General Chat

Any advice on getting rid of headlice?

Go to the chemist and buy the shampoo and fine comb. Treat the whole family. Janice

When you have got rid of them then I highly recommend you use Asda Tea Tree & Lavender Head Lice Repellent. My son used to get them every other week until I started using it. Since then Ive had no more problems.

When you've got rid of them, use tea tree shampoo and conditioner regularly, the smell keeps the little bu**ers at bay. M.

Thanks Janice. i hve tried that several times, but someone at school mustn't be checking their child's hair!!!!!

Sheila, nearly a snap there!! M.

Thanks Morfydd and Shiela

There is a narural (but expensive shampoo) which I found works a lot better than just ordinary shampoo or using chemicals time and time again....called Nice 'n Clear by Natural Science. I suffer from psorasis so when he used to get head lice it was a nightmare for me. It works...again it has tea tree and lavender in it

I have a friend who styles hair. She says to use the shampoo AND make sure family members don't use the same brush; clean the bedding thoroughly; remove stuffed animals; and, she braids her daughter's hair to make sure she doesn't "catch" them at school. Good luck. (In California, the children are sent home when lice are found and the children are not allowed to return until there is no sign of lice!)

There would be no-one left in the school here lol

Kids at my daughter's school kept getting them and it was getting very expensive each time. When I got them I was in bed with flu and thought my itchy head was because I hadn't washed my hair. It turned out to be one child. Unfortunately I discovered this when accompanying a group to the swimming pool and watched them coming to the surface in the steamy changing room! I could have screamed at the mother, who happened to be a nurse, for putting her daughter through that. And, apparently the Head of School had no power to send her home until they were cleared.

Nor my youngest daughter's school either! Funny though, my older daughter has not once had any bother with them

... I now use the fine tooth comb for the cat's fleas!!!

Hi Samantha My kids suffered with head lice for a long time, like you say, it just goes round and round. I used the tea tree shampoo too, and I put loads of conditioner on their heads, that makes the fine nit comb go through easy. You have to do it for a fortnight every other day (if I remember right!), and then they should be clear. Also, one of mine got scabies, which was very nasty, and I smeared tea tree oil from the health shop all over her every night until it cleared up. Worked a treat! Stinks though! Lol !! All the best (nasty little devils these bugs, I can imagine how our ancestors used to suffer with them as well), Yuk! Lisa

I usually use one of those electronic combs that you can buy at places like Argos, at least they get the 'crawlers' out. Then use the tea tree shampoo as well. It really annoys me that other parents don't check their childs hair regularly - bring back nitty nora i say!!! Tracey

Bring back the 'nit nurse' thats what I say...I went all through school without any and didnt actually know what they looked like until I saw one on my son and asked someone.

we have the same problem at my daughters school, we know who is the culprit for reinfecting everyone as we had same problem at nursery, but nothing we can do about it, kids cant be sent home till clear as its classed as discrimination,and school nurses cant check kids in school as it can be classed as abuse, i never had them at school not with nitty nora the bug explora. i cheeck my daughters regular and tie it back just wish everyone did be less hassle tracy

I had similar problem a couple of years ago with my daughter. Couldnt reshampoo her with the special stuff as it was only supposed to be used every 3 weeks. I noticied that it didnt kill them all despite its claims. Found the best thing to do was after using the special shampoo to use ordinary then loads of conditioner and comb with a nit comb. Had to do this every night for about a week. She had waist lentgh hair and it really did work. Just time consuming. Now when there is an outbreak at school I check every day and have found that if i use the electronic comb on her dry hair it gets the odd one that has jumped on before they start breeding. Its stops the whole chain starting then. I work at the school now and have noticied that when the kids get lice mum shampoos them and just assumes it has got them all, but very rarely, the poor kids scratch for ages until it dawns on them then they think they have recaught it when the reality is they never actually got rid of it in the first place. Penny

My eldest daughter had waist length hair and only ever had them once throughout school, because then they had the nit nurse. Now my youngest is being reinfected every couple of months. Edinburgh council has also banned the schools from sending out letters to the parents, which used to inform them if someone in the class had them. What we do have in our area is free "Bug busting kits". If your child has live lice, then the health visitor will give you a pack. It contains comb, tea tree shampoo, and conditioner. Child's hair must be done every 3 days for 3 weeks. The local health authority advice against using chemicals as lice are becoming immune to them and there are health worries associated.

Shave off all your hair! No hair, no nits. No nits, no problem!