General Chat

Still sitting here scratching...... Maggy

The only one of my 4 children to get nits was my younger daughter. She was 8 months old and almost bald! The health visitor noticed them when we were at the clinic (this was in 1981) and said she'd never known a child so young to get them. I had never seen headlice before and didn't really know what to look for. Daughter was too young to use lotion so I just had to shampoo what little hair she had and comb it with a nit comb. None of my other kids caught any and we don't know where daughter got them from. Now, at her son's school they don't send letters home but the PTA put up a big orange notice saying HEADLICE outside the school gates. The school can't do anything because it's not on their property, but the parents are kept informed. Sue

hello full marks treatment i found it very good then i got a eletric comb my son as not had them since louise

The best way is to comb cheap conditioner through the hair and extract as many as you can find every night for 14 days. This covers the whole life cycle and prevents them breeding without having to apply god only knows what to the child's head. Then do a thorough check with conditioner every seven days to prevent reinfestation. It is difficult to say if nit shampoos are any good because the nits seem to be developing immunity against so many compounds. I have a vision of olympic nits losing their grip on the conditioner! Good luck! Regards Abigail

As I work in a school I often hear of these little bu--ers being around.With all the laws govening children etc a nit nurse can't be used these days which to be honest on a personal view I think is silly as it could be done under supervision.Myself as a child never ever had nits as the nurse used to come often with her comb and dettol water and inspected every head of hair in the school.I have however caught them off of my children...(having a scratch thinking about them ...and another) but its a case of being very vigilant with inspection, even between hairwashes. If you child has long hair always tie it back, but even then children always seem to put their heads together.My daughter gives her young sons a crop when the bu--ers are about as she says prevention is better than cure.Alright in the summer but a bit breezey round the lugs in winter Lynn

My daughter kept bringing them home from school and the school now refuse to send home letters because some parents felt to awkward!!! Honestly some people!!! I have found that using tea tree shampoo and conditioner of any sort is great for me to stop getting them but for my daughter the only thing I do now as part of normal routine is to comb her hair through everyday after school with a nit comb! has worked for the last 3 weeks anyway!

I have always found the best treatment to be the cheapest conditioner you can find. Wash hair, put lots of conditioner on and leave for a couple of minutes then use the fine tooth comb. Works every time as the little swines can't hold on to the hair. Pam

My daughter Emma always used to catch the little b*****s every time they were doing the rounds. I remember her catching them one Christmas from the kids she was babysitting. Of course we all had to use the horrible smelly stuff to get rid of them. I remember going on Hubby's works do feeling sure that we both reeked of it!! Maggy (scratching her head at the thought of them!)

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

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.

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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.

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

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!)