Does anyone have a good idea on how to remove nits?

Question

My 6 year old got lice from school and now we have to remove nits. Her hair is thick and this is a painful process for both of us. Any ideas to make it faster and easier?

Answer 1

I work at a daycare and deal with lice every other day it seems...The combs are the only SAFE thing that actully works. I have heard stories of kerosene and gasoline working BUT there are SOOOO many cases of children being injured because of it. Sometimes you can find a good metal comb designed to remove flea eggs at pet stores. I know it sounds strange to use a dog comb and her but if it works.... Good luck, i know it's a mess!

Answer 2

Ooh! Yes, the inevitable head lice. Once school starts for our kids we're just biding our time. You need to buy a head lice removal kit like RID or one of the others. It comes with a nit comb (though you'll likely want to buy a separate one as well). It's a long, yucky process, but once you wash the hair with the shampoo, you've got to use the comb to pull out all the dead lice and eggs. You also need to wash all the bedding/pillows and use the RID spray on anything you can't wash (couches, pillows, etc.) and of course throw away or boil the hairbrushes and combs. It's no fun but you can get rid of it. You'll need to check your hair as well as the rest of the family and do a de-licing on anyone else who has it too. I suggest buying two RID kits because you often find a few weeks or a month later that the lice has "come back" when in fact you've missed an egg or two and have another outbreak. So I'd do it now, keep a second kit on hand and check your daughter and the entire family regularly to make sure it hasn't "come back."

Also, as someone else here mentioned, friends of mine use a spray daily on their children's hair to repel lice. They spray it on before the child goes to school and so far, through several school lice breakouts, she's come away safe.

Good luck!

Answer 3

Well, when my daughter got them we sat down for 6, count em' 6 hours and picked them out by hand. I separated her hair into little bunches and tied them up with those tiny elastics, and went one section at a time almost hair by hair. Fortunately my daughter has thin, fine hair. Your situation is maybe not so simple. If you are going to pick, make sure you have good light, and drop the nits into a bowl of hot water.

Another thing the health nurse recommended is putting a whole lot of conditioner on the hair and combing through, small sections at a time, with a nit comb. Repeat this every day until you don't find anymore nits.

They are a pain aren't they! A lot of people claim to have an easy cure, but unfortunately I don't think they work. You've just got to spend the time and get rid of them.

The other suggestions of hairspray or mousse in the hair are good, and try and keep the hair up in braids or pony tails for school or play dates.

Good luck with it!

Answer 4

well rinse her hair in vinegar and then pull them with your fingers.
I tried the nit combs they suck. My daughter had lice in 1st grade and she has really thick hair also. Cutting hair does not work unless
you cut it super short as the nits tend to be close to the scalp.
After your ordeal is done there is a spray that BI Mart has
that will repell lice. I belive its called Lice Guard . Smells nice also and you just spray her hair before she goes to school.
My daughter never had head lice after that one time and it was all over the school.
Good Luck
Morgaine

Answer 5

Poor girl. I have extremely thick hair so when my kids bring home lice I use this product. Its not harmful and you dont need a nit comb. I would do this and then reapeat in a week. I use the product and it gets the job done.

Answer 6

Have her sit COMFY postition and put in some 2 hour movies on the TV. Honestly TV and some videos the kids havent seen before is the only thing engrossing enough to have them sit through. Also try using a Robi comb. That zaps the nits on contact as you comb through and kills them so if you miss some the first go round they wont hatch.

Answer 7

go to the drug store ask the pharmacist, for the best lice killer, I think the name is DE Lice, but they would know for sure. since her hair is thick, leave it in 10 additional minutes to what the directions recommend.
If it was a baby the doctor said mayo would do the job. leave it in for 20 minutes, then wash out
good luck

Answer 8

lice like clean hair. get RID shampoo... and use that... then 'condition' with a heavy layer of mayonaise (i know it sounds gross, but it works to smother what is left, make the hair slippery, and helps to comb out the nits)

let the mayo stay on for a couple hours (wrap hair in saran wrap and a towel) then rinse with warm water and start combing with fine tooth comb and try to remove all the nits that way....

repeat the process til they are gone...

wash all her clothes that she has worn since getting them... bag up pillows and toys in black plastic garbage bags and keep them bagged for 2 weeks or more... and vacuum every piece of furniture she has used ... these suckers get everywhere!

Answer 9

Just thought i would add too keep nits away in the future they hate tea tree or coconut oil lightly spray on hair and leave adds a nice shine too

Answer 10

my daughter has really thick hair too, mayo or baby oil or vegtable oil... If you dont like to use those lice killing products i have used baby oil and vegtable oil and a shower cap leave it on over night but soak the hair good in it.. they will side right out and any remaining bugs will die too.... to wash out use dish soap....then shampoo as usual, also using hairspray and mousse will keep them away, and tell her to keep her head away from other kids