They are small insects around 3mm long and they can be difficult to spot in your hair.
Head lice eggs (also known as nits) can either be brown or white and are attached to the hair.
But did you know they are not caused by dirty hair? They are picked up by head-to-head contact.
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How to get rid of head lice
If you are wondering what you should do if you or your family members have head lice, there are a few steps you can take, including numerous treatments to get rid of them for good.
The NHS advises you should treat head lice as soon as you spot them.
The good news is you can treat head lice without seeing a GP.
“Check everyone you live with, or have close contact with, and start treating anyone who has head lice on the same day,” the NHS adds.
“There’s no need to keep your child off school if they have head lice. You do not need to wash your laundry on a hot wash.”
Wet combing
One way you can remove head lice and nits is by wet combing, according to the NHS.
You can buy a special fine-toothed comb either online or from pharmacies.
To use them, you usually:
- wash hair with ordinary shampoo
- apply lots of conditioner (any conditioner will do)
- comb the whole head of hair, using the detection comb, from the roots to the ends
The NHS says: “When you’ve finished combing the hair, comb through all the hair again for a second time.
“Do wet combing on days 1, 5, 9 and 13 to catch any newly hatched head lice. Check again that everyone’s hair is free of lice on day 17.”
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Medicated lotions and sprays
Another way you can try and remove head lice and nits is by a medicated lotion or spray, especially if wet combing hasn’t worked.
When using these treatments (which you can buy from pharmacies, supermarkets or online), head lice should die within a day, reports the NHS.
However, some treatments may need to be repeated after a week to kill any newly hatched lice.
The NHS continues: “Check the pack to see if they’re OK for you or your child to use, and how to use them.
“If lotions or sprays do not work, speak to a pharmacist about other treatments.”
How much water should you drink daily?
If you need to buy any head lice treatments, Pharmacy2U offers a variety of products – find out more here.
Can head lice jump?
If you’re wondering how head lice travels from head to head, the insects don’t have wings and they can’t jump.
Instead, they crawl from one head to another.
Can head lice live in pillows?
“Head lice can crawl off the hair and sit on the pillow, but it will look to crawl back onto someone’s head as soon as possible,” explains The HairForce.
“Head lice cannot live on or in the pillow itself as they need to feed on human blood to survive.”
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Unfortunately, if you’re wondering how to prevent head lice, you can’t.
But the NHS says: “You can help stop them spreading by wet combing regularly, using a detection comb, to catch them early.
“Do not use medicated lotions and sprays to prevent head lice. They can irritate the scalp.”
