If you are having any symptoms or have any questions, please call 811 to speak with a registered nurse 24 hours a day.

OVERVIEW

What are head lice?

Head lice are small wingless insects (bugs) that can get on your hair and scalp. Lice are parasites, which means that they feed on very small amounts of your blood. Lice bites may cause constant scratching and lead to skin irritation or even infection.

SYMPTOMS

What are the signs of head lice?

Because lice move very fast, they are not always easy to see. Here’s what you can watch for:

• Frequent scratching or itching
• The feeling something is moving in your hair.
• Small red bumps or sores on the scalp, neck, and shoulders
• Lice eggs, also called nits, which look like tiny, oval shaped, white or clear dots. Nits usually stick at an angle (45 degrees) on hair shafts.

If you think someone in your family has head lice, it’s probably best to check everyone in the family.

CAUSES & RISK FACTORS

Anyone can get head lice, but they are more common among school-aged children. Head lice spread more easily among children 3 years to 12 years of age because they share their belongings more often than adults and play closely together.

It’s not true that people get head lice because they’re dirty. Head lice are very contagious. No matter how many times you or your child takes a shower or washes their hair, it’s still possible to get head lice from head-to-head contact with someone who is already infested with lice. You can also get head lice if you share hats, towels, pillows, combs, or brushes with someone who has head lice.

DIAGNOSIS

In most cases, you should be able to diagnose head lice yourself. Finding a live nymph (young) or adult louse on the scalp or hair is enough for a positive diagnosis of head lice.

If you find only nits (eggs) attached to hair, chances are still fairly strong that there is a lice infestation. However, if the nits are positioned more than ¼ inch from the base of the hair shaft, they most likely are dead and will not hatch. If you see these nits and no live bugs, you no longer have active head lice.

PREVENTION

Can head lice be prevented or avoided?

It may be difficult to prevent head lice from spreading among children, but the following are some steps you can take to help keep lice away:

• Ask your child not to share combs, brushes, or hair decorations.
• Ask your child not to try on hats that belong to other children.
• If your child will be sleeping away from home, be sure to pack their own pillow and towels.

TREATMENT

Head lice can be treated with over-the-counter Over-the-counter shampoos and lotions containing pyrethrin (one brand name: R&C shampoo + conditioner) or permethrin (brand name: Nix, or Kwellada-P) are commonly used to treat head lice.

Shampoos and lotions that kill head lice contain pesticides and other chemicals, so it is important to contact your healthcare provider or pharmacist before using these products, especially if you are pregnant or nursing, or if you have allergies or asthma. It is also not safe to use products with pesticides on or near your eyes. If you find head lice or nits in eyelashes or brows, contact your healthcare provider.

The products that kill head lice don’t usually kill all nits. To reduce the risk of another lice infestation, pick the remaining lice and nits by hand or by using a special comb (one brand name: LiceMeister comb) to remove them. Using the lice treatment a second time may be recommended 7-10 days after initial treatment.  Continue daily lice combing between the first and second treatments. Remove any nits that are present.

You should also use hot water to wash any bed linens, towels and clothing recently worn by the person who had head lice. Vacuum anything that can’t be washed such as the couch, carpets, your child’s car seat and any stuffed animals.

Because head lice don’t live very long away from the scalp, you don’t need to use lice spray on these items.

Living with head lice

The good news is that you don’t have to live with head lice for long, although it may feel like a long time. It may take a few treatments and a few weeks to get rid of them completely.

Head lice can’t jump or fly. Only the direct contact with an infested person or their contaminated items can spread lice. Encourage your young and school-aged children to take the precautions listed above to avoid future cases of head lice.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Nova Scotia Department of Health and Wellness

https://www.nshealth.ca/sites/default/files/documents/pamphlets/07135.pdf

Government of PEI Website

https://www.princeedwardisland.ca/en/publication/preventing-and-treating-head-lice