What Are They?

• Head lice are yellowish-white insects that live on the human scalp.
• Lice don’t have wings, and they cannot fly, hop, or jump.
• Head lice are about 1/8 of an inch long.
• Head lice are difficult to see because they are so small and move very quickly.
• Itching of the scalp may be the first sign of head lice.
• Most often, what you will see are the oval eggs (nits) which have been laid by the lice.
• The eggs are laid close to the scalp (eggs farther than 1/2 inch from the scalp are probably already hatched or dead).
• The nits are off white in color and are attached to the hair by a cement-like substance.
• Lice do not cause disease; they are more of an embarrassment and nuisance.

How Do You Get It?

• Lice are passed from direct personal contact (head-to-head contact or combs, hats, or coats).
• Lice are not passed in swimming pools, and you cannot get them from pets.
• Lice can live on any person’s head— regardless of age, income, social status, or cleanliness.
• If one child has lice, check the hair of everyone else in your house.

Reminders

• Lice are passed by direct personal contact.
• Do not over-treat the hair; follow the directions on the head lice product exactly.
• Only treat the hair of persons who have head lice or nits.
• Home remedies like mayonnaise, olive oil, and petroleum jelly are not recommended.
• Do not use kerosene or gasoline.
• Do not shave the head.
• Itching may continue for a week or two after treatment, because the lice-killing hair products dry the scalp.
• Check for lice often during the school year.

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