Checking Your Head for Lice: Symptoms, Treatments, & Prevention

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Learn how to properly examine your hair and scalp for lice
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Nothing’s worse than getting an itchy head and discovering you have lice. While lice are most commonly found on children, anyone can get them, and it can be more difficult to find someone to check you when you’re an adult. Luckily, it’s pretty easy to check yourself. In this article, we’ll teach you everything you need to know to check yourself for lice, as well as how to treat and prevent them. Plus, learn the common symptoms and signs of lice, as well as when to see a doctor for treatment.

Checking Yourself for Head Lice

Dampen your hair, then use a fine comb to part and comb it. Check a small section at a time, looking for small, brown bugs or tiny white eggs. Use a mirror to see the back of your neck and behind your ears. If you find any, pick them off and flush them down the toilet, then use a lice shampoo to get rid of the rest.

Section 1 of 5:

How to Check Yourself for Lice

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  1. Lice move quickly, so it can be hard to detect them. However, wet hair can often slow them down so they’re easier to spot. Dampen your hair, preferably with detangler or conditioner. This can be especially helpful if your hair is thick or tangled, as it makes it easier to move the comb through your hair. [1]
  2. Arrange two mirrors so you can see the back of your neck and ears, as well as the front of your head. Sit under a bright light to make it easier to spot movement or eggs. It may also be helpful to have a magnifying glass on hand. [2]
    • Checking yourself for lice will likely be more difficult than having someone else check for you, but it isn’t impossible.
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  3. Put on some disposable gloves and grab a lice comb (or any fine comb). Use the comb to part your hair, then slowly run the comb through a small portion from root to tip. After each pull, check the teeth of the comb to see if any lice or eggs have come dislodged. Keep combing until you determine whether or not you have lice. [3]
    • If you don’t have a comb, use your fingers to part your hair. Just make sure you wear gloves.
  4. As you comb, check for lice on your scalp and along the hair shaft. Adult lice are typically tan, brown, or dark in color and resemble sesame seeds. They move quickly and like warm places, so be sure to check around the nape of the neck and behind the ears. [4]
  5. Lice usually lay their eggs (called nits) within 2 mm from the scalp. Nits are often white or yellowish-brown in color and resemble tiny seeds. Hatched eggs look clear. It’s often easier to spot nits than adult lice because nits don’t move around. [5]
    • Sometimes, people confuse nits for dandruff, lint, or dirt. To determine if a speck is a nit, try to flick or pull it off. Dandruff is easily removed, but nits are not.
    • Having a magnifying glass can also help you determine if you’ve found nits.
  6. If you do find lice or nits, place them in a small plastic bag or flush them down the toilet to dispose of them. At this point, you do not need to continue looking for lice. It’s best to proceed with a medicated lice shampoo to remove the rest of them. [6]
    • After checking yourself, dispose of any gloves you used and wash your hands.
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Section 2 of 5:

How to Treat Head Lice

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  1. Take off any clothes you don’t want to get stained, then apply the lice shampoo (or pediculicide) according to its instructions. After 8-12 hours, use a lice comb or other fine-toothed comb to comb out any dead or remaining lice. Continue to check for lice every 2-3 days for 2-3 weeks after treatment. [7]
    • Avoid rewashing your hair for 2 days after removing the medication. Washing too soon may also wash out the medication, rendering it ineffective.
    • Don’t apply conditioner or combination shampoo and conditioner before applying the medication.
    • People with long hair (past shoulder-length) may need more than one bottle of lice shampoo.
    • If the lice are still active after 12 hours, the medication might not have worked. In this case, it may be better to consult with a healthcare professional.
  2. Some people turn to home remedies like mayo, tea tree oil, neem oil, or vinegar to attempt to treat lice. While these treatments may work on occasion, they are not supported by scientific evidence. It’s better to use a professional treatment product, or seek medical help if your treatment doesn’t seem to be working. [8]
  3. If you’re having difficulty getting rid of the lice , consider cutting your hair short or shaving it altogether. Lice rely on human heads and hair to live, so removing the hair will also remove their habitat. [9]
    • In most cases, lice can be removed with proper medication. If you like having long hair, don’t think you’ll have to cut your hair short if you have lice.
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Section 3 of 5:

How to Prevent Head Lice

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  1. Lice can crawl from one person’s head to another without anyone realizing. To help prevent this , don’t let your head or hair directly touch someone else’s. This includes at home, school, work, or anywhere else. [10]
  2. Lice can also hitch a ride on anything that touches your head or neck. Don’t share anything that could come in contact with your head or hair. This includes hats, scarves, barrettes, and even coats or sports uniforms. [11]
    • It’s a good idea to clean these items regularly, as well.
    EXPERT TIP

