Combing with a really fine comb is by far the best way to dislodge the little buggers. Combing with half a bottle of conditioner on is best. It makes the hair smooth and slippery so they (the lice) can't grab on. It also makes the eggs (the nits) more likely to slip through the comb so you have to make sure you comb in a different direction - up instead of down, to the front rather than to the back etc... Try and get a white comb rather than a silver or grey one, because you will be able to see them better against the white. It may sound horrid, but a cat flea comb is really the best. If it catches fleas, it's gonna catch lice.

Tell the rest of the class - although you may have a bit of a problem there. Bratling Phoebe attends a school where there are many kids from Indian families. Amongst these were two Jain children. Jains are a nice, pacifist, vegetarian group who believe that killing anything is against the teachings of their God. This includes parasites such as fleas, ticks, crabs and lice. Yummy. They were sent home with the standard 'a case of head lice has been found in the school please treat your child with Agent Orange' sort of letter, someone got snitty and now the only way of reporting headlice in her school is by word of mouth, because sending the letter out "was causing unnecessary distress to several religous groups". This is more important than the general health risks posed by headlice (where do you think the term 'feeling lousy' came from?). A serious infestation can cause anaemia, general lethargy, not to mention the risk of transmitting diseases carried in the bloodstream.... A case of PC gone potty again. Coincidentally, the Jain family moved away three terms ago. Since last autumn, there have been no lice in the school.

Oh, a pubic louse is just a head louse that lost its way. When you treat your child, you need to treat the whole family. And when you treat the whole family, don't forget those more 'intimate' areas. They can't travel very far away from hair, but if you have long hair that reaches down to those bits, or armpits, they will find a way.

If you keep getting infected, then there is someone at home or at school not treating them correctly or often enough. Is it possible to wear a bandana or head wrap?

LTS - who had them last year (thanks Phoebe) and survived with waist length hair.....