NitWits Blog

Common Head Lice Symptoms

Tue, 15 May 2012 23:29:00 GMT

Did you know that only 35% of head lice cases cause ‘the itch’!

The itch is caused by the louse biting into the scalp to feed which can cause an irritation. This irritation can differ for each individual and can also depend on the severity of the infestation. Some other symptoms can be little red bumps or sores where the lice have bitten into the scalp.

While majority of people won’t really see any symptoms it is important to regularly check for head lice using a head lice comb (nit comb). A head lice comb is specifically design with teeth that are close together which enable the comb to target each individual hair shaft and remove these tiny little pests directly from the hair. If there are head lice in the hair, and you’re looking, you’ll find them!

Where head lice is concerned the sooner, the better! If a case of head lice is caught early one may find only a few head lice and eggs, left unattended the head lice life cycle can continue to create generations of head lice – which can be an absolute nightmare to get rid of.

Don’t wait for an infestation or even an outbreak in your school, look to protect your children from head lice. Be vigilant and check for head lice.

The best rice – in just minutes!

Tue, 15 May 2012 12:13:00 GMT

Rice is one of the best additions to a meal; it is quick and easy and the kids love it! However, it's one of those things I never got into cause I could never get it perfect.

These days I have it down packed and it tastes delicious. With the cooler months coming in quickly rice is a great addition to slow cooked meals, chicken dishes and stir-fry's.

Here's my tip for delicious rice every time:

• Don't use water; use chicken or vegetable stock
• Add a splash of olive oil, pepper and salt
• I love to add a few wild rice grains for that splash of colour or even some finely chopped spinach; depending on the main element of the meal
• Only stir a few times
• If the rice is ready a little early don't take the lid of, leave the lid on with a piece of paper towel under the lid

To all you yummy mummys have a fabulous Mothers Day!

Do Head Lice Prevention Sprays Work?

Tue, 15 May 2012 12:02:00 GMT

Even though we are heading into the cooler months head lice are still prevalent, in fact we had a head lice case here in the office just last week; right in the middle of school holidays!

So how does a prevention spray actually work? Let’s be absolutely honest, there is no iron clad prevention for head lice. There are defence sprays that help to deter or ward off head lice and reduce the chances of a possible infestation.

Natural oils such as Eucalyptus and Lavender Oils are used in defence sprays to coat the hair with a scent that helps to repel head lice.

These oils contain the components citronellal and geraniol that have shown to actively deter head lice. Lavender and tea tree oils are also part of the blend that have shown to reduce the feeding ability of head lice therefore discouraging the head lice lifecycle.

Hot Tip: Try to avoid defence sprays with a high alcohol content as these can dry and irritate the scalp. The NitWits Anti-Lice & Detangling Spray has been specifically formulated with these natural oils to leave a protective type of shield that repels the lurking lice while the addition of conditioners detangling the hair making the everyday combing / styling routine that much easier. Who doesn’t love a 2-in-1!! (And doesn't contain alcohol.)

Colour Me Happy on a Rainy Day

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 05:42:00 GMT

What else is there to do on a rainy Tuesday during the school holidays? NitWits have some cool activities that can help to keep the kids entertained.

Try the Find A Word, or get Lenny out of a muddled maze. Why not colour in our Lenny the Louse to look amazing.

Anyone remember origami? The kids will love creating masterpieces out of just a piece of paper. In fact I've come across this great site that you can download detailed instructions to create some awesome origami pieces.

Head Lice Combs – Why do you have to comb?

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 05:54:00 GMT

Why is it that you have to use a head lice comb in order to treat head lice? Why is it that the teeth of the comb are so close together making it difficult to comb through my child’s hair?

Great questions with defensible answers!

Head lice combs (nit combs) have been specifically designed to remove lice and their eggs from the hair. The removal teeth and designed close together as the head lice and especially their eggs are so small. A nit (head lice egg) is between just 0.5 – 2mm in length and an adult louse is between 2- 3mm in length. A regular comb’s teeth are around 3mm apart which will allow the parasite to slip straight through the teeth.

The design of a head lice comb will remove the lice and nits from the hair shaft and hold on to them until the comb has gone through the hair. Wipe the comb on to a tissue after each stroke to remove the collected lice and nits.
There is no easy way to remove the lice and eggs from the hair, but there are ways to make it a little easier. Use a white coloured thick combing solution to help detangle the knots and soften the hair.

So do you really need to comb to get rid of nits? YES. Unless you can find a super dooper treatment that kills all the lice and all the eggs in one foul swoop - you will need to comb. Most treatments don't penetrate the eggs which leaves the embryo inside to continue to grow and hatch, creating a new generation of head lice.

