's "weird and creepy" but I made her (threat of phone removal) use the comb to check to see how long it took to find one. She found two baby wrigglers in the very first comb!

So now she's gone out shopping with her friends, having refused any treatment because the mousse makes her hair smell funny and the hedrin makes it look greasy. No doubt she will infect them all so now even if I treat her she will just get them back again.

I know she's embarrassed and doesn't want to admit she's got them. And I know hair is important when you're 14. Has anyone dealt with this? Any tips on either a treatment that is "teen hair" friendly or on how to wrangle a reluctant teen?

And WIBU to ring all her friends' mums to warn them if she refuses to deal with it by Monday? (this is a joke I think!)

My Dd who is 15 caught them last summer. I did the conditioner treatment with nitty gritty every night. Took about 5 weeks and she's been clear ever since. We think it was when she went to help with a primary school outing.

Thanks. I used to do the tea tree conditioner treatment when she was younger. The problem is she won't let me comb it for her, and she just doesn't do it properly herself.

I am going to make her use the chemicals tonight because she's got all day tomorrow to wash it as many times as she likes to get it back to normal.

I think I'm just going to have to get brutal and force her to treat them. I rarely threaten phone removal or wifi restrictions, so I have that up my sleeve if necessary.

It's more her co-operation that's the issue rather than how to treat.

I suspect she's caught them from her half-sister who is 5 and in Y1. She's prime nit age and DD goes to her dad's every week so plenty of opportunity for repeated infection.

Judging by the colonies she's got now, I should think she's had them for ages.

You need to insist you do it. There's no way she could thoroughly not comb her own head, especially with such long hair. She'll be infested forever if you let that happen.

I know teens are irrational, but why is it "weird and creepy" that you help?

Hopefully you've started to get this sorted but if not tell her she's got two choices, nits forever or let you do the nit comb and conditioner. It's a pain, takes ages but is the only way. My DD volunteered at a summer camp for deprived kids and came back with nits aged 18. Conditioner and comb is the only way, plus tell her how harsh the chemicals are and how they will affect her hair's condition. Also, when around little kids, tie her hair up or put in a bun or french plait, best form of defence. I have spent hours of my life nit combing my daughters hair, but it does give you a chance for a chat! Good luck!

one of my DDs has had the buggers umpteen times since YR (can't believe she's still getting them in secondary) - I've always treated with lots of conditioner and nitty gritty and that tends to get rid within a couple of weeks.

My pre teen has just had them. She has thick, long hair. Took me 2 1/2 hours of nitty grittying on Sunday to get rid of them all. Have combed every day since and she's all clear. thank fuck

Tell your dd that they need treating. I know a very sad case of a neglected little girl having head lice so badly that she had to have her head shaved off in hospital because they wouldn't respond to treatment.

I'm itching like mad just thinking of them.

So now she's gone out shopping with her friends, having refused any treatment because the mousse makes her hair smell funny and the hedrin makes it look greasy.

You're just going to have to lay in on this, and hammer home how gross and disgusting the nits are. Probably cruel, but hitting her image will work.

Hedrin is amazing stuff and doesn't have a scent. Help her apply it before bed and she only has to keep it on over night and wash it out herself in the morning. A further treatment a week later.
Tell her you'll keep her phone for a month if she doesn't realise how silly (and unfair on her friends as they may catch it) she's being!