nits making me anxious

[happyone]

This might sound like a joke but it isn't. My two girls both have lice/nits. I have treated them both twice and twice been through the whole bone combing treatment. I have found they both still have them. I know it is normal and natural and all that but it is making me feel ill.
I have always been slightly phobic about them since catching them at school and always wondered how I would be if any of them caught them. I thought I was doing ok at first but now that it seems they are getting the better of me, I am feeling more and more ill.
What can I do? My plan is to go out and buy a treatment that kills the live lice and then bone comb them every night for a week. I have already done the treatment but it wasn't very good as I was still finding live lice in their hair after I had done it.
My eldests hair is so thick too and there is so much of it that I just feel they are going to keep on escaping me.
The other problem is, I am not finding any eggs. None at all. Does that mean they are so small that they are escaping through the bone comb or that I just can't see them. I know the treatment doesn't kill the eggs so I am paranoid about not getting them.
The other problem is my own hair. I have bone combed it thoroughly and nothing has shown but I don't feel confident. It might sound crazy, but the thought of these things on my head makes me want to go out and buy a shaver and shave it all off.
Any help or advice greatly appreciated.
Happyone
xx

[Piglet]

Oh flippin eck do I remember these times so well!!!

It used to take me all evening to go through each small piglets hair - I used to sit on the settee with them sat on the floor, me wearing an apron and a big sheet of newspaper on my lap. I used to spray their hair wet and then section it all out with clips and charged with my bottle of conditioner I would begin with my special nit comb.

Once I sorted them all out my friend from up the road used to come up and do mine for me and I would do hers - they were kinda like bonding sessions lol!!!

I think we had about 3 bouts of it while the piglets were growing up, which may not sound alot but you have to be doing their hair pratically every night for a couple of weeks to be sure you got any eggs so it felt like we were always doin it. Middle piglet was well narked as she had very curly hair!!! Each child took the length of a soap operato do, so I began with the youngest and by the time Brookside had finished the oldest one was ready to go to bed.

I also used to put a few drops of tea tree oil in their conditioner and leave that on for 10 mins too.

It drove me bonkers at the time and I was forever feeling itchy - funny it all seems ages ago now.

Just keep doing your comb treatment mate and you will defeat it.

Love Piglet

[mirry]

when my daughter had them , I washed and combed her hair then put the hair straightners thru it and you could hear them CRACK ,lol.

But the hair straightners worked a treat , use them morning and night .

[Vikki]

There is a comb called Nitty Gritty and it is supposed to be the best thing ever for head lice.

I use a daily spray from Wilkinsons on my daughters hair, it is supposed to prevent them.

If you Google Nitty Gritty the comb is about £10 I think.

Take care
Vikki

[happyone]

thanks,
I have just treated my little un and what a palaver! She has been screaming her head off. Some of the lotion got into her eyes and now they are all red.
I am still waiting for my big uns hair to dry so I can do hers.
Thanks Vikki, it is the nitty gritty comb I have.
What do the eggs look like?
Happyone
xx

[Vikki]

The eggs look like whiteish pin heads - sorry not much help I know

[happyone]

No it is a help, honest. All I have found so far is the empty casings that the nits have been in. I can't understand why I would find no eggs
I am unbelievably anxious over this, some mother me eh?
Happyone
xxx

[Coni]

Happyone, I know just how you feel...my son had them a couple of months ago....and hes 13 lol!

You need to get the lotion to leave on overnight (I used Full Marks), and then bone comb it out in the morning and wash as usual.

Check everyone in the house, including yourself and if necessary treat everyone at the same time.

Then I would bone comb on alternate nights and repeat the 12 hour/overnight treatment 7 days after the first treatment.

Continue to bone comb on alternate nights until you are no longer finding either lice, eggs or empty shells.

Remember to bone comb the hair when wet, with lots of conditioner and divide the hair into sections.

Once clear you should bone comb with conditioner once a week so that if theres any sign of a new infestation you catch it early.

You're not alone on this one....it was the hairdresser who sent a note home with my son....she had 7 teenagers that day all from the same school....they are so easily caught, and my son was horrified (he was growing his hair at the time....it is now very very short lol).

Good luck....and dont do what I did, I combed my hair so often my scalp was red raw lol...I was so paranoid about catching them!

luv Coni XX

P.S I got this advice from the school nurses I work with....and they definitely know athing or two about head lice lol!

[bluesparkle]

hi
oh we know the "nit" thing very well...
my youngest has them alot as she has very thick hair... i use the full marks lotion the ten minute one im not convinced any of them work after a time...
but comb through their hair whilst it is still wet or even better still whilst the conditioner is in as it gives the nits nothing to hang on to.
i do her hair with the comb every other night... what makes me mad is the people who dont bother as she must get them from somewhere.
rach

[honeybee3939]

Hi Happy

Ohh i do feel for you hun, i remember my youngest daughter having them.I used to sit her in the bath and put lots and lots of conditioner on her head and just comb and comb and comb. The eggs where the worst to get rid of, they seem to gather on hair around the ears and at the back of her neck.
I also purchased a electronic Head lice remover from argos and gave her hair a good going through with it twice a week,and touch wood she never had them again.

I do feel for you hun, i used to hate the thought of them, but was told by my health visitor that the head lice love to live on clean hair, which made me feel a little better .

Sending you hug

Andrea
xxxxxx