Head lice are tiny, wingless human parasites.  The nit (egg) is approximately the size of a sesame seed or smaller. The adult head louse is comparable to an ant and/or gnat in width and length.  They have six legs with tiny claws and live only on human scalps. Head lice can range in color from light brown to gray. While annoying, head lice are not life threatening.

Head lice have been infesting humans throughout history. It is difficult to track head lice cases because head lice are not considered a disease and therefore public health departments and the Centers For Disease Control (CDC) do not routinely track the number of head lice cases. However, schools and manufacturers of lice products estimate head lice cases at 12- 25 million infestations each year in the United States alone. Most of those infested are children under the age of twelve.

Lice migrate through direct contact with an infested person and/or their belongings. Head lice do not hop, jump, fly, or swim. Pets do not transmit head lice. Poor personal hygiene does not cause an infestation. In fact, head lice prefer clean, healthy heads. Head lice do not live in, nor come from, the dirt, trees, or the air. They live on the human head.

The most common symptom of a head lice infestation is persistent itching, particularly around the ears, back of the neck and along the part line at the top of the head.  Some people never itch at all. Repeat infestations can cause certain individuals to become super-sensitive to bites. Secondary bacterial infections can occur with excessive scratching. See a doctor if this occurs.

If what you have found in your hair can be blown, flicked off, or crumbles in your fingers, it is not a nit. Nits are tiny, whitish, yellowish-brown to solid brown oval eggs firmly attached to one side of the hair shaft at an angle. Viable nits are usually, but not always, found within ½” of the scalp. Nits are very difficult to remove due to the glue-like substance that the head louse applies to attach the nit to the hair.

Getting rid of head lice is a four step process which begins with an affirmative diagnosis. Upon affirmation, you must kill all the live head lice, check for and remove all the viable nits by combing and manual nit picking, and do a reasonable job of cleaning the infested person’s belongings and home environment. Optimally, an infestation should be treated on Day One, Day Four, and Day Eleven counting from the initial treatment reflected as Day One to ensure complete eradication. Make sure you have head lice before treatment. Many people misdiagnose head lice and treat themselves or their children with chemicals unnecessarily.

These products contain insecticides (Lindane, Malathion, Natural Pyrethrins, and Permethrin), and should always be used with caution. Check with your pharmacist or doctor to determine which product is safe for your family. Never use these products if you are pregnant, nursing, or on infants under 6 months of age. Follow the directions exactly when using these chemically based head lice solutions. Misuse of these products (leaving them on longer than the directions state or applying more treatments than specified), compromises the health of the child due to overexposure to chemical pesticides. Also, children with allergies may be at more risk for allergic reactions to pesticides.

A prescription medication called Kwell should never be used. Kwell contains Lindane, a powerful neurotoxin and possibly carcinogenic pesticide, which can cause serious side effects including seizures and even death. Consumer Reports has petitioned the Food and Drug Administration to remove this pesticide from the market. Children and the elderly are particularly vulnerable to Lindane toxicity.

People should also be aware that according to entomologists, any parasite over time can develop resistance to pesticides. It is not surprising therefore, that many consumers, health professionals, and entomologists report that head lice have become resistant to pediculicides. Failure to follow directions and/or lack of thorough nit-picking can compound the challenge of eradicating a persistent infestation.

If you have used a pediculicide correctly and still have live lice or nits, you probably have a persistent case of head lice (see Super Lice in Glossary: Lice Terms section). Persistent head lice is defined as three incidents of live lice found over a 6-week period.  If you have head lice that have resisted treatment, do not continue to use additional chemically based solutions in the hopes that they will work. They will not.  Such chemical treatments were never intended to be used repeatedly. It is time to contact your local Head Lice Removal Company represented on our site or Call Us, O.C.’s Hair Police for guidance!

Every successful lice removal program must include manual nit picking. Even if you treat with heat, chemicals, and/or a home remedy such as olive oil you must also incorporate manual nit picking into your treatment program because nothing else has proved 100% successful in killing nits due to their protective shell. Viable nits are usually, but not always, found within ½” of the scalp. Non-viable nits are translucent. Nits are very difficult to remove due to the glue- like substance that the head louse applies to attach the nit to the hair.

Lice lay their nits close to the scalp. It used to be thought that nits further than 1/2 inch from the scalp were not viable. However, new research indicates that this is not true, especially during warm weather. Therefore, removing or pulling the nits beyond 1” of the scalp is the only sure way to get an infestation under control. Nits need the heat from the human scalp in order to incubate and hatch. This necessary heat does not generate beyond 1” from the scalp.

Getting rid of head lice requires perseverance.