Check out the NitWits Head Lice Comb!

Easter Madness - & the Best Easter Hunt Ever

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 05:33:00 GMT

This weekend will be filled with crazy hyped up children running all over the place! How do you rationalise with a 5 year old as to why the Easter Eggs should not be devoured for breakfast.

I get into my "fun" mum mode when it comes to the annual Easter Egg Hunt. I think I love it just as much as the kids do. Make sure everyone gets involved - the more the merrier - and hide the eggs outside as well as inside. Baskets are esstential and sharing is also essential - set the rules before you start.

It doesn't have to be just chocolate eggs either, a quick visit to the local $2 shop and you can pick up paper, pencil sets, whistles, balls and yo yo's - this will help break up the chocolate focus.

However you spend your weekend make sure you (and the kids) have fun. There are just two occassions a year where we get the long long weekend and this is one of them. Follow my long weekend checklist.

Long weekend checklist:
Get outside - especially if the weather is good
Sleep in - even if it's just a little One NO COOKING night - go out for dinner or get some take out
Soak in the tub and treat yourself to a DIY facial (uninterupted)

Have a Happy Easter from the NitWits team.

Super Lice – true or false

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 04:29:00 GMT

The head lice hot season is well under way as the first term is nearing closure. There have recently been many reports of a new breed of super lice and prevalence is up higher than ever before.

While it is difficult to agree on a new breed of super lice, without evidence, it is very easy to understand increasing prevalence.

Schools, parents and Pharmacists alike should be aware of the studies conducted around traditional pesticided such as malathion and pemetherin, which head lice have shown a strong resistance to. With this resistance treatment is less effective and leaves the head lice to continue their lifecycle and create a new generation of head lice.

It’s not always going to be the 10 minute treatment that works, it may not even be the overnight treatment. Talk to the Pharmacist when looking to purchase a treatment and get a product that is right for you.

The most important thing to understand with treating head lice is to ensure complete removal or the head lice and their eggs. Aware from the scalp they begin to dehydrate and die – stopping the head lice lifecycle.

Find out the best way to treat head lice

Arghh! My daughter has head lice

Mon, 26 Mar 2012 23:25:00 GMT

Today 1 in 4 Primary School children between the age of 6 and 11 years have head lice. Such a common ailment with children carries feelings of embarrassment, shame and hygiene. Read a NitWits customers' experience.

“It started with an itch. I had just changed shampoo and it was a change in season so I thought nothing of it. I picked my daughter up from school the next day and saw the kids lined up and the teacher had gloves on checking the children’s hair. I felt disgusted, my daughter was there scratching. My house wasn’t dirty, or at least that’s what I thought until now.

We went straight to the chemist and picked up a treatment. We sat there for about half an hour and then I started to comb. I was absolutely horrified at these things now falling out of my daughters head, using the magnifying glass on the comb I could see clusters of eggs near the scalp.

I treated my hair, my 11 month old son and my husband’s head – needless to say I had emptied the 250ml bottle.
Once done, feeling dirty and disgusted I began on the house – washing, soaking, spraying the pillows and mattresses, cushions and everything with the Anti-Lice spray, I even surfaced sprayed the house. After reading some information from NitWits I find out my frantic cleaning spell was all in vein, it wasn’t necessary. Is this what every parent does or was I just overly pedantic? Why aren’t we informed?

A week later I was still feeling really disgusted. I proceeded to re-treat as per the instructions and wondered whether other parents were being just as diligent.

All good ever since. Currently using the NitWits Anti-Lice and Detangling Spray and checking the kids’ hair once a week. So happy not to see those crawling insects again!” Lisa. Kogarah NSW

It doesn’t need to be this frustrating... for everything you need to know about head lice, treatments and prevention visit www.nitwitsnatural.com

Top 10 Party Tips

Fri, 23 Mar 2012 03:04:00 GMT

Feels like the season for birthdays and I’ve got my own daughters coming up. She wants a big Dora birthday party.

You don’t need to pay exorbitant prices for the party planner and many of us can’t afford the luxury of the “Princess for a day” parties! You can run a party yourself for less than $10 per child.

Check out some of my top tips for your next kids party.

