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Recognizing Head Lice
Head lice are tiny insects that live on the scalp and reproduce by laying eggs, also known as nits, in your hair. Recognizing and treating head lice quickly can help prevent them from spreading to friends, family members, and other close contacts.
Steps
- Look for live lice. Hair will often have small, moving bugs that are grey or brown. Lice range in size from 1/16 of an inch to 1/4 of an inch.
If you can’t see lice, their eggs may be visible. Nits are the eggs that lice lay near the base of the hair shaft. They look like small, yellow, brown, or white oval balls that are firmly attached to each strand of hair. Try to comb through the hair to see any nits. - Comb through the hair with a nit comb. A nit comb is a special metal comb with fine teeth. It’s designed to remove lice from the scalp. Part the hair into small sections then use the comb down the length of each section, all the way to the ends. The teeth should be close together. After every few strokes, wipe the comb onto a paper towel. Look closely to make sure there are no bugs on the paper towel.
- Check the scalp for any redness or irritation. Head lice can cause red, itchy bumps where they've bitten the scalp. These bites are another sign to check for if you are not sure if a person has lice.