What Does Head Lice Look Like

Lice is more commonly found in the hair of preschool and elementary school children than in adolescents or adults. Teachers of these age groups keep a look out for students who are scratching their heads or complaining of itching.

In the United States, Caucasian and Asian children are more likely to be infested with head lice than African-American ones. Having head lice is not a sign that the individual is not clean, and it is possible to be infested with head lice for several weeks without experiencing any symptoms.

Children with long hair may be more susceptible to being infested with head lice, since their hair is more likely to come into contact with that of their classmates. If your child has had to deal with repeated infestations, cutting the hair and having the youngster adopt a short hair style may help to decrease the chances of the problem recurring.

What Does Head Lice Look Like: Stages of Development

Eggs

Head lice eggs look like small white or tan-colored dots at the base of the hair or on the scalp at the nape of the neck or behind the ears of an infested person. After the eggs have hatched, they change color; at that point, they will take on a grayish tone.

Lice eggs are also known as nits. The eggs are stuck fast to the hair or the scalp and don't flake off in the same way that dandruff does. In fact, the expression, "nit picking" comes from the struggle to free a person's hair from these parasites.

Once the female lays eggs (up to 150 a month), it takes approximately 10 days for them to hatch. Simply washing your hair will not kill nits; they can survive in water for more than 24 hours.

Nymphs

After the nit has hatched, the young louse is a pale yellow color. At this stage, which lasts for approximately 10 days, it doesn't have a central nervous system. Using a substance that works by poisoning the central nervous system will not be effective in killing the louse.

Adult

Adult head lice are gray in color and measure approximately 1/8 of an inch in length. For comparison purposes, they are about the same size as a sesame seed.

How to Detect Head Lice

Nymph

If you want to find out whether someone has been infested with head lice, one way to tell is to wet the hair thoroughly and then rub the scalp with a towel. This action will irritate the lice and make them move. The motion may make them easier to see.

When you are examining someone else's scalp, be sure to do so under a bright light. You may be able to see the lice moving away from the source of the light.

It's important to examine the hair from many different angles. Ask the person to hold his or her head still while you move around as opposed to them moving their head.

If you are not sure that what you are looking at is head lice, as opposed to dandruff, use a fingernail to try to move the item away from the hair shaft. If you have trouble trying to dislodge it, then you are probably dealing with lice eggs.

If You Detect Head Lice

Treat the hair and scalp of all infested family members with a shampoo made for this purpose. All bedding and towels will need to be washed in hot water and dried in a dryer set to "High." Sealing pillows in a plastic bag for two weeks or placing items such as stuffed toys in a freezer overnight will also kill the lice.

Knowing what does head lice look like can help you detect this problem more quickly so you can prevent severe infestations and recurrences with minimal effort.