1. Always make a list of attendees.
2. Make sure the RSVP date is 10 days before the party which will give you plenty of time to get things together and escape the night before “crazy”.
3. Don’t go crazy on the nibbles. A little cubed cheese, biscuits and chips works a treat.
4. Grab the 5 minute oven bake rolls from the grocery store and mini frankfurts to make mini hotdogs for the kids. My kids love these and they’re so easy.
5. A nifty kid’s salad is SIMPLE. Cucumber, tomato and cheese – cut all ingredients into small cubes and toss together in a bowl.
6. Bake cupcakes for dessert without the icing and decorations, leave this to the kids. Set up a table with a choice of two icing colours and a variety or toppings (smarties, sprinkles, jellies etc); then let the kids design their own dessert treat.
7. There should always be fruit for the kids, step outside the norm and create orange jelly cups. Cut the oranges in half and scoop out the orange flesh. Mix up some jelly and set into the orange skins. Once set cut the halves into quarters and serve. (Use the orange flesh to make orange and strawberry skewers)
8. Good old fashioned musical chairs is one of the best party games for kids, play some fun party tunes (always better played before lunch)
9. Shop at the $2 shops for lolly bag goodies. You can pick up fabulous little gimmick toys, sunglasses, hats, mask and dress up pieces that can create the best lolly bag ever.
10. Join in and have fun!

Have you got a tip of your own, share it with us.

Photo: flickr by Andrew J.Swan

Scare the wits out of nits!! Read mum reviews?

Fri, 16 Mar 2012 02:57:00 GMT

School is well and truly under way – are those lice lurking at your school?

There are some things you can do to help prevent head lice, such as tying long hair up; not sharing brushes, hats or hair ties; checking for lice regularly and using an anti-lice spray.

The NitWits Natural Anti-Lice and Detangling Spray contains natural repellents that form a protective shield to deter those nasty nits while the conditioners leave hair soft and manageable making everyday styling that much easier.

So what do mum’s think?

“All I can say is OMG this stuff is amazing!!! I have used it every day since I received it and so far there has been no sign of nits in my daughter’s hair. I was having real trouble previously trying to eliminate them using almost every treatment available but to no avail :( NITWITS anti lice and detangling spray works a treat and I will have no problem recommending it to my friends”... KellyB

Read more NitWits reviews at Australia’s leading mum’s site: kidspot.

Head lice - again and again and again!

Fri, 16 Mar 2012 02:44:00 GMT

Head lice are the most common ailment in schools after the common cold. They are not dangerous and they do not carry disease, they are however easily transferred from child to child.

It is also not uncommon that head lice are seen in families more than once or twice. A second case of head lice can be caused from undetected hatchlings left behind from the initial treatment, incorrect treatment or a reinfestation from another child.

Make sure you get handle on nits with these top tips.

1.    Make sure the treatment is massaged into the scalp and complete coverage is achieved – many people don’t realise that a newly hatched louse (a nymph) is almost translucent in colour and lives directly on the scalp for this stage of its life. Without focusing on the scalp during treatment it is possible that the nymphs are left to continue the infestation. (Follow the treatment purchased instructions)

2.       Combing is important to ensure all nits (head lice eggs) are removed. Many treatments don’t penetrate the egg’s shell leaving the embryo inside to continue to grow and eventually hatch. The nits are tiny, between 0.5mm and 2mm in length so it’s handy to have a magnifying glass with you when treating (try the NitWits Natural Head Lice Comb with the built in 5 x magnifying glass) Parents should pay particular attention to the back of the neck and also behind the ears when looking for nits.

3.      It is possible that even with the most thorough treatment we could leave behind a couple of healthy nits which would create a new generation of head lice. Therefore it is important to re-treat around 7 days after the initial treatment which will tackle those undetected hatchlings.

4.       If someone in the household has head lice, it is highly recommended to check the other family members for head lice.

Natural vs. Chemical Head Lice Treatment : What works better?

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 19:39:00 GMT

Head lice and their eggs (nits) don’t just go away, they need to be treated to ensure the lifecycle has been stopped.

With so many treatment choices on shelf it can be quite confusing to know which one to buy. A thorough treatment would consist of 3-steps; applying the treatment to kill the lice, combing out the eggs and defending against future infestation.

It is also recommended by most brands that a follow up treatment is applied a week later to ensure that any eggs left behind after the initial treatment, that by now may have hatched, are killed.

So when it comes to treatment what works better natural or chemical?

Chemical Treatments

Chemical treatments have been around since the days of kerosene! Traditional pesticides such as permitherin and maldison were one of the best ways to treat head lice. These ingredients both generally work to block the nervous system resulting in death for the lice. However, tests have shown that head lice have built quite a resistance to these treatments.

