Repeated head lice infestations in the family for eight years made one Tauranga mother depressed and forced her to chop off her own pony tail.
The mother of four says the problem of lice and nits has cost her thousands of dollars. Chemist solutions, electric combs, conditioner, lemon juice, vinegar, tea tree oil, orange juice, mayonnaise, kerosene and fly spray - she has tried them all, but the itchy little insects kept coming back.
The woman, who did not want to be identified because of the stigma it might give her children, said she and her family have had little reprieve from head lice.
The problem, at its worst, drove her to depression.
"It is really, really, really stressful having nits in your family for a long time, spending so much money and time on it and you can't see an end to it," she told the Bay of Plenty Times Weekend.