An embarrassing question

So at the moment I have a flakey/itchy scalp. I think (hope/pray) it is a build up of shampoo/dandruff. How can I be sure its not nits????????!!!!!! I have checked all my sons heads. They are fine. We have never had nits in our family, and i havent experienced this before so I dont know what im looking for. I have a hairdressers appt tomoorow night and would DIE OF EMBARRASSMENT if they were to tell me i have nits! ANY ADVICE PLEASE??? I have tried to look in the mirror myself and dont know what to look for and its tricky to look on yourself!

It is kinda tricky to check on yourself but i would say get a really fine toothed comb and put some conditioner only in your hair, comb it out and see what is on the comb. The eggs are small browny colour and will make a pop sound when you squeeze them. The nits themselves look like little skeleton things.

Thanks...now i feel itchy tongue

If you dont have a fine toothed comb, just look at the top of your hair really close to the scalp and if you do see things that shouldnt be there, try to pull them off. Nit eggs wont just pull off they will have to be slided down your hair.

Go buy some good quality shampoo & conditioner from the hairdresser. If the itching stops in a few days you know its not nits!

I can't use supermarket shampoos. It drives my skin insane and I get that gross oily buildup that makes my hair look dirty all the time.

Go & get a bottle of head & shoulders. I had a itchy dry scalp last month and i used hubbys head & shoulders & it fixed it after a couple of washes.

Horrible things they are but what you described doesn't sound like nits to me but the best way to check is straight conditioner on your dry hair, run a fine tooth comb (nit ones work best) through it and wipe it on paper towel then you will see if there is anything in there. The conditioner suffocates them and the comb pulls them out easier. Good luck

when I was little mum also said that nits hang around the nap of the hair and by the ears. well that's where I usually itched if I had them not all over.

As pp said they hang around the base of your hair line near your neck and ears. They usually bite your neck also so if you have little raised bumps around the hair line there you will prob have headlice. And an itchy scalp from dandruff is so so so so so so different than headlice (trust me i know, JP teacher so had them twice ewwwwwwwwww)Its more painful than anything, i feel for kids that have them for months on end.

As pp said they hang around the base of your hair line near your neck and ears. They usually bite your neck also so if you have little raised bumps around the hair line there you will prob have headlice. And an itchy scalp from dandruff is so so so so so so different than headlice (trust me i know, JP teacher so had them twice ewwwwwwwwww)Its more painful than anything, i feel for kids that have them for months on end.

ooohhh noooo
sorry to hijack, but DD1 (just started school this year) has come home form school yesterday with this exact rash on the hairline at the back of her neck sad
put it down to heatrash as its been so hot here but think I will have to check tomorrow.
aarrrggghhh

Thanks girls! I have done everything suggested! I conditioned and combed through my hair - nothing much. I got hubby to analyse my head. He just said it was random flakes scattered. Not red/bitten at the base and no clusters of brownish eggs at ears. Im putting it down to pantene! I usually use the loreal "purple" shampoo/conditioner (as i am blonde) but i ran out and used pantene as that is always in shower as a constant. I obviously havent been washing it out well enough and have build up. THANK GOD!!!!! I know that nits will happen in everyones house at some stage - JUST NOT YET PLEASE - AND NOT MEEEEEE!!!!!!!Thanks for the info. I think I will buy the special shampoo/comb from chemist with a long expiry date to have in the laundry just incase! Thanks guys!!!

Panteen is the worst one for creating buildup for me... no amount of rinsing helps - they put silicone crap in it and it sticks to your hair. Gross. If I use it just once my hair looks disgusting. It also makes me get pimples on my back if I use it - from it running over me as I rinse it. It's the only time I get pimples!

Pantene does this to me as well! So many times I've thought i might have nits because of an itchy scalp but i think my skin has just gotten more sensitive over the years. A lot of them seem to do it and I also get an itchy scalp if i haven't washed my hair in 2-3 days

If you have nits it wil literally drive you INSANE. The itching is absolutely unbearable. If it's just an itch every now and then I'd be thinking it's probably itchy scalp or maybe dandruff?