Furthermore, these treatments may not be suitable for babies under the age of two years. Pregnant women, breastfeeding women and people with irritated or inflamed scalps shouldn’t use these treatments. It’s always best to consult a medical practitioner before using.

While there are still some chemical based treatments that work well, some parents don’t feel comfortable using chemicals on their children when there are natural alternatives available.

Natural Treatments

Head lice are less likely to develop a resistance to natural solutions for the simple fact that their active ingredients come from natural sources creating a formula that is unstable to the parasite and difficult to predict. Natural treatments usually include ingredients such as Eucalyptus oil, Melaleuca oil and Neem oil, which are all natural repellents for head lice. These ingredients work to paralyse the lice and again, result in death.

There have been numerous tests to support natural head lice treatments which do give the traditional chemical based treatments a run for their money, proving very effective results.

Obviously I’m a natural girl and always reach for the natural alternatives where I can. Do you stop to think what type of treatment (chemical or natural) to use on your child for head lice? Or is it a matter of getting the strongest formula out there to get the job done?

Cheers,
Melanie

How to Prevent Head Lice

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 19:25:00 GMT

I hope you’ll forgive me for using the age old adage that prevention is the best cure, but when it comes to head lice it really is the case. There is never a convenient time to treat head lice and it can be such a tedious task, especially if it’s a really heavy infestation!

Undertaking a few simple steps each day can go a long way to prevent head lice or even catch the problem early enough that it makes treatment a lot easier.

Here are four easy steps to help prevent your child from catching head lice:

Tie long hair back into a bun or plait. Check out some fun and easy styling ideas here.
Use a daily defence spray to discourage any eager head lice.
Label hats with a name tag and educate children not to share hats, hair ties and brushes.
Regularly check your child’s hair, once a week is ideal, to stay on top of any pending outbreaks.

Head lice prevention isn’t difficult, it’s just a matter of incorporating a few steps into your daily routine to minimise the risk of a head lice outbreak on child’s head.

What are your tips for preventing head lice?

Cheers,
Melanie

How to Treat Head Lice

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 19:19:00 GMT

So, your child has come home from school with head lice and now you have the unpleasant task of trying to get rid of the pesky little critters... Unfortunately there is no one stop solution for treating head lice, in fact, the only way to completely rid head lice for good is to kill the head lice with a treatment cream or foam and comb out all the head lice eggs. It’s important to ensure all eggs are removed to stop the head lice life cycle.

I find head lice treatment is easiest and most effective if it’s broken down into steps:

Step 1 - Treat

Use a head lice cream or foam to paralyse or suffocate the head lice. Make sure you cover the entire scalp and all of the hair, and leave it on the hair for the instructed time period to ensure the treatment penetrates the head lice. Massage the treatment into the scalp to target newly hatched lice that live directly on the scalp for the first period for their life.

Step 2 - Comb

Separate the hair into small sections and use a nit comb to go through each of the sections and remove all the head lice eggs. Unfortunately this can be a lengthy process; children with long hair will have to practice some patience as it can take some time to go over the entire head, make sure not to miss any sections.

Step 3 – Defend

Lastly, take proactive steps to make sure you don’t experience a repeat infestation; be vigilant and check for head lice regularly – about once a week is ideal. Tie long hair back into a bun or plait and use a prevention spray to deter head lice from setting up house in your child’s head. Check out some easy “up” hairstyles for girls here.

I hope this gives you an idea on how to treat head lice, next week we will be looking at some of the ways you can keep children entertained while treating head lice. If you have any further questions, please feel free to leave a comment for me below, or head over to NitChat and create a new topic.

Cheers,
Melanie

Fun Hair Styles to Prevent Head Lice

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 19:15:00 GMT

Head lice can move quickly from one strand of hair to another, so one of the easiest ways to minimise the spread of head lice is to make sure long hair is tied back.

Here are a couple of fun and easy hair styles for girls:

Ballerina

Pull hair back into a low pony tail and secure with a hair band
Fold half of the pony tail (starting at the bottom, folding on top of itself), lay a ribbon horizontally across the half pony tail and secure with a hair band
Roll the remaining pony tail towards the scalp to create a bun and secure into place with bobby pins
Tie the loose ribbon into a bow

Plait Tails

Part the hair in the centre and secure each section into a low pony tail with a hair band
Plait each pony tail and fold (underside) in half towards the scalp
Secure each ‘tail’ with a hair band

You can find more quick and fun hair styles your girls will love over on the NitWits website: http://nitwits.com.au/Head_Lice_Prevention_Hairstyles

What are your favourite hair styles to pull hair back?

Cheers,
Melanie