Head lice are common, especially among children, and identifying live lice eggs, known as nits, is an important step in managing an infestation. These tiny parasites attach their eggs to hair shafts, making detection crucial for effective treatment. Understanding what live nits look like helps distinguish them from other common hair debris, ensuring appropriate action can be taken. The ability to correctly identify these eggs is often more straightforward than finding the fast-moving adult lice themselves.
Key Characteristics of Live Lice Eggs
Live lice eggs are small, comparable in size to a grain of sand or a knot in a piece of thread, measuring about 0.8 mm by 0.3 mm. Their shape is oval or teardrop-like. The color of live nits can vary, appearing as translucent, yellowish-white, beige, or pale brown. Darker colors can indicate they are closer to hatching.
A feature of a live nit is its firm attachment to the hair shaft. Female lice lay these eggs at an angle, using a glue-like substance to cement the nit to the hair, making it resistant to being easily flicked, brushed, or washed off. This secure attachment is an indicator, as live nits cannot be simply dislodged by shaking the hair. A developing louse might be visible inside a live nit, giving it a full or plump appearance.
Differentiating Live Nits from Other Hair Debris
Distinguishing live nits from other particles in the hair is important for accurate identification. Dead or empty nits, which are the casings left after a louse has hatched, are whiter or more opaque and may appear crushed. As hair grows, these empty casings move further down the hair shaft, often found more than a quarter inch from the scalp, indicating they are no longer viable.
Dandruff flakes are a source of confusion, but they differ significantly from nits. Dandruff is irregular in shape, white or yellowish, and consists of skin flakes that are easily brushed or flicked off the hair and scalp. In contrast, nits are oval or teardrop-shaped and remain firmly attached to the hair shaft. Hair product residue, such as from hairspray or gel, may resemble nits, but they are sticky, inconsistent in form, and can be easily removed or dissolved with water. Dirt or lint are loose and not firmly glued to the hair shaft, unlike nits, which require effort to remove.
Where to Find Live Nits
Live nits are found very close to the scalp, within a quarter inch (6 millimeters) from the skin. This proximity is necessary because the warmth from the scalp is necessary for the eggs to incubate and hatch. The most common areas for female lice to lay their eggs are in warmer spots on the head. These hotspots include the hair behind the ears, at the nape of the neck, and along the hairline.
To search for live nits, use good lighting, such as natural daylight or a bright lamp. A fine-toothed comb, often called a nit comb, is also a tool for separating small sections of hair and carefully examining the hair shafts from root to tip. Wetting the hair can make the process of combing and spotting nits easier.