Are you itching yet? I know when our girls caught nits from school which at some points could be every week, it would cause a daily battle. At the time Jasmin and Jennifer had hair just above their bums and extremely thick. This meant I had to battle getting that wonderful nit comb through their hairs! There was no tips on the internet, only random show about the newest technic and not talking to other parents as were embarrassed they may blame our child for giving them to theirs. So, our children were going through the daily hell of us going through their hair.
I am a nightmare and get obsessed with nits, somehow when I was a child with long hair like our girls there was a rare sighting in my hair of them. This is a habit, that has continued, just like my nan would when ever touching the girls hair I would look for the signs of nits.
- Small flakes of black like dirt
- red areas on head
- child regularly itching
- Eggs or nits
- bites
There is many ways of tackling nits and I have all of them on this blog, as the best way is to use them all together!
For us this is a monthly job when our girls are in the bath just because of how smooth it makes the girls hairs anyway. But when you find 1 nit this becomes a daily job. For short hair you will find this the easiest root and likely only have to do once every other day, but with long hair this is an everyday job. Many parents don’t think about how the nits can stay in the hair because they have grabbed further down the hair strand. This means they will have a chance to get back in the hair, this is also the same for eggs, as the strand thins at the bottom. If you are doing this daily this means they are less likely to be able to grip onto the hair every time. But also every important that even though you are segmenting the hair to re go over the same point, don’t assume it is done. The way we do it is I have to go round the head 5 times with no nits coming out.
When you are watching TV or just relaxing, pull them out.
I don’t believe that this is as effective as conditioner and comb. Yet, I do always use this when they are first found on the hair, instead of conditioner. Also it may only say 15 minutes, but we have found it is best to leave in for at least 1 hour!
Whenever you are brushing your child’s hair check it for the sign of nits. Remember the quicker you find them the quicker you will be able to get rid of them. As they say it’s not always about the cure, but about the prevention!
We used to wash our girls hair with tea tree shampoo and conditioner, now we home educate they love it as they don’t smell like tea tree anymore. We then used to use a oil on the back of their necks to just give it an extra repellent.
Their is a few tips that can help your child not to catch nits.
- Do not share someone else’s hair brush, I know for girls especially this is a hard one. But just make sure they have their own in their bag.
- Try not to try on products in a shop! We’ve all done it a hat, mask, head scarf and so much more. If someone has worn this with nits they could be holding on to the fabric waiting for a nice warm head.
- Do not share hats! One of the things I used to hate was the school would make Bella (who hates hats) wear a hat that had been on the head of another child! Yes, she would often come home after this with nits.
- Cuddling, now every child needs a cuddle from a friend, sibling etc. But this is the easiest way for them to get nits.
Also don’t forget these
- Wash bedding, until you know your child is nit free
- Washing all headwear during this time
- clean the bath out after every child
I hope this blog helps you, and hopefully your child is co-operative. Don’t forget to chat with your child and explain why it is important. Also it is neglectful to leave them for too long as these can aggravate your child’s head and possible cause infections. Don’t forget as well they are drinking your child’s blood so this could also make your child poorly if not dealt with as soon as possible.
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