Nits

[Tip Top]

I've never seen anything like it other than the ant thing at the zoo......
My goodness - he was infested!!

Poor Samuel has had his head totally deloused - and I'd only checked him the day before, can they really grow and multiply that quick in 24 hours??!!

Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuukkkkkkkkkkkkkkk!!

I presume all kids get these on a regular basis??!!

[Heidijw]

think most kid do at some stage!!

They seemed to particularly like my middle daughter who has really long, thick hair. She was at boarding school, every time she came home she had nits again, used to sit for an hour a night combing her hair through, send her back to school clear only for her to come home with them again the next time!!

My other 2 girls never had any problems so they seem to have their likes and dislikes!!

[beadsbydesign]

OOOO!!!!!
I love nits. I wrote a paper about them when I was nursing. I'll tell you what I know!

Nits are the eggs. They are attached a the base of the hair as it emerges from the scalp by a glue like substance. They are near to the scalp as incubation heat. When they are laid they are a dark colour. White nits are empty egg shells. They are very tough and can remian on the hair for years if you don't cut the hair off. You can tell how old an infestation is by the distance the egg is up the hair shaft.
Head lice cannot reproduce until they are 7 days old. It is therefore important to comb out the hair on a very regular basis as a precortion. It only takes one lice to cause an infestation.
Modern lice are becomming more and more immune to the lotions and potions on the market (there are some health associated risks with them as well) and the dept for health encorages the conditioner method in which you wash the hair as normal and then cover it with hair conditioner. With the conditioner in place comb the entire legnth of the hair in sections working around the head. It can take up to an hour to do it thoroughly. Then rince the hair as normal. If you do this daily for a couple of weeks you should completely remove them. It is believed that teatree oil is a repellant and spritzing the hair with it may help to repell them. You should notify any groups your child is currently in so they can all check and treat otherwise all your hard work goes down the drain because the original source of the lice can just give them away again.

There now is everybody itching?

[michelleC]

OOOO!!!!!
I love nits. I wrote a paper about them when I was nursing. I'll tell you what I know!

Nits are the eggs. They are attached a the base of the hair as it emerges from the scalp by a glue like substance. They are near to the scalp as incubation heat. When they are laid they are a dark colour. White nits are empty egg shells. They are very tough and can remian on the hair for years if you don't cut the hair off. You can tell how old an infestation is by the distance the egg is up the hair shaft.
Head lice cannot reproduce until they are 7 days old. It is therefore important to comb out the hair on a very regular basis as a precortion. It only takes one lice to cause an infestation.
Modern lice are becomming more and more immune to the lotions and potions on the market (there are some health associated risks with them as well) and the dept for health encorages the conditioner method in which you wash the hair as normal and then cover it with hair conditioner. With the conditioner in place comb the entire legnth of the hair in sections working around the head. It can take up to an hour to do it thoroughly. Then rince the hair as normal. If you do this daily for a couple of weeks you should completely remove them. It is believed that teatree oil is a repellant and spritzing the hair with it may help to repell them. You should notify any groups your child is currently in so they can all check and treat otherwise all your hard work goes down the drain because the original source of the lice can just give them away again.

There now is everybody itching?

Some very useful info there!
I always put a few drops of tea tree and Lavender in my kids conditioner. Just leaves a faint smell, Head Lice run for the hills. Only time they get them is if ive been a little slack with the treatment.

[JBJB]

Bleugh!

I agree that I think some people's hair ismore "attractive" than others. I never got them as a kid, and neither did my hubby. Fingers crossed that my son has inherited our resistance to them ......

Now worms is something I hope never to encounter - especially when you read to diagnose it you should use a torch at night-time ..... bleugh, bleugh, bluk!

[swirlyarts]

I had head lice when I was an adult - the joys of being a teacher!! The little girl I caught them from was so infected that they were crawling over her top - yuck!! Poor little thing!
Tea tree works a treat to repel them but I'll admit that I did use whatever the over the counter treatment was - from then on I always wore my hair up and was very careful putting my head next the children!

[Seahorse]

I had them a few years back too, I worked in a toy shop.
They drove me crazy!!!
Am I right in thinking nits only like clean hair?

[Bowed Over]

Nah! nits will go onto anybodys hair given the chance - ow my god my head is itching. I never had nits when I was a kid but my daughter has really long curly hair and came back from nursery with them and infected the whole house. We got an electric comb zappy thingy which works quite well but for gods sake don't let it hit your ear (owwwww!!!). I also used the conditioner and comb method every day for a few weeks. She has had them twice and ever since the second infestation I have always tied my daughters hair back in a pleat this way her hair doesn't tend to come in contact with other peoples hair so easily - touch wood no infection for about 7 years now!!!

Cheers.

Lisa

[beadsbydesign]

yeah I forgot to say, if one person in a house hold has them, then you should check everyones head!!
Like Lisa said, they are not picky about heads, as long as they are warm they don't care. The babies are practically clear and very very tiny. If you have larger ones, you will also see little tiny black sand grains between the hairs on the scalp. (these are lice poohs made from your blood!)

[Bowed Over]

(these are lice poohs made from your blood!)

Ow man that is horrible!!! God I really hate the buggers - here I go on the high horse if parents/guardians regularly checked kids heads we wouldn't have them - but that is in an ideal world I suppose.

Cheers.

Lisa

[Tip Top]

I am now an expert on the dammed things!!

I'm surprised the poor boy actually manages to culture them as he still suffers from quite bad cradle crap which looks even worse than nits!!

Mind you the foam stuff I used did wonders for the cradle crap too and I was a sadistic git as I combed his hair with the nit comb just before I had to wash the foam off his hair, and you could see the things taking their last gasps!! I got a lot of joy from that hehehe

I think nursery should do a weekly inspection of the kids like I used to get at school and then for parents to treat the kids at the same time so that you don't get reinfected ALL THE TIME!!!!!!!!!!!

[Bowed Over]

I
I'm surprised the poor boy actually manages to culture them as he still suffers from quite bad cradle crap which looks even worse than nits!!

Mind you the foam stuff I used did wonders for the cradle crap too and I was a sadistic git as I combed his hair with the nit comb just before I had to wash the foam off his hair, and you could see the things taking their last gasps!! I got a lot of joy from that hehehe

My son used to get terrible terrible cradle cap. He still actually has a scar where no hair grows cause mummy dearest picked a lump off and it took his hair off with it and it has never grown back.

What a haidresser told me to do with cradle cap and it actually works brilliantly. Put baby oil or whatever kind of oil you want and massage it well into the hair and scalp, put a towel on their pillow so the oil doesn't make too much of a mess. Next day wash hair and comb out and all the cradle cap is soft and comes away easily and leaves the hair on the head (unlike a certain mothers first attempt!!)

Cheers.

Lisa

[hollybrown]

Nits!

Well, that was very informative. I'm just going to go into the bathroom now, for a good check. Suddenly I feel all itchy!!

Cheers for now.....