Head lice and nits

Head lice and nits are very common in young children and their families. They do not have anything to do with dirty hair and are picked up by head-to-head contact.

Check if it’s head lice

Head lice are small insects, up to 3mm long
They can be difficult to spot in your hair
Head lice eggs (nits) are brown or white (empty shells) and attached to the hair

Head lice can make your head feel:

itchy
like something is moving in your hair

The only way to be sure someone has head lice is by finding live lice.

You can do this by combing their hair with a special fine-toothed comb (detection comb). You can buy these online or at pharmacies.

Call 999 or go to A&E now if you or someone has any of these:

Signs of a heart attack (chest pain, pressure, heaviness, tightness or squeezing across the chest)
Signs of a stroke (face dropping on one side, cannot hold both arms up, difficulty speaking)
Sudden confusion or delirium (unsure of own name or age)
Suicide attempt (by taking something or self-harming)
Severe difficulty breathing (not being able to get words out, choking or gasping)
A serious accident, or severe injuries burns or scalds
Heavy bleeding (spraying, pouring or enough to make a puddle)
Severe injuries (after a serious accident or assault)
A seizure or fit (shaking, jerking, or unconscious & can’t be woken up)
Sudden, rapid swelling (of the lips, mouth, throat or tongue)

Prevention

It’s difficult to prevent the spread of head lice among children in child care facilities and schools because there is so much close contact.

The chance of indirect spread from personal items is slight. However, to help prevent head lice from spreading, you may tell your child to:

Hang clothes on a separate hook from other children’s clothes
Avoid sharing combs, brushes, hats and scarves
Avoid lying on beds, couches or pillows that have been in contact with a person who has head lice

It’s not necessary to avoid sharing protective headgear for sports and bicycling when sharing is required.