REPORTINGHead Lice
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Scratch
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Head lice are small parasitic insects - they depend for life on something else that's living - that often are found on people's heads. Head lice feed on blood. They start as eggs, grow into nymphs and mature to adults. They're not known to spread any human diseases.
Aren't head lice a sign of bad hygiene?
No! Head lice are common and will infest anyone. The most common way a person gets head lice is by direct head to head contact with a person who already has head lice, and by sharing hats. This can happen anywhere people have close contact. Transmission also happens when somone shares clothing such as coats, scarves, sport uniforms or hair ribbons, that an infested person has recently worn. Head lice spreads when people share combs, brushes and towels. It spreads when a person stretches out on a bed, couch or carpet or shares a pillow or stuffed animal that's recently been in contact with a person infested with lice.
What do head lice look like?
Head lice nits are eggs about the size of a knot in thread. They're hard to see and often mistaken for dandruff or hair spray droplets. Adult females lay nits at the base of the hair shaft nearest the scalp. They are oval, usually yellow to white and firmly attached to the hair shaft. Nits take about one week to hatch.
The nits hatch into baby head lice called nymphs. They look like adult head lice but are smaller. Nymphs mature into adults about seven days after hatching. To live, the nymphs must feed on blood.
Adult lice are about the size of a sesame seed. They have six legs and are tan to grayish white. Adult lice can live up to 30 days on a person's head. To live, the adult lice need to feed on blood. If lice fall off a person's head, they will die within two days.
If my head is itchy, do I have lice?
Possibly. Look closely through the hair and scalp for nits, nymphs and adults. Finding a nymph or adult is difficult. There are usually few of them and they move quickly. If crawling lice are not seen, look close to the scalp for nits. If you're not sure whether lice are there, visit a health care provider for a diagnosis.
How do I get rid of head lice?
It's most important when treating head lice to treat other family members who could be infested at the same time to kill all the lice. Wash clothing and bedding used by any infested person in the two-day period just before treatment starts. Treatment requires either an over-the-counter or prescription medication. Follow all instructions that come with the medication. You should consult your doctor, pharmacist or school nurse if you have questions.
The infested person should put on clean clothing for the treatment. If a few live lice are found 8-12 hours after treatment but are moving more slowly than before treatment, retreatment isn't necessary. Comb out dead and remaining lice. The medicine may take longer to kill some lice. If, after 8-12 hours of treatment, no dead lice are found and lice seem as active as before, the medicine is most likely not working. See your health care provider for a different medication.
Nit combs, typically found in lice medication packages, should be used to comb nits and lice from the hair shaft. After treatment, check hair and comb with a nit comb to remove nits and lice every 2 or 3 days. Continue to check for 2 to 3 weeks until you are sure all lice and nits are gone.
Some medications recommend a second treatment in 7 to 10 days. Head lice don't survive long if they fall off a person and can't feed. To kill lice and nits, wash all clothing and bedding with hot water and dry on high heat. Dry clean clothing that isn't washable or seal clothing in a plastic bag for two weeks to kill off any lice. Soak combs and brushes for one hour in rubbing alcohol or wash with soap and water and dispose of in the garbage. Head lice don't live on pets.
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