Don't be embarrassed Spurslady as this is a common problem the length and breadth of the country and head lice are not discriminatory. Anyone can catch them and even celebrities such as Melinda Messenger and Jonathon Ross have admitted that they caught them too. The fallacy that they are attracted to a dirty head has long since been dismissed but even although we now know that they are actually more inclined to go to a clean head , the stigma remains.
At my eldest daughter's previous school , this problem raged on in one particular class (my daughter's) where children never seemed to be really free of them. It later emerged that one or two parents were only whacking on the treatment but not combing properly , therefore the nits hatched again and the problem continued. The most important part to remember is effective combing. In order to be free of head lice , you must remove all of the live lice and eggs to prevent reinfestation. You do not have to use harsh chemical solutions and in fact can buy clean and clear which is a shampoo for frequent use if it is an ongoing problem. It is worth also noting that you should not use chemical solutions for repeated use as it is a pesticide which will destroy your hair and the head lice will build up an immunity to it , rendering it ineffective anyway.
You can also use the cost free solution of combing them out with conditioner. You have to soak the hair in conditioner and comb them out , washing the comb after every strand. The conditioner is too slippy for the lice to stick to and they will come away but you must do this every day for a period of two weeks.
Don't be ashamed though because at least you want to do something to get rid of them. The only ones who need be ashamed are the ones who are too lazy to acknowledge or treatr the problem. So if you have treated them , then no reason why you can't go and get your hair cut. Hope this helps x