Head Lice Resources

headlice January 18th, 2007

Although head lice may be difficult to detect, there are certain things that you should look for which will help you identify them. Mostly its children between the ages of 4-11 that get head lice. If your child falls into that age bracket then it’s a good practice to check heads regularly. We will discuss the symptoms and what head lice look like in the coming paragraphs.

Head lice are grayish in color and can be tricky to spot in someone’s hair because of their small size.  The average size of an adult louse is between 2 to 4 mm. (think sesame seed). While their size makes it difficult to find them, it is also their quick speed that makes it difficult to catch them and comb them out.  They can scamper across your child’s head very rapidly with their six legs. Usually to the untrained eye by the time you think you see something its run to hide in another part of the head.

Head lice are most commonly found around the back of the infested person’s head and behind their ears. These are the warmest, and most humid areas on the head, factors necessary for a louse to survive. Irritation in these areas of the scalp, due to incessant scratching, is a good clue that there is a lice problem. What is troubling is that lice show no signs of preferring a dirtier scalp, which is warmer.  In fact, head lice tend to prefer cleaner scalps.

• Head Lice , What Does Head Lice Look Like