Head Lice & Nits

Head lice can spread extremely quickly, especially in children’s group settings likes schools and nurseries.

They aren’t able to fly or jump from person to person, but they can crawl and cling onto hair through head-to-head contact and sharing clothing, bed linen and hairbrushes.

You can prevent the spread of your child’s head lice by making sure they avoid head-to-head contact with other children and by tying long hair back into a bun or braid.

Head lice are small insects that live on your hair and scalp, they’re very common and can affect anyone at all, although children usually suffer with them more than adults.

Although some people think nits can jump from head to head, this isn’t the case.

They’re not very agile, just very common and very quick at breeding, which means that one head louse can turn into an infestation before you know it.

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If you or your child have head lice, one of the first symptoms you’ll notice is itching.

Head lice need human blood to survive, so they bite down on your scalp several times a day.

These bites won’t hurt but they will make you feel itchy and uncomfortable.

You might also be able to feel the lice moving around on your scalp, and in some extreme cases, you might even be able to see them moving!

If you’re feeling the itch, try combing your hair with a nit comb and see what comes out, if you spot a louse or some nits then you’ll know you’ve got an infestation on your hands.

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Head lice and nits are very common amongst young children and they can cause unpleasant itchiness.

To treat head lice, start by washing your hair with regular shampoo and applying lots of conditioner, then comb the whole head of hair while it’s wet with a detection comb.

If that doesn’t work after a couple of weeks, your pharmacist may recommend a medicated lotion or spray to kill the headlice within a day.

No, head lice themselves do not cause greasy hair. Head lice are parasitic insects that feed on small amounts of blood from the scalp.

Greasy hair is typically caused by an overproduction of natural oils by the scalp's sebaceous glands or inadequate hair washing.

While lice infestations can make the scalp itchy and irritated, this irritation is not the same as greasiness. Greasy hair is a separate issue and should be addressed with proper hair hygiene and care.

After successfully treating head lice, it’s possible to get re-infected if you come into contact with someone who still has an active lice infestation.

The time it takes to get re-infected can vary depending on your exposure to lice and their eggs, but it can happen relatively quickly if you have close contact with an infested individual or share personal items like combs, brushes or hats.

Head lice are not selective when it comes to cleanliness. They can infect both clean and dirty hair. Lice feed on blood from the scalp, not on dirt or oils.

While there is a common misconception that lice prefer dirty or greasy hair, this is not accurate. Lice can attach themselves to hair shafts and survive in various hair types and conditions.