And if we find lice, we waive the head check fee if you are treated in clinic the same day. To avoid mistaking a louse from a piece of dry skin or dandruff, it is important to know what head lice look like.
If you pull lice out with a lice comb, live lice will be moving. If you are performing a visual inspection, use a magnifying glass and light to look for live lice. Lice will flee light. It simply means that your child had contact with someone that had lice. Staying calm can help you and your child find the right treatment. Many panicked parents rush to drugstores to buy lice treatment products that may not work. Louse eggs are called nits. Nits look sort of like dandruff, except they don't brush or fall off as easily as dandruff.
Lice attach their nits to pieces of hair, close to the scalp. If you think you have lice and see a small, oval blob on a strand of hair, it's probably a nit. If nits are yellow, tan, or brown, it means the lice haven't hatched yet. If the nits are white or clear, the lice have hatched and just the egg remains. Lice eggs hatch within 1 to 2 weeks after they're laid.
Besides seeing nits or lice on the head, itching — or the feeling of something moving around on the scalp — is another clue that you might have lice. Like mosquito bites, the itching is a reaction to the saliva of the insect.
Some people with lice also get a rash of small red bumps from scratching. If you think you have lice, call your doctor. Your doctor can recommend a medicated shampoo, cream rinse, or lotion to kill the lice. These may be over-the-counter OTC or prescription treatments. It all depends on what your doctor thinks will work best for you. Lice can be hard to get rid of. If you still have lice 2 weeks after you started treatment, let your doctor know.
Your doctor may want to try a different medication or repeat treatment in case any nits were left behind and hatched after treatment.
Lice are insects, so the treatments for lice are basically insecticides or pesticides. To avoid getting overexposed, you'll need to follow the directions carefully when it comes to how much to use and how often to use it. Medicated lice treatments usually kill the lice, but it may take a few days for the itching to stop. Removing by hand. Your doctor may recommend wet combing in addition to or as an alternative to chemical treatments.
To remove lice and nits by hand, use a fine-tooth comb on wet, conditioned hair every 3—4 days for 3 weeks after the last live louse was seen. For these reasons, the risk of transmission of head lice from a wig or other hairpiece is extremely small, particularly if the wig or hairpiece has not been worn within the preceding 48 hours by someone who is actively infested with live head lice.
Data show that head lice can survive under water for several hours but are unlikely to be spread by the water in a swimming pool. Head lice have been seen to hold tightly to human hair and not let go when submerged under water. Chlorine levels found in pool water do not kill head lice. Children should be taught not to share towels, hair brushes, and similar items either at poolside or in the changing room. Swimming or washing the hair within 1—2 days after treatment with some head lice medicines might make some treatments less effective.
Seek the advice of your health care provider or health department if you have questions. This information is not meant to be used for self-diagnosis or as a substitute for consultation with a health care provider.
If you have any questions about the parasites described above or think that you may have a parasitic infection, consult a health care provider. Contact Us. Skip directly to site content Skip directly to page options Skip directly to A-Z link. Section Navigation. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Syndicate. Minus Related Pages. On This Page What are head lice? Who is at risk for getting head lice? What do head lice look like? Where are head lice commonly found?
What are the signs and symptoms of head lice infestation? How did my child get head lice? How is a head lice infestation diagnosed? How is a head lice infestation treated? Is infestation with head lice reportable to health departments? Do head lice spread disease? Can head lice be spread by sharing sports helmets and headphones? Can wigs or hair pieces spread lice?
Can swimming spread lice? Actual size of the three lice forms compared to a penny. CDC Photo. Illustration of egg on a hair shaft. Nymph form. Adult louse. Adult louse claws. Tickling feeling of something moving in the hair.
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