Head lice facts and Myths

What are head lice Head lice are a parasitic insect, Pediculus humanus capitis. A parasitic insect means : an insect which lives on another living thing and gets nourishment (food) from it. A NIT is the name for the egg a head louse lays and the case that is left when the louse hatches.

Here is a picture of a male (on the left) and a female (on the right) head louse. These are fully grown and the red bit on the left hand side of this picture is the head of a match!

In this picture you can see the egg cases. The NITS!

Head lice have a life cycle like all living things.

How do I know I’ve got head lice? Signs and symptoms: Itching your head (this is because you are allergic to the lice so not everyone has an itchy head). Common itchy places are the warm ones, under fringes, by your ears and the nape of your neck. Sometimes a rash may appear on the neck by the hairline.

What to do............ Just because someone has found nits in their hair doesn’t mean they have live head lice at that time. The nits stick to the hair shaft for a long time. The best way to find out if someone has head lice is to do some detection combing with a special “nit comb”. If head lice are found there are many options your parent/carer can use to get rid of them eg, wet combing.

This picture shows someone having their hair combed and the head lice being removed.

Don’t forget.......... Just because you or your friend itches doesn’t mean you or they have head lice! You are able to get rid of head lice and they are very common! If you have head lice you do not need to stay of school. Head lice don’t jump or fly. They transfer to other heads when you are close together.

A head lice infestation is not the result of dirty hair or poor hygiene. Head lice can affect all types of hair irrespective of its condition and length. Head lice only affect humans and cannot be passed on to animals or be caught from them. Check your hair regularly (at least weekly) and treat the whole family if one person has head lice.

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