What are head lice and nits?
Head lice are small insects, up to 3mm long making them spot in your hair. Head lice can make your head feel itchy and like something is moving in your hair. There is no way to prevent head lice but you can make sure to check your hair regularly to catch them before they increase in numbers.
What causes head lice?
Head lice are spread by head-to-head contact. They can crawl, but they are unable to jump or fly. This is one reason why head lice are common in children, as they can most easily spread through contact during play or at school.
It’s also possible for head lice to spread through shared contact with personal items that have touched the head, for example:
- Scarves or hats
- Pillows or bedding
- Hair accessories, brushes or combs
- Headphones
- Towels
- Clothing, such as a hoodie
How do you know if you have head lice?
You won’t know for sure that you have head lice unless you find live lice.
Head lice are small and can be hard to spot, but they can make the head feel very itchy. If you or your child is increasingly feeling the urge to scratch the head you should check for head lice.
You can do this using a special comb that has finer teeth designed to catch and remove head lice, eggs, and nits. Once you’ve found evidence of head lice, you should start treating them straight away.
Sometimes you may be able to spot head lice eggs (nits) in the hair before combing. These look like small white or brown specks.
How to get rid of head lice
The most effective way to get rid of head lice is to treat them right away and stop them from spreading.
Remove any head lice or eggs by wet combing with a fine-tooth comb. Use shampoo and conditioner before you do this. Check all members of your household - and anyone else you have regular close contact with such as family members - and make sure anyone with head lice treats them the same day.
You should wet comb multiple times (on days 1, 5, 9 and 13) and check again after 17 days to make sure that any newly hatched head lice have been caught and removed.
It’s important to make sure you comb the hair thoroughly, starting from the root. This typically takes around ten minutes for a short head of hair and you should comb the hair twice to make sure you’ve done this thoroughly.
What head lice treatments are available?
Treating head lice is simple and painless. Weldricks stocks a variety of stronger hair products that can help to get rid of head lice if you’re struggling or if you’re unable to wet comb.
Available head lice treatments include special shampoos, sprays, gels and lotions. These can be applied at home without the need to see a GP.
If you’re unsure about how to treat head lice or which products are best for you, speak to our helpful team of pharmacists.
Can head lice go away on their own?
Head lice very rarely go away on their own; they can stay in the hair for long periods of time and can quickly spread to other people, so it’s important to treat head lice as soon as you spot them.