nits

[Immi666]

if nits are left untreated, what happens?

[Pippa68]

I assume you mean head lice (nits is the term used for the eggs)

I found this info:



''Head lice are usually just a nuisance. But, occasionally, their bites can become infected. This is more likely to happen if you scratch your head and pull off the scabs. If the lice in your hair are carrying bacteria (germs), these can get into the wound.

One of the most common infections from head lice is impetigo of the scalp. This is a skin infection that lice can spread from one person to another. Impetigo causes crusty, itchy scabs and needs to be treated with antibiotics. Impetigo is also easily passed on (highly contagious). If you have crusty or itchy scabs on your head, you should see your doctor straight away. You should get rid of the head lice while you're taking antibiotics for the infection.

Other symptoms

If head lice go untreated for a long time (for example, 12 to 18 months), they can make you feel generally low and tired.3 5 This is because your immune system becomes worn down after that long''


I can't imagine leaving them untreated...the itching must be tremendous. I caught just the one from my daughter and that was almost unbearable!

[ummmm]

They just carry on breeding. I've seen evidence of this in a medical book. It's disgusting.

Pulling a face as I type.........yuk

[imajenarry]

not a good idea.would end up with a head full of lice.

[Immi666]

thanks guys. let me just clarify that i am NOT infested. just curious.

[Pippa68]

Mr P brought his daughter round one weekend and as luck would have it I was on a nit search ~ I did her hair and stopped counting the little bastads at 45.

It was appalling!

[Waaii]

They take over the world-... and your head (and worse)

[ELVIS68]

LMAO @ Pippa, I always thought they were invisible to the naked eye, and is it true they only nest in clean hair?

[Waaii]

I think it is just a 'white lie' to make people feel better!
Using conditioner helps (literally) to stop them getting a grip

[ummmm]

No thats false elvis. They are not fussy. I think they started that to take the stigma out of having nits.

They are the size of baby woodlice

[imajenarry]

i work in a pharmacy where the local health authority do a scheme where if you think you have nits you take a form away with you and if you find them you have to stick ONE on to the form and return it to the pharmacy for free head lice treatment.we really hate it-would much rather take their word for it! sometimes we get the form back with about a dozen sellotaped to it. and sometimes still moving.euw!

[Pippa68]

Well one of my daughters is a bit of a muck bucket and doesn't often have lice, but the other clean-freak one does!

They most certainly are visible to the naked eye ~ especially on my very blonde daughter. I remember picking them out of her hair while we were at the park..the very first time she had lice. I only picked one off as I thought it was a greenfly!

[joko]

you can live on a good crop for about a week, should you find yourself in survivalist type situation...

[sam100]

they grow to the size of a small dog...

[sunflower68]

Just a query imajennery, why would anyone want to LIE to get a free nit treatment??! I guess those things are pretty addictive, what with the free comb n all!!

[imajenarry]

believe it or not you get people who get medicines/treatments free of charge thru this nhs scheme or on prescription and they will go to a different chemist and try and get a refund for the item saying they'd bought it. happens quite a lot with nicotine patches which are on average �15 a pack!

[imajenarry]

further to this nit treatments are only advised if there are definitely nits/lice present so presumely it's to stop people using the treatments unnecessarily.

[mandimoo]

nit treatments contain lots of nasty chemicals and can cause nerve damage if overused, thats why they say dont treat unecessarily. one thing that bugs (scuse the pun) me, is that im sure i had nits / lice, but no-one could ever spot a lice in my hair, which is very dark and theres lots of it. are the really that easy to spot? wondering now whether i had them or not!