Single hen

[Tina C]

Help

 

Layla and I both have itchy heads but we can't find any 'visitors'. I have a few spots on my head and Layla has spots in various odd places - like on her chin and nose and neck but not on her head. Could it be something else that is affecting us?

 

We have managed to get as far as Year 1 without any nits and I don't know what to look for other than small black creatures like cat fleas. Other parents have told us to look out for eggs along the hairline but there is nothing there.

 

Any tips for finding the evil critters and for chemical free treatment/preventative measures.

 

Have sent OH to find a nit comb which we will use on me first as Layla hates having her hair combed and absolutely refuses to have it tied back. If we find something in my hair we will have to tie her down..... Any tips garatefully received (on how to tie her down OR how to tackle the problem)

 

Thank you!

[Charlottechicken]

Chicken Pox ?!

 

I've never had nits so can't offer any helpful advice if it is.

[Cinnamon]

Hi Tina,

As the Mum of 2 school age girls,I am sure I can help!

 

Nits/Lice are really hard to see.They are not black (the lice that is) but a sort of brown colour,they are very fast,so its unlikely that you will see them in the hair & they vary in size.Old lice are the size of a sesame seed, but newly hatched lice are very tiny.

The eggs or nits are a sort of pealry opaque colour,very small & hard to see. They are sort of oval with a tail, it that makes sense!

You need to look in the hair,not around the hair line as that area is too cool for them to survive.believe me once you have seen one & got your eye in,you will find them easy to spot.

They stick fast to the hair shaft about 1-2 cm from the scalp & you need to pull them off with your nails!

 

Just last week I found I had lice as did my daughter.

We use the Tisserand head lice oil, which you drench the hair with,cover with a shower cap,then after a half hour comb out with a nit comb.The best nit comb by far is the Nitty Gritty which is available online or you can get a voucher for a free one too. Find the site,it should come up on a search.

 

Don't forget that if you do find lice then the whole process needs to be repeated after 5 days to catch any eggs that you missed & that may have hatched.

 

Explain to layla that she needs to get the lice (if that is what it is) treated or she will have an itchy head for ever & so will the rest of the family.A dose of lice spreads real quick - I should know

[Tina C]

Thank you.

 

I am going to use the Tisserand oil whether we find anything or not. Prevention is better than cure and it sounds quite relaxing - I will get OH to do a head massage..... Only problem is that I probably won't be able to get it on a Sunday around here.

 

Its probably psychological but I am convinced I have something crawling around on my head right now. And I am trying to work. Aaargh.

[Nicola H]

Sarah is right the Nitty Gritty comb is by far the best, believe me I have tried everything...............My daughter didn't tell me she was itching until they had really taken hold and boy were they hard to get rid of, the Nitty Gritty comb is expensive but well worth it they sell them in Boots, they should be open today.............Good luck.

 

I know what you mean about the itching..............

[Hellcat]

Oh, itching already at the thought!

 

Been there, done that. The Tisserand oil is good, but the best and most effective way of getting rid of them all (so I'm told) is to comb through hair with conditioner on once every two/three days over a 3 week period. Its a pain but it does work.

 

You might also want to try and explain to your little one that having her hair tied back or in plaits can help stop catching them, as her hair won't dangle on the head of someone else who might have them.

 

Good luck! Laurens hair is waist length and we seem to get them at least once a term.................

[AnnieP]

So do I Occupational hazard I'm afraid.

I just slather my hair in conditioner once a week, after washing it, leave it in for 10 mins so it really penetrates and comb through with a nit comb, wiping on some kitchen towel after every sweep. Then rinse.

Evil little beasties.

[matter]

conditioner and a comb is what we use on our ward if we have an outbreak. It seems to work well and is better than irritating the scalp with chemicals.

An evening in front of the fire having a communal groom!

[Sheilaz]

If you take preventative measures, there's never any need to get as far as the itchy or egg stage.

The conditioner & nitcomb through that has been mentioned is far better than using chemicals to get rid of the critters. But, if you do it weekly as a routine it's likely that you'll prevent an outbreak!

Yes, children don't like having their hair combed, but it's far better for everyone in the long run to get into the habit.

Since I started this with Esther, (having been through the whole lot with the elder 3 ages ago ) it's been great.

Twice (2 different terms) I have combed out one adult louse on a Saturday evening, but the cycle hasn't proceeded, it must have only just been picked up both times.

We make the combing sessions rewarding, chocolate (for both of us ) in front of some mindless family TV entertainment. Ah, quality time together.

Plaiting for school & bedtime is not an option, it's either that or a haircut!

It means that by Monday, we are not spreading the nits. So combing before you have them breaks the pattern for lots of children and adults.

By the way, the spots & itching might be something else...are they developing?

Good luck!

[Snowy]

Definitely recommend the conditioner and comb method. It worked well when our family had them!

 

But your spots don't sound like headlice! I would also think of chickenpox! Keep an eye on them and see your GP if unsure! Hope you get them sorted soon!

[Tina C]

Thank you everyone - we are going to have a conditioner and grooming session later. Waiting for OH to get back with the nit comb.

 

Layla's auntie also used the conditioner and comb routine for her two and I imagine that is the route we will take from now on. Chocolate and TV sounds a good incentive - we watch Jimmy's Farm Diaries on Fridays at the moment, so that might be a good time.

 

I feel I have been a little complacent - I check Layla's hair regularly but am starting to wonder if I have been missing them. I look after another little girl before and after school and her mum has reported them several times so I have been on the lookout.

 

Because Layla would not have her hair tied back we have compromised on a below the ears type bob so it actually quite tricky to tie it back now - I feel a trip to the hairdressers coming on.

 

And the spots aren't chickenpox as we have both had it but I will keep an eye on them.