    Tiffany Jumaily, MD

    Board Certified Pediatrician
    Dr. Tiffany Jumaily is a Board Certified Pediatrician and a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics (FAAP) based in Los Angeles, California. With over a decade of experience in the medical field, Dr. Jumaily specializes in identifying the root cause of symptoms and presenting manifestations of disease. She holds a BA in Biology from Boston University and an MD from Boston University School of Medicine. Her dedication to combining evidence-based allopathic medicine with complementary and alternative therapies has led to her being featured and cited in various platforms including U.S. News & World Report, Forbes, and CBS Los Angeles.
    Tiffany Jumaily, MD
    Board Certified Pediatrician

    Don't let kids share hats, combs, or other headgear. Head lice are pretty contagious. Even if you're not directly sharing headwear, coats and hats are often lined up in a classroom, and the lice can jump from one kid's clothing to another's. Check and wash all clothes that might have come in contact with lice.

  3. This works the same way as hair accessories. Lice can linger on brushes, combs, towels, and clothing, and then find their way into your hair. Soak any item you suspect may be infected in hot water to disinfect it. [12]
  4. If you’re in close contact with someone who has or had lice, disinfect everything as soon as possible. Soak things like combs in hot water (at least 130°F) for 5-10 minutes, and machine wash clothes , towels, and bedding on the same temperature. Use a high heat setting on your dryer, as well. [13]
    • If you can’t wash or dry clean items, place them in a plastic bag and store them for at least 2 weeks to kill any remaining lice.
    • Do not use any bedding, carpets, pillows, or other furniture that have recently been in contact with someone with lice. Be sure to disinfect them first.
  5. Pay special attention to any places the person with lice may have sat or lain. Vacuuming can help remove any remaining lice or nits so they don’t crawl back onto a human and start the infestation all over again. [14]
    • Cleaning expert Laura Smith says, “They sell sprays that you can use on things like couches, bedding, and carpet [to remove lice]. You want to vacuum everything really, really thoroughly—all of your upholstery, all of your carpet, all of your mattress. Wash all of your bedding and anything else soft like that on extremely hot water. Then, spray them down. And then of course, check everyone in the household so that [the lice] don't keep coming back.”
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Section 4 of 5:

Symptoms of Lice

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  1. Many people who have lice experience itchiness on their scalp. This may be the result of an allergic reaction to the insects’ saliva. You may also feel a tickling sensation as they move around your scalp and through your hair. Here are some other signs and symptoms of head lice: [15]
    • Irritability
    • Difficulty sleeping (lice are more active in the dark)
    • Sores from scratching your scalp
    • Swollen lymph nodes
    • Pink eye
Section 5 of 5:

When to See a Doctor

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  1. If you suspect you have head lice and want to make sure, it may be easier to contact your doctor than trying to look for lice yourself. A doctor can confirm if lice are indeed the problem or figure out what else could be causing your symptoms. They can also provide you with prescribed medication that may work better if over-the-counter lice shampoos aren’t working. [16]
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      Things You’ll Need

      • 2 mirrors
      • A bright light
      • A lice comb or fine comb
      • Disposable gloves
      • A magnifying glass

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      References

      1. ↑ https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/CDPH%20Document%20Library/NitCombingGuide.pdf
      2. ↑ https://www.michigan.gov/emergingdiseases/home/head-lice/diagnosis-testing/401058
      3. ↑ https://www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/conditions/from-insects-animals/Pages/signs-of-lice.aspx
      4. ↑ https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/treatment-tests-and-therapies/no-panic-guide-to-head-lice-treatment
      5. ↑ https://www.seattlechildrens.org/conditions/a-z/lice-head/
      6. ↑ https://www.nationwidechildrens.org/conditions/head-lice
      7. ↑ https://www.nationwidechildrens.org/conditions/head-lice
      8. ↑ https://www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/conditions/from-insects-animals/Pages/signs-of-lice.aspx
      9. ↑ https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/treatment-tests-and-therapies/no-panic-guide-to-head-lice-treatment
      1. ↑ https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/treatment-tests-and-therapies/no-panic-guide-to-head-lice-treatment
      2. ↑ https://www.nationwidechildrens.org/conditions/head-lice
      3. ↑ https://www.nationwidechildrens.org/conditions/head-lice
      4. ↑ https://www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/conditions/from-insects-animals/Pages/signs-of-lice.aspx
      5. ↑ https://www.nationwidechildrens.org/conditions/head-lice
      6. ↑ https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/10824-head-lice
      7. ↑ https://www.seattlechildrens.org/conditions/a-z/lice-head/

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