Headlice (merged)

moneypooh

agreed, don't worry about special conditioners and shampoos, ANY cheap conditioner will help them disappear with a good comb. A really thorough comb through everyday some clears it up!

Shoshannah

Dowse the hair with teatree oil and leave it on overnight. Wear a shower cap to go to bed in (not very attractive but essential for it to work well!). In the morning, wash the hair. I usually found it kills pretty much all of the lice and they wash straight out.

Follow up this initial blitz with regular combing (daily if possible) with conditioner to remove eggs and any new lice.

As for the husks, I used to just pull them out with fingernails but I guess some of the better combs can get them out.

Francophile

I always used the conditioner and the nit comb and it worked well but you have to keep checking one every week or so. I tried the tea tree oil and no wonder it works. The smell would keep any self respecting nit away as well as anyboby else that came within 6 feet.
Just as a matter of interest, how does an infestation start.?Where does the first nit come from? Any clever people out there with the answer?

morganb

Don't forget to boil wash all towels / pillow cases / sheets / pillows, etc.

allenx

I phoned the doctor and the health visitor, they hadnt a clue what i was talking about with the nitty gritty comb, they both said theyd never heard of it!!! I bought the comb the same afternoon, it was a tenner in boots but as far as im concerned its worth it, wouldve been nice to get it free as the lotions dont work. I agree with all the people on here that say, if only everyone would treat thier kids at the same time. At our school we have regular 'nit treating days' for want of a better name, does everyone treat?? No and thats the reason why they are still rife. Y cant everyone do it at the same time, when peoples animals have fleas they treat them, u know what i mean, its just a constant battle, but if everyone treated at the same time!!!! Its a blooming nightmare. my eldest leaves school this year, my next one 3 years to go, the last one a while lol, i cant wait, the main reason we wont have to put up wiv this anymore, ive had enough its not on. if there was a nit nurse who sent them home to be treated an they werent allowed back until they were clear wed save a blooming fortune, not to mention the kids would feel better as they werent scratching etc, its a pain in the bum,. i cant wait until all my kids leave school, one year to got ill the eldest, its all uphill from there xxx

allenx

steviewander wrote: »

I am a hairdresser and I have to put the hairdressers' position across.
Healthh & Safety in this country is very strict. Too strict if you ask my personal opinion. BUt the laws are very clear. We as hairdressers cannot continue with our services if we find lice in hair. Most hairdressers will not risk cutting hair even if they are just empty egg shells in the hair. Salons can and do get shut down for continuing services when lice are found. Other customers can report salons and swift action can be taken to shut the salon down. No hairdresser in the right minds will jeapordise their livelihood over extra commission for one haircut.

Health and Safety laws do indeed require all equipment, gowns, towels and anything else in contact to be discarded. Certain items such as scissors can be sterilised.

As precious as your daughter's hair maybe, I would have taken the same position as the hairdresser that told you that you would have to leave. There is no *duty* for the hairdresser to cut your hair. It is a sensitive issue, I agree, but creating a scene will only make the situation worse as you are asking the hairdresser to break Health and Safety laws by insisting they continue with their service. This would be unfair and wrong on your part.

Thanks, its interesting to hear a hiardressers opinion. Even though there are no lice or eggs does it stil mean that you cant cut, i do find that strange, obv its very anoying as well as my eldest was very upset. Saying all this, when she last had her hair cut, again she had no live lice or live eggs in her hair and the hairdresser, a different one, cut it, although she had old eggs, shes in middle school so its to be expected, sorry if thats come out wrong, i comb thru her hair every other day, we have to or she'd be infested, its middle school, weve managed to keep her clear by being strict in the combing wise, it doesnt get rid of the old egg shells tho. I also phoned the health visitor the other day about this situation and she was appalled, really appaled, she told me to go to another hairdresser as it was bang out of order what she said, i do understand what your getting at, but surely if theres no lice or no live eggs theres no probs. Im not being argumentative, i really do appreciate your opinion, do u have any advice please x

she was also round my house cutting, not in a salon, i must say t his also, my eldest gets his hair cut at a salon he knows, this hairdresser, my friend charged him £8 for dying the front of his fringe blonde, u couldnt see it, the hairdresser he goes to was appaled, he said hed charge him £2 to do the same job and that the person who charged him £8 , it was ok with a cut, he didntget a cut, it was just the fringe, a comb thru with bleach, it took with the whole lighting process bout 10 mins, the hairdreseer he goes too is furious, not cause he went somewhere else, thats not a prob atall, its cause the job was soo rubbish, and after all the stress weve had. I dont need to ask do i, i know myself not to go backt o her. Its not even that, just dont invite her back to here. I know ive rambled right on and im sorry, but thanks, after reading all ur posts and thinking, i know what i need to do. xxxxx Thanks x

barjam_2

allenx wrote: »

