The problem lies in the finer hairs on the head by the baby hairs of the bangs and nape of the neck. The comb is unable to grip the nits in these areas. It is totally possible to remove all the nits and lice in one session. Of course the more severe cases might take a few hours but once the lice and nits are out, please don’t forget to re-check every 2-3 days for new bugs that are picked up from school and friends. I call it getting it to baseline-zero. It is much easier to clean a head that is not swarming with lice and keeping it under control. Happy picking to all of you.

i don’t think i’d ever get used to it.

2. Our family tradition, is that during the esser makot, we repeat “kinim”, over and and over again (making it about 15-20 makot).

3. The ASSY 2000 (which we also own) is probably the dumbest name ever for a lice comb.

That being said, the first 2 evenings we do the comb out, I do apply a liberal amount of olive oil to the kids’ hair. Usually, I apply the olive oil (just enough to make the hair “wet”) and then stick a shower or swim cap on the kids hair and let them “marinate” for approximately 15-20 minutes. Olive oil is a great natural conditioner, and with copious amounts of curls to contend with, I find that it helps with the potential tangles AND allows both the knits and the comb move through the hair more effortlessly.

We use vinegar between strokes to clean the comb. And we also joke that the child getting the “treatment” is the evening salad.

It is messier than a “bare” comb through. But no messier than the shrieks, tears, and yanked snarls of hair that we’ve experienced without…. And in addition to being an inexpensive and non-toxic solution, the kids’ hair is glorious for several weeks after (remember those VO5 hot oil treatments from when we were kids?)!

Like many olim, the “yuck factor” doesn’t hit as hard now as when we first arrived, BUT!… let’s not forget it WAS one of the makot! (ugh!)