Head lice help - Berlin

My kids got head lice at school and may have given it to me as well. I'm pretty good at finding and eradicating lice, nits, etc. in their hair. But I don't have anyone here at home who can do the same for my hair. The kids and I have already used an effective, non-toxic lice shampoo that gets rid of nearly all live adult and nymph lice. But I know from experience that the real key is to then make sure ALL eggs and any remaining live lice are picked out one by one. As I said, I can do this for my kids, but not on myself. Where we lived in the US, there was a business that specialized in de-lousing hair--a salon of sorts where trained people went through your hair with the proverbial fine-toothed comb and guaranteed that they had gotten everything out, or you could come back for a second treatment free. It wasn't cheap, but it was worth it in not having to go through weeks and weeks of lice infestation, eradication and reinfestation. Is there any place like this in Berlin? If not, I'm open to any advice you might have.

The shampoo should come with combs that pull out the eggs, and if you do that over time it should get rid of them. Another chemical free way to get any that do hatch is to coat your head in Mayo and then put on a shower cap. I believe you leave it on for at least 30 minutes and it suffocates them.

I had some nasty ones that didn't want to go away and we did the mayo every few days and combing everyday, and that finally eradicated them. I have never heard of a delousing salon anywhere not even in the states. I was told by a friend she can't even touch infected hair, she has to send people home if she finds nits in their hair (maybe company policy?) not sure.

But best of luck.

Edit: Also in terms of combing out your own hair, try sectioning it out and do a bit at a time (think like when the hair dryer blows dries your hair) bring down one small segment at a time and comb.

MiniDonkey had these in the UK twice but not here yet (thank God, touch wood, spit spit spit). The local primary in UK sent the parents recipes for home made pastes, advised re shampoos (the little buggers can build up a resistance) and really suggested the best way is the conditioner and comb method.
http://www.dooyoo.co.uk/health-products/nitty-gritty-comb/1181187/ (in uk didn't use this type of comb, had lovely neon orange one but looked for you and figured if it was available from Amazon could be better for you to order)
Sainsburys used to do a gorgeous tea tree leave-in detangling spray (they don't like it so when you are clear whoever has them at KG the buggers will choose someone else to crawl onto) Hair tied back/cappy or headscarf will also help for future prevention.
http://www.newbold-pri.derbyshire.sch.uk/headlice.html (googled tea tree found this site - most UK schools i think are tackling head-on, pardon the pun. In Germany have seen the occasional advert for shampoos in family magazines but maybe not so prevalent over here? I work in childcare and haven't seen any yet (tg tw ttt) but I still do checks on my child every so often as a routine as prevention is far easier than an infestation.
Had read about bugbusting salons in London only - they were doing a lot of business. Ask for other remedies on mums.net there will be hundreds of entries on this topic which might cheer you up.
Good luck!

P.S. Had them myself in UK pre-kids (head of year of kids many of whom were riddled and despite our best efforts parents weren't treating them) so I had to do all of the above for myself too...you can do it alone as long as you are religious about it: copious amounts of conditioner, decent comb, head over bath, repeat every two days for three weeks: ok a bit zealous but sicher ist sicher).

Hence, this is where the term "nit-picking" is derived from.

Head lice eradication can be a frustrating issue to deal with. However, the reason why it's also important to remove the nits is if you don't remove the nits it's difficult to determine if you have a re-infestation of head lice. So try to remove as many of the nits as possible.

It's also very important to do some environmental treatment as well. So the mattress on the beds should be vacuumed and then turned over. All the clothes, bedding, towels should be washed. The car and furniture upholstery should be vacuumed. I also recommend putting the stuffed animals in plastic bags and tie them tight for two weeks. Don't forgot to boil your combs and brushes in hot water or buy new ones.

Then after you've done all this recheck everyone's hair every 10 days to two weeks to make sure there's no re-infestation. Regarding your hair, I don't know of any lice salon, do you have a friend who can help check your hair?

Btw, I've heard of a lot of home remedies such as mayo treatment, vinegar rinses, but the one I think is most effective is using some hair oil daily because the oily hair makes it difficult for the lice to adhere to the hair shaft.

I don't recommend spraying of furniture with the lice sprays.

Go to your local Apotheke. There is a shampoo you use once only which kills the eggs too. Everyone in the family needs to use it and get their hair washed at the same time. Change all your bedding, wash recently worn clothes+those in the washbox, etc.

Thanks so much for your helpful replies. I checked the links PCDonkey included, and they were great. Wouldn't you know that the lice comb featured is the exact one I own but, in my packing-to-move-to-Germany-for-one-year madness, inexplicably left at home! Will order a new one if my local Apotheke doesn't carry it. Teatree oil sounds lovely as a lice repellent--will definitely pick up some of that too. It's too bad there's not a de-lousing "salon" here. (Serenajean 1-The place I was describing wasn't an actual hairdressing salon but a place that only did de-lousing. I think your friend's salon policy sounds very smart and reassuring.) And unfortunately Lavendar Rain, being new here, I don't yet have a friend I know well enough yet to ask them to nit-pick my hair. So I'll just get a comb and some teatree oil and comb, comb, comb... Again a big thanks to you all!

Glad you got some useful tips, and good luck. I know those little buggers are a pain.

Have you considered contacting a local hair salon explaining your plight and discussing some possible options? I know they wouldn't allow you to come to the salon, but may give you some suggestions on what you can do or may even offer some one to come to your house for a fee.