Head lice and nits

Brittany, 9 months

I have a question. I have been checked for lice after having them about 4 months ago and there was no sign. I have recently found 3 nits in my hair but not close to the scalp further down the hair shaft. Could these be old nits since i did not get ALL of them out or do you think I get to deal with this all over again? Thanks

Zorina, 10 months

What kind of answer is this, headlice is highly contagious yet it does not leap or jump from a person to person? So how is it highly contagious then? In my experience I have seen they do leap and can jump including close conatct. Visiting relation and school are not avoidable thus this is an epidemic that retruns each and every couple of months or years. Many families just dont take it seriously enough to eradicate it. I just dont know how to stop my kids from catching it maybe wearing a headsacrf and covering our heads? i just dont know. But these medication are not cheap and cost a lot of money.

Christine Brown, Nurse Consultant, about 1 year

I’m the nurse consultant involved in a national campaign called 'Once a Week, Take a Peek'. The campaign is designed to encourage families to check regularly and there is a website which has all the information needed to identify and deal with head lice effectively, as well as fun and practical tips to inform families and involve children. Further information can be found at www.onceaweektakeapeek.com The best way to stop infestation is for all families to check regularly, and that includes during the holidays, and then to use a treatment that lice can't build up a resistance to if they are found. Bringing back the nit nurse would make things worse, not better, as parents stop their own checking if they think someone else is doing it – the incidence then rises. Using combs is a reliable method of diagnosing current active infection with head lice but if, during this process, head lice are found then parents should seek advice from their pharmacist and use a suitable treatment.

michelle martin, about 1 year

i agree with sarah, they should bring back the good old nit nurse. I myself have 4 children and they are 7,5,2 and11mths and the 5 yr old gets them and thats it they all get them apart from the baby. It is very expensive to keep buying the headlice deterents and most of the time the lice are actually immune to them and it dont work, most of the time it seems as if we are fighting a losing battle! SO PLZ BRING BAK THE NIT NURSE!

steven mennell, about 1 year

Also Vosine shampoo is a medicated shampoo cost around £1.99 and is a old shampoo that has been around since my great great nanna was a girl its medicaed and will clean and remove nits and head lice when getting a bath just damp the hair and use a little not loads of the brown shampoo it activated and goes really soft and removes the lice also a tip for school is to when the hair is dry and your getting ready for school put a pea size blob in the palm of your hand rub together and massarge into hair so it is in the hair for school comb and if hair is long put the hair up in a bob for a girl and hair gel for a boy the cheap stuff from boots basics is good for children cost about 38p for a big tub and spike there hair this will prevent other childrens lice climbing on to hair as the vosing prevents eggs been layed and the gel slows down lice getting to the scalp in whice they die and for girls its the same vosing shampoo stops the eggs getting layed and the hair up give the lice less chance to climb on there hair. So thats Vosine Shampoo, at £1.99 and use your minor alments with your nhs number at lyods pharmacy

steven mennell, about 1 year

Did you no that all children under the age of 16 or under 18 and in collage can get free medication from lyods pharmacy all you need is to get there NHS number from the surgery and go to the chemist and ask for a minor alments for what ever you need for example teething head lice tooth ache head ache or any othe minor alments Dont Pay £8.00 for items get them with the NHS number millions of pounds are spend on children medication and the pharmaist will not tell you about the free minor alments you have to ASK

Sarah, about 1 year

I have had enough of schools not having the good old nit nurse anymore. I have 4 children and I have spent over £50 on hair treatment to try and get rid of the little bugs. I do my childrens hair every day and on school holidays their heads are clear one day back at school my god they have them again. It is mainly my eldest daughter who is 7 who gets them, who then passes them to my youngest daughter who is 3. I get so angry with her and the school cause being a single mother I can not always afford the price of the treatment. And my doctors don't like doing a proscription for them even tho they are ment to. Can someone help me with this. I have tried all the treatments on the shelf, Lemon juice, Lav oil, tea tree oil, viniga, etc the only thing I haven't done is the very old remadie of liquid parafin. HELP PLEASE

sara, over 2 years

can someone conferm that lice is a flee to the humens. but yes i found it usefull