Lice Eggs
Facts About Lice Eggs
Lice eggs are called nits. Head lice and pubic lice attach their nits to head or body hair, near the surface of the skin. Nits are glued to hair shafts and they can be very hard to remove. Head lice and pubic lice nits need the high humidity and warmth that human skin provides, in order to develop properly. If the nits are removed from the host, they will die.
To effectively control lice, you need to control the lice eggs first. Nits can be brushed or removed, or both. If you use a lice comb, it will crush the nits effectively in place. If you use a lice comb along with a nit-loosening lotion, you can remove the nits without pulling any hair out.
When lice eggs hatch, they leave an empty shell behind. It is still attached to your child's shaft of hair. The empty shell can remain stuck there for weeks or even months. As the hair grows, the shell will move farther out from the surface of the scalp.
When you look for nits, remember that any found more than a quarter of an inch away from the scalp may already be dead. Some researchers have discovered that if you and your child live in a warm climate, the louse may lay the nit farther out from the scalp on the hair shaft. Color is a good way to tell live nits from shells, too. Empty shells are light, and live nits are a darker color.
Nit shells, dead lice eggs and dandruff are all sometimes sources of false positives when your child is screened for lice. If whomever is doing the screen is not experienced, this debris can look like live nits, and they may issue a false positive. Instead of having someone in a school that is not properly trained screen your child, it is more effective if the information is sent home, and the child is screened by a physician or nurse, who can make the accurate call.
When searching for lice eggs, look for oval, tiny specks that are about the size of a salt grain. Lice eggs may be light brown or white. They will hatch in a week or so, so you will want to spot them as quickly as you can.
Examine the scalp and the shafts of hair close to the skin. Lice eggs are usually found close to the scalp, on hair shafts. You can make small parts in the hair to get a close look at the bottom of the hair shafts, and the scalp. Use a magnifying glass and a bright light in order to more easily spot lice eggs. When you part the hair, shine a flashlight at the part, and then magnify the area so you can see more closely. The sooner you find them, the sooner you can treat them, so your child can get along with his normal life.