Head lice can be treated at home, but it's important to check with the doctor first. Here is information from the American Academy of Pediatrics to help parents and caregivers check for, treat, and prevent the spread of head lice. Head lice are tiny bugs about the size of a sesame seed 2—3 mm long [mm stands for millimeter]. Their bodies are usually pale and gray, but their color may vary.
One of these tiny bugs is called a louse. Head lice feed on small amounts of blood from the scalp. They can usually live 1 to 2 days without blood meal. Lice lay and attach their eggs to hair close to the scalp. The eggs and their shell casings are called nits. They are oval and about the size of a knot in thread 0. Some nits may blend in with some people's hair color, making them hard to see, and are often confused for dandruff or hair spray droplets.
Nits attach to the hair with a sticky substance that holds them firmly in place. After the eggs hatch, the empty nits stay on the hair shaft. Head lice live about 28 days. They develop in 3 phases: egg also called a nit , nymph, and adult louse.
Egg or nit. Eggs or nits hatch in 6 to 9 days. Eggs are usually found within 4 to 6 mm of the scalp and do not survive if they are farther away. The nymph looks like an adult head louse but is much smaller about the size of a pinhead [1. Nymphs become adults about 7 days after hatching. Adult louse. An adult louse can multiply fast and lay up to 10 eggs a day. It takes only about 12 to 14 days for newly hatched eggs to reach adulthood. Head lice are most common in preschool- and elementary school—aged children.
Each year millions of school-aged children in the United States get head lice. However, anyone can get head lice. Head lice are found worldwide. Head lice are crawling insects. They cannot jump, hop, or fly. The main way head lice spread is from close, prolonged head-to-head contact. There is a very small chance that head lice will spread by sharing items such as combs, brushes, and hats. Itching on the areas where head lice are present is the most common symptom. However, it may take up to 4 to 6 weeks after lice get on the scalp before the scalp becomes sensitive to the lice saliva and begins to itch.
Most of the itching happens behind the ears or at the back of the neck. Also, itching caused by head lice can last for weeks, even after the lice are gone. Regular checks for head lice are a good way to spot head lice before they have time to multiply and infest are present in large numbers your child's head. Nits will look like small white or yellow-brown specks and be firmly attached to the hair near the scalp.
The easiest place to find them is at the hairline at the back of the neck or behind the ears. Nits can be confused with many other things such as dandruff, dirt particles, or hair spray droplets. The way to tell the difference is that nits are firmly attached to hair, while dandruff, dirt, or other particles are not.
The comb-out method can be used to help check for nits and head lice or to help remove nits and head lice after head lice treatment. However, the comb-out method usually doesn't work on its own to get rid of head lice. Step 2: Use a fine-tooth comb and comb through your child's hair in small sections.
Step 3: After each comb-through, wipe the comb on a wet paper towel. Examine the scalp, comb, and paper towel carefully. Step 4: Repeat steps 2 and 3 until you've combed through all of your child's hair. Check with your child's doctor before beginning any head lice treatment. The most effective way to treat head lice is with head lice medicine. After each treatment, using the comb-out method every 2 to 3 days for 2 to 3 weeks may help remove the nits and eggs.
Head lice medicine should be used only when it is certain that your child has living head lice. You can treat lice and their eggs with prescription or over-the-counter medicines. After treatment, your skin may still itch for a week or more.
This is because of your body's reaction to the lice. Follow-up care is a key part of your treatment and safety. Be sure to make and go to all appointments, and call your doctor or nurse call line if you are having problems.
It's also a good idea to know your test results and keep a list of the medicines you take. Call your doctor or nurse call line now or seek immediate medical care if:.
Watch closely for changes in your health, and be sure to contact your doctor or nurse call line if:. Author: Healthwise Staff. Gabica MD - Family Medicine. Care instructions adapted under license by your healthcare professional. If you have questions about a medical condition or this instruction, always ask your healthcare professional. Healthwise, Incorporated disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information.
Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated. It looks like your browser does not have JavaScript enabled. Please turn on JavaScript and try again. Important Phone Numbers. Topic Contents Overview How can you care for yourself at home? When should you call for help? Where can you learn more? Top of the page. Overview Head lice are tiny bugs that can live in your hair and on your head.
How can you care for yourself at home? Use an over-the-counter medicine to kill lice. It's important to use any medicine correctly and to choose a medicine that is safe. No one likes to be the bearer of bad news, but it is possible that your lice treatment was ineffective and you still have head lice. If you do find evidence that lice are still living on the scalp, try a proven, safe treatment for removing head lice and follow the instructions perfectly.
Psychosomatic itching is the reason that your scalp starts to itch and crawl when you read about, or look at pictures of, head lice. The head lice experts at Novokid field a lot of questions about itchy lice and post-treatment best practices. Here are a few common questions:. This seems counterintuitive, but one or two very small insects can easily pass unnoticed.
If itching is common for several days after a successful lice treatment, how do you know the lice are really gone? First, we recommend using proven by science , all-natural head lice treatments to avoid a dry, irritated scalp. If all of the insects and nits are removed, the lice are gone. You will know for sure in a few more days when the bites stop itching. If no additional insects can be found and the itching stops, the lice are gone. Additionally, even fewer lice treatments kill nits.
A treatment may kill the live insects, but the eggs are sturdy and will still hatch seven days later. Empty, or dead, nits remain cemented to hair follicles after the louse hatches—usually fading to a more dull, gray color. They are not cause for alarm. You can comb them out with a special lice comb, but they will eventually fall out on their own as well. This is not effective.
Most lice treatment solutions include instructions and product for a second treatment seven to nine days after the initial treatment.
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