What Does Lice Look Like? How to Identify Head Lice and Nits

Knowing what lice look like helps you catch an infestation early. Head lice are tiny insects that live on the scalp and feed on blood. They are common in children ages 3 to 11 and spread through head-to-head contact.

What Do Adult Lice Look Like?

Adult head lice are about the size of a sesame seed, roughly 2 to 3 millimeters long. They are tan to grayish-white in color. After feeding, they may appear darker or reddish. Lice have six legs and move by crawling. They cannot jump or fly.

Adult lice are most often found behind the ears and at the back of the neck. You may need a magnifying glass to see them clearly since they move quickly and avoid light.

What Do Lice Eggs Look Like?

Lice eggs are called nits. They are tiny oval-shaped specks about the size of a grain of salt. Before hatching, nits appear yellow, tan, or brown. After hatching, the empty shells look white or clear.

Nits are glued firmly to the hair shaft, very close to the scalp. Unlike dandruff, nits cannot be easily brushed or blown away. They are found within 1/4 inch of the scalp and take about 8 to 9 days to hatch.

How to Tell If You Have Lice

Itching is the most common sign of head lice. This happens because of an allergic reaction to louse bites. However, itching may not start for 4 to 6 weeks with a first infestation. Some people never itch at all.

Other signs include a crawling feeling on the scalp, red bumps on the scalp or neck, and trouble sleeping since lice are most active at night. Check for nits behind the ears and at the hairline near the neck.

How Do You Get Lice?

Lice spread mainly through direct head-to-head contact. This often happens during play, sports, or sleepovers. Less commonly, lice can spread by sharing combs, brushes, hats, or headphones.

Having lice does not mean you are dirty. Lice do not spread disease and are not a health hazard. Pets cannot spread head lice. Lice will die within two days if they fall off a person.

How to Check for Lice

Wet the hair and sit under bright light. Apply conditioner to help the comb glide through. Use a fine-tooth lice comb and go through small sections from the scalp outward. Wipe the comb on a white paper towel after each pass to spot lice or nits.

Nits are easier to find than adult lice because they stay attached to the hair and do not move. If you find nits more than 1/4 inch from the scalp, they are likely empty shells or dead eggs.