Head lice are insects that are found, as the name suggests, on the head. They are common human parasites. Learn more about head lice by taking this quiz, based on information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Head lice usually are found behind the ears or at the back of the neck along the hairline.
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They only dwell on the scalp and human hair and are not found on other parts of the body. Body lice, which are not common in the United States, are related to head lice but live mostly on clothing, near the skin. A third type of lice found on humans is pubic or crab lice; these are usually found in a person's pubic area.
Head lice get their nourishment from human hair.
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Head lice (Pediculus humanus capitis) are parasites that feed on human blood. They bite the scalp but cannot burrow into it. Although head lice do not transmit infections through their bite, their saliva and feces can prompt an allergic reaction in some people. Even without an allergic reaction, an itchy scalp caused by the lice bites may make it difficult to sleep.
Someone with head lice probably has dirty hair.
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Head lice are not affected by hair hygiene. Daily shampooing will not prevent head lice or kill them.
Head lice travel from one person's head to another's by jumping.
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Head lice cannot jump or fly. They travel to another person's hair by head-to-head contact, or by contact with a hat or hair accessory that is infected. Preschool and elementary children and their families are most often affected. Girls are more likely to get head lice than boys.
Nits are baby head lice.
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Nits are head lice eggs. They are yellow or white ovals found within a quarter inch of the scalp firmly cemented to the hair shaft. (Nits found farther up the hair shaft indicate an old infestation.) The eggs hatch in eight days and then take another eight days to mature into an adult able to lay more eggs. A female louse lays up to 100 eggs, at a rate of about six eggs a day. Nits are often confused with dandruff and other hair debris such as hair spray droplets. Adult head lice are the size of a sesame seed and tan to grayish-white in color.
The best way to treat head lice is by using really hot water when you wash your hair.
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Hot water will not kill lice. Water itself will slow head lice down, however, so wet hair will make it easier to comb them out. Special shampoos containing pesticides are available to kill nits and lice. Unfortunately, many lice have become resistant to the pesticide shampoos. These shampoos also pose a threat to kids by exposing them to toxic chemicals, sometimes repeatedly. The National Pediculosis Association recommends using a nit-removal comb to remove the lice and nits by hand over a period of several days. Be sure to thoroughly clean the comb before using it again.
If a child in your family has head lice, you should bag all clothing and toys the child has used, then wait several weeks before unbagging.
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Although experts used to recommend this procedure, they now say it's not necessary. Head lice die within 24 hours of leaving a human host, so any lice that may end up on clothing or toys will not survive. What is recommended is to put any bed clothing, pillowcases, sheets, towels and stuffed animals into a clothes dryer set on high heat for 30 minutes. (Make sure the items are able to withstand the high heat.) It is not necessary to excessively vacuum a house or to use insecticides in the home to rid it of lice. You should vacuum furniture, rugs, cars and any stuffed animals not able to be put in the clothes dryer.
You should tell your children never to share hats with a friend, as a way of preventing head lice.
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Besides hats, they also should avoid sharing combs, hairbrushes, hair accessories and towels with friends. Pets and other animals do not get head lice and are not involved in their transmission. Your child cannot get head lice from a swimming pool, but could get them from infested towels.
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