The Facts About Head Lice

What are they?

• Head lice are small insects with six legs usually the size of a sesame seed.
• They live on or very close to the scalp and don’t wander far down the hair shafts for very long.
• They can only live on human beings; you can’t catch them from animals.
• Nits are not the same thing as lice. Lice are the insects which move around the head. Nits are egg cases laid by lice, stuck on to hair shafts; they are smaller than a pin head, slightly oblong and are an opaque white.
• Lice are fast-moving and you may see nits without seeing lice. If you are not already treating your child’s head for lice and find nits, treat as though there are lice. When you have gotten rid of all the lice and picked nits out, some empty cases may stay stuck to the hair until it grows out.
• Anybody can get head lice.
• Head lice infections are usually caught from close family and friends in the home and community, but spread in classrooms can occur as well.
• Spread of head lice requires direct head-to-head or coat-to-coat contact.  They can’t swim, fly, hop or jump.
• The best way to stop infection is for families to learn how to check their own heads. This way they can find any lice before they have a chance to breed.
• Instruct children not to share hats, combs, brushes, etc.
• All bedding, towels, and clothing from the infected individual should be cleaned with soap and hot water and placed in a dryer for at least 20 minutes to help kill any remaining lice. Dry-clean all clothes that need to be dry-cleaned. Seal the infested individual’s stuffed toys in a plastic bag and leave them for 10 days to allow all lice to die of starvation. Dispose of or soak combs and hairbrushes in rubbing alcohol or the medicated shampoo used to kill lice. Throw out any hair accessories, such as hair elastics and ribbons. Thoroughly vacuum carpets and upholstered furniture.
• Pets cannot become infested with head and body lice, so no precaution is required.
• Lice have built up a resistance to common over-the-counter-treatments such as Rid and Nix. A thorough comb-out, repeated every few days, is the only way to keep them off your child’s head. The school can provide info for professional checkers upon request. 
• KEEP CHECKING AFTER TREATMENT. To prevent re-infestation, you must check your child’s scalp EVERY DAY after treatment. If you still see nits and/or lice, re-treat your child’s head. Keep checking/treating until a week has gone by without any sign of nits or lice.
• A slideshow to help identify lice and nits: https://www.webmd.com/children/ss/slideshow-lice-overview

How to Get Rid of Head Lice?

Fine tooth combing ‑ how to do it

• Wash the hair well and then dry it with a towel. The hair should be damp, not dripping.
• Make sure there is good light. Daylight is best. Have a supply of paper towels on hand for anything that comes out with the comb.
• Applying a thick white conditioner with some baking soda mixed in will help loosen the grip of any nits or lice during the comb-out.
• Comb the hair with a good lice comb (metal, not plastic). Using bobby pins to pin the hair into sections can be helpful.
• Start with the teeth of the fine tooth comb touching the skin of the scalp at the top of the head. Draw the comb carefully towards the edge of the hair.
• Wipe the excess conditioner on the paper towel. Look carefully at the teeth of the comb in good light.
• Do this over and over again from the top of the head to the edge of the hair in all directions, working round the head.
• Do this for several minutes. It takes at least 10 to 15 minutes to do it properly for each head, longer if you are finding anything.
• If there are head lice, you will find nits or lice on the teeth of the comb.
• Head lice are little insects with moving legs. They are often not much bigger than a pin head, but may be as big as a sesame seed. Nits are very small and droplet-shaped, are attached to the hair shaft an inch or two past the scalp and do not shake off like dandruff.

If you have found a living louse or numerous nits:

• Check the heads of all the people in your home.
• Treat those who have nits or lice.
• Treat them all at the same time with a chemical treatment of your choice.
• Put the lotion on to dry hair.
• Use the lotion in a well ventilated room or in the open air.
• Part the hair near the top of the head, put a few drops on to the scalp and rub it in. Part the hair a bit further down the scalp and do the same again. Do this over and over again until the whole scalp is wet.
• You don’t need to put lotion down long hair any further than where you would put a pony‑tail band.
• Let the lotion dry on the hair. Some lotions can catch fire, so keep well away from flames, cigarettes, stoves, and other sources of heat. Don’t use a hair dryer.
• Repeat the chemical treatment for everyone within seven days in the same way with the same lotion. 
• Check all heads again a day or two after each treatment. Non-chemical comb-outs may be necessary between chemical treatments.
• Keep checking your family’s heads and combing out as needed every day or two. If, after the second treatment, you still find living, moving lice or many nits, ask your healthcare provider for advice.

For more information and resources, please visit www.nyc.gov/health