No Worries Lice Care

Head lice are tiny, wingless insects that feed on human blood. They spread primarily through direct head-to-head contact. Sharing personal items like hats, combs, or pillows is a less common transmission method.

Common symptoms include itching, a tickling sensation on the scalp, and sores caused by scratching. However, it may take as long as four to six weeks for itching to appear after the initial infestation, and not everyone experiences itching from head lice.

Although head lice vary in color, any grayish-white, tan or dark bug crawling through the hair is likely a louse. Adult lice will be the easiest to spot; they are about the size of a sesame seed. It may be easier for you to identify nits (lice eggs), as they don't move.

Look closely at the hair about a quarter inch (~0.5 cm) off the scalp to see if you can find nits (lice eggs) attached to individual hairs. The oval-shaped nits are extremely small and may appear grayish, white or slightly yellowish. At first glance, they may resemble dandruff. However, moving or removing a fleck of dandruff is very easy to do with a fingernail; a nit is glued in place and won't move at all. A nit will feel a lot like a speck of sand glued to the hair follicle. It will be very firmly affixed to one side of the hair shaft and will be difficult to pull from the hair.

Image below shows two adult females.

Image below shows a collection of nits. Remember: If it's dandruff, it will move easily if you blow it or touch it with a finger/fingernail. Nits are glued to the hair shaft and won't move easily at all.

Look for live lice moving on the scalp and nits (lice eggs) attached to hair shafts (about 1/4" or 0.5cm from the scalp), especially behind the ears and at the nape of the neck.

No, head lice cannot jump or fly. They move by crawling and are transmitted through close personal contact.

Nits are lice eggs, appearing as small, oval-shaped, grayish, white or slightly yellowish dots firmly attached to individual strands of hair near the scalp. They can be mistaken for dandruff but are not easily removed. Look for them about 1/4" (~0.5cm) from the scalp. They will feel like a grain of sand glued to the hair shaft. If it's dandruff, it will move easily. You can even blow it, and it will move. A nit won't move; it will be difficult to pull from the hair.

A female louse lays about 4 to 8 eggs, twice daily (about 10 nits a day). Nits hatch in 7 to 10 days, and the lice mature approximately 8 days after hatching.

Lice most commonly spread through direct, head-to-head contact with a person who has head lice. Lice don’t jump, swim or fly. In fact, with pointy claws at the end of each leg, they have trouble getting around at all when they’re not on a head of hair. They can move fairly quickly on the hair, so it’s easy for them to hitch a ride to a new host through the kinds of head-to-head contact we routinely share with our family and friends.

Not at all. Head lice infestations are not related to cleanliness and can affect anyone, regardless of hygiene practices.

Excluding the 9-10 days they spend as nits (eggs), head lice can live for around 30-35 days on a person’s head. As parasites, they feed on human blood several times a day. If they are removed from their food source, they can survive 24-48 hours. Nits can technically survive for up to 10 days off a host, but they will not hatch unless they are kept at warm temperatures found close to the scalp.