[Lesley]

.....plus the sheep dip

 

sounds like a good way though Dan

 

I use conditioner + nitcomb every fortnight as a preventative and haven't caught them from Lauren and Jake yet when they've had them.

[Cinnamon]

Re the spots - some people are allergic to the lice saliva & that is what causes the itch,& it can also cause a spot - I have seen them on Cleo.

 

I really prefer the oil to the conditioner.

Firstly,it smells great & has aromatherapy oils which the lice hate.If you put a clear shower cap on the headfor half an hour,when you take it off you will usually see the lice clinging to the surface of the hair trying to escape.

 

Secondly the oil is clear,so when you are combing through & wiping the comb on a tissue,the oil soak in, leaving any lice ot eggs on the surface.Its hard to see what you are combing out with conditioner as its so gloopy - well thats my expereince anyway!

The oil is more expensive, but whenever I have used it the lice have not come back, meaning (hopefully) that I got all the eggs out

 

Sheila is right about prevention being better than a cure too.

But you can guarantee at least one parent in your childs class will not bother to even check for lice..................& so it goes on

[Paola]

I have just finished another battle with the little blighters

 

I agree that the nitty gritty comb is the best We have not had them for over a year until recently I pulled about 12-20 lice out of my 16 month old sons hair and his hair was fairly short. My middle daughter also got it for the first time. Boots do a spray that helps prevent the little blighters taking a fancy but you have to be over 6 to use it, which I have just brought. Fingers crossed that it works

 

Good luck

[Popcorn]

Oh my life. This is going to be a whole new ball game for me. My toes are curling already.

 

I'd better get prepared and get myself some supplies. Stefan is already coming home from nursey with all sorts of ailements.

 

I've never had nits. Wouldn't know one if it jumped up and bit me on the bum!

[Cate in NZ]

Daughter used to get them on and off all through primary school. We tried everything, but only regular conditioner and wet combing ever really worked. The chemical lotions you can get may kill off live lice, but are totally ineffective against the unhatched eggs, hence a few days later the "treated" child is once again a hotbed of louse activity .

Tea tree based shampoo works a treat too, Immi used a dead cheap one from Asda, seriously something like 80p a bottle, smelled revolting, but nary a nit since the horrible child has given up smelly shampoo in favour of ghd's. No signs of nits on our weekly checks (yep, she's 13 and we still have a Sunday evening hop into pj's, watch mindless TV and mutual grooming sessions ). I love it

But I think that the ghd's probably fry any wandering louse alive

[Cate in NZ]

Oh my life. This is going to be a whole new ball game for me. My toes are curling already.

 

I'd better get prepared and get myself some supplies. Stefan is already coming home from nursey with all sorts of ailements.

 

I've never had nits. Wouldn't know one if it jumped up and bit me on the bum!

 

Oh, Gina, you've got some treats to come

[Paola]

Oh my life. This is going to be a whole new ball game for me. My toes are curling already.

 

I'd better get prepared and get myself some supplies. Stefan is already coming home from nursey with all sorts of ailements.

 

I've never had nits. Wouldn't know one if it jumped up and bit me on the bum!

 

Oh, Gina, you've got some treats to come

 

Thats what I thought

[Charlottechicken]

Oh my life. This is going to be a whole new ball game for me. My toes are curling already.

 

I'd better get prepared and get myself some supplies. Stefan is already coming home from nursey with all sorts of ailements.

 

I've never had nits. Wouldn't know one if it jumped up and bit me on the bum!

 

I don't envy you, Gina. I wouldn't recognise nits either

 

I've never had them, I went to a very multicultural infant and junior school in what was a fairly poor area of Birmingham in the 70's, no-one ever had nits. We were poor and diverse but we were clean and happy

[Snowy]

The answer is definitely a good, short haircut! No 1 son never had them, but was always a number 1 all over with the clippers. No2 son has long, floppy locks - and boy did we get them! Trouble was I didn't realise until he was well and truly infested, and by then, so were we all!

 

Plenty of sessions with the conditioner did the trick! Managed to use up lots of half empty bottles that were lying around!

[Charlottechicken]

Just re-read my last post, sorry, I wasn't implying those with nits were dirty Don't they prefer clean hair?

 

Maybe we were all dirty and happy at my school then

[The Dogmother]

I'm afraid that it's the start of a bit of a nightmare Tina - Rosie was plagued by them when she was younger, but I comb BizNiz (a homeopathic lice repellent) through her hair every week and check for lice then. BizNiz is great beacuse you don't have tp wash it out - it's like a leave-in conditioner and it smells divine. She really doesn't mind having it done. The key is to do it regularly and get used to doing the inspections.

 

For those who would like it - I have an excellent document that shows pictures of what to look for and how to get rid of them - if you'd like a copy, please PM me with your email addy and I'll happily pass it on.

[Cinnamon]

No signs of nits on our weekly checks (yep, she's 13 and we still have a Sunday evening hop into pj's, watch mindless TV and mutual grooming sessions ). I love it

But I think that the ghd's probably fry any wandering louse alive

 

I was under the impression that senior school meant no more nits WRONG!!!!!

 

Both my girls have had them several times at big school too, although as you say I think the hair straighteners do help

 

I must assume that as the children get older, the nit checks stop in some households.I know for sure that there is a very nitty child within my youngest daughters group of pals (as she keeps catching them from her,then kindly passing them onto me )

[Popcorn]

Oh, Gina, you've got some treats to come

Thanks Kate - I think! I'm going to bookmark this page....

 

I wonder if nits never reached Birmingham Claire I went to a very working class school in Rowley Regis and saw the nit nurse on occasions and I used to love it when she played with my hair.

Edited January 29, 2007 by Guest

[The Dogmother]

I'll send you the article Gina