If you think someone in your family might have lice, it’s important to know what signs to look for.
Head lice are small, wingless parasites about the size of a strawberry seed. They feed on blood from the scalp but don’t fly or jump—they move by crawling quickly from hair strand to hair strand. You likely won’t see them scurrying around, as they tend to hide well.
What You’ll Notice First:
The first sign people usually spot? Tiny, unmoving white flecks near the scalp. These are often mistaken for dandruff, but they’re actually empty lice egg shells—called “nits.”
When lice lay eggs, the viable ones are brownish and firmly attached to hair strands. Once the bug hatches, the egg casing turns white and remains stuck in place.
Many people say that online photos of lice don’t match what they see in real life—and that’s true. Most images are enlarged to show detail, making the lice and nits appear much larger than they actually are.
Scientifically speaking, a “lice egg” contains a developing bug, while a “nit” is an empty shell. But in everyday conversation, the terms are used interchangeably. Either way, removal is key to stopping an infestation.
Symptoms of Head Lice
Get the peace of mind you deserve and schedule a lice screening either in our lice treatment center or we do house calls!
The only symptom of head lice is an itchy head (or sometimes the sense of something crawling around) and for some people this is not the case.
Some people don’t show any symptoms of head lice.
I’m not Itchy?
Many people don’t itch because they are not allergic to the saliva the lice inject that makes us itchy.
Similar to a mosquito bite. In the event you have lice and aren’t itchy it’s usually at least week 4 before you detect them as they will begin to fall out of your hair.
The lice bug itself only has a life span of about 30 days. Get screened as soon as possible if you or someone you know is suspected to have head lice.
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