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Head lice
Head lice
Lice, head - nits in the hair with close-up
Lice, head - nits in the hair with close-up
Head louse emerging from egg
Head louse emerging from egg
Head louse, male
Head louse, male
Head louse - female
Head louse - female
Head louse infestation - scalp
Head louse infestation - scalp
OverviewSymptomsTreatmentPrevention

Head lice

Alternative Names:
Lice - head; Nits; Pediculosis - head lice; Pediculosis capitis

Symptoms:
  • Intense itching of the scalp
  • Lice on scalp and clothing (these may be difficult to see, unless the infestation is heavy)
  • Eggs (nits) on the hair shaft (these appear as tiny white specks firmly attached to the base of the hair shaft)


Signs and tests:

Examination is sufficient to determine the presence of lice.

Inspect the head of anyone who might have been exposed to lice using a bright light (full sun or the brightest lights in your home during daylight hours work well). A magnifying glass can also help.

Part the hair all the way down to the scalp in very small sections, looking both for moving insects and nits. Inspect the entire head this way. Look closely around the nape of the neck and ears, the most common locations for nits. Treatment is recommended if even one nit is found.

The infestation may be confined to the scalp or may include the surface of the body (body lice), including the groin area (pubic lice).



Review Date: 1/22/2002
Reviewed By: Philip L. Graham III, M.D., Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of New York, Columiba Universit, New York, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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