Hair Nits and Head Lice
On this page you will find facts and information for people who have or whose children have head lice or hairnits or would like to know more about them.
TOPICS COVERED INCLUDE:
• What is a Nit?
• What Are Head Lice?
• How Do You Catch a Hair Nit?
• How Can You Spot Nits In Hair?
• What is The Best Head and Hair Nit Treatment?
If you have children of nursery or school age you will be no stranger to alerts about outbreaks of hair lice and requests to be vigilant in case your child has become infected and is showing signs of “nits in hair”.
So let’s take a look at what you need to be vigilant about, as it is only by finding out more about nits and hair lice that you can get rid of them properly.
_____________________
What Are Hair Nits?
Lice nits are the dull grey head lice eggs laid by a female head louse. The nit is glued strongly to the hair shaft, close to the scalp, making it difficult to remove.
After 7 days the hair nit eggs hatch and immature head lice are released. These then shed their skin three times before becoming mature adult hair lice within 10-14 days.
SEE MORE HEAD NIT PICTURES HERE
_____________________
What Are Hair Lice?
Hair lice are tiny (2-4mm long) wingless brown hair parasites that live in the hair and on the heads of humans, feeding on blood that they suck from the scalp. Within a day of becoming adults, hair lice will start to reproduce very quickly if left untreated.
SEE MORE HEAD LICE PICTURES HERE
_____________________
How Do You Catch Hair Lice?
Head lice are highly contagious and are easily spread through head-to-head contact. Head lice can’t jump or fly, they move from person to person by walking. Therefore, the only way in which you can catch head lice is by having your head in contact with the head of someone who is infected with head lice.
Head lice do not discriminate; they are as likely to be caught by adults as children, all you need is some hair! And it doesn’t matter if that hair is clean or dirty. Indeed, if you over shampoo your hair then it is easier for the hair lice to attach themselves to the hair shaft.
Head lice are no more attracted to long hair than they are short. However, it is wise to keep long hair tied back to prevent it coming into contact with infected hair.
Without warmth and a regular blood supply head lice and head lice nits will not survive. Therefore you are unlikely to catch them from pillows, towels, brushes and combs.
_____________________
How Can You Spot Nits In Hair?
Often the first sign of lice nits is hair itching and scratching of the scalp. This is caused by the body’s reaction to the saliva from the head lice as they feed.
Whilst this itching could be due to other reasons it is wise at this point to check for the presence of nits in hair. A close examination of the scalp should reveal the white eggs or nits attached to the base of the hair shaft or small brown moving hair lice.
You can part the hair and look for nits, but the lice will move quickly into hiding.
The best way to search for head lice and nits is to buy a specially designed detection (nit) comb from a pharmacy. This is a fine-toothed plastic comb with spacing of less than 0.3mm. You can claim a free one when you order Nit-Nurse.
SEE PICTURES OF HEAD LICE HERE
How to use a nit comb
To help get your child to lean over a sheet of white or light coloured paper or cloth as you comb through the hair. You will probably see live lice and eggs (nits) drop onto the paper.
You can check for lice on dry or wet hair although lice and nit removal is best done on wet hair as this helps release the nits and make removal easier.
- Use a normal brush or an ordinary comb to smooth out and detangle wet or dry hair.
- Once hair has been detangled, switch to the nit comb, sometimes called a detection comb.
- Start at the middle of the front of the scalp.
- Comb the hair from the roots right through to the very end of the hair.
- After each stroke, examine the teeth of the comb for any trace of live hair nits or lice.
- Rinse the comb if you find any lice.
- Continue combing section by section until you've done the whole head of hair.
- Make sure you cover every inch of the scalp, including the area just behind the ears and at the nape of the neck (as this is where lice like to lay their egg (nit).
- For wet combing, simply wash hair and apply conditioner or apply a natural non-toxic lice and nit remedy such as one which uses especially thickened natural plant extracts and oils, (including Olea europaea – one of nature’s anti-parasitics – and Eucalyptus globulus – a powerful natural disinfectant) directly to dry hair. This will help you comb through the hair and start to eradicate lice and nits at the same time. Afterwards, rinse out and check hair again with the nit comb before drying.
People with thick hair often find a product that lubricates the comb makes it easier to get the nit comb through – especially for children with longer or curly hair. You may find using a natural solution ( there are non-toxic solutions available) on the hair makes it easier to use the nit comb effectively.