I phoned the doctor and the health visitor, they hadnt a clue what i was talking about with the nitty gritty comb, they both said theyd never heard of it!!! I bought the comb the same afternoon, it was a tenner in boots but as far as im concerned its worth it, wouldve been nice to get it free as the lotions dont work. I agree with all the people on here that say, if only everyone would treat thier kids at the same time. At our school we have regular 'nit treating days' for want of a better name, does everyone treat?? No and thats the reason why they are still rife. Y cant everyone do it at the same time, when peoples animals have fleas they treat them, u know what i mean, its just a constant battle, but if everyone treated at the same time!!!! Its a blooming nightmare. my eldest leaves school this year, my next one 3 years to go, the last one a while lol, i cant wait, the main reason we wont have to put up wiv this anymore, ive had enough its not on. if there was a nit nurse who sent them home to be treated an they werent allowed back until they were clear wed save a blooming fortune, not to mention the kids would feel better as they werent scratching etc, its a pain in the bum,. i cant wait until all my kids leave school, one year to got ill the eldest, its all uphill from there xxx

i also bought the comb but then found out it you can get it on prescription
on the nitty gritty page look on the left side.. 'free on presciption letter for doctor it has code on what is needed'

http://www.nittygritty.co.uk/ng/index.jsp?gclid=CIyCl4eco5MCFSNPMAodSHcJoA

1012donna

I've found them in my 4 year olds hair last night. She nor my 7 year old have had them before so I didn't really know what to do. I put her in the bath and combed through with a nit comb and got quite a few out (lice that is not nits) and did the same this morning and got another 3 or 4 out. Been to the chemist and bought 'Derbac M' which she recommended. It says one application but should I repeat in a week to make sure? I shall comb every night too. I have a feeling my 7 year old will have them too. She didn't this morning when I checked but I'd bet she will have now!!

Edit : my 7 year doesn't have any live lice but there were a few little black things (don't know how to describe them) so I presumed these were the nits (eggs) and have treated her too.

aliasojo

I was under the impression that head lice clung and took some shifting but I think they may have been falling off my daughter's friend all day. Could that be possible?

Daughter had a friend to stay last night. During this morning, I found lice on my daughter's head. I combed her out and told her friend to come over and I'd check her hair too in case my daughter had passed onto her. She started crying and said she didn't want anyone to look at her hair. I was a bit surprised but brushed over it as I remember my daughter telling me her friend had dandruff, so I thought she might just have been embarrassed.

Anyway, I went to the bathroom and there were insects of some kind (lice I think ) in the bottom of the bath. (Friend was last in the shower.)

I went to make the beds and her friend's pillow had lice on it (3mm-ish long)as did her duvet. So my assumption is that friend has probably passed onto my daughter.

Now neither me or mine have had lice before so I'm not sure what the situation is but this seems extreme for lice to be all around like this? I stripped the bed but they are on the carpet too. I hoovered but I still found the odd one later.

In fact daughter has just come down little while ago saying she found one on her foot. (Probably came off the carpet.)

I've been doing some reading and see that they can live for 48 hours off their host and they can be in soft furnishings etc.

I'm certain they're not fleas but is this feasible for lice? If not, anything else come to mind?

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

Some people are funny about lice and will not accept their child could ever have them. That can have the result of a child being absolutely seething with them but terrified to admit it. The best thing to do is, sadly, leave the host child alone but nit comb your daughter with conditioner religiously every couple of days until there are no more illegal aliens on her head/pillow/anywhere! It isn't the recommended treatment but I also found that dripping some neat lavender essential oil on my children's heads seemed to stun the lice and they seemed to let go. As a result, checking them just took a couple of minutes rather than hours.