Head lice don't care what the condition of hair is. They are only interested in food, warmth and shelter. Unwashed hair will contain more debris and many head lice egg cases and shed skins but that only makes the situation appear worse than it is.

No. Head lice are not selective. They don't care if hair is long, short, blonde, brown, washed this morning or last week. As long as they are warm, and have blood to drink, then they are content.

Head lice don't have a preference over clean or dirty hair. Their main concerns are food, shelter and keeping warm. When it comes to head lice, the only difference between clean and dirty hair is that when hair is dirty, it'll have more egg casings, shed skins and other debris which makes the infestation seem worse than it really is. So far there is no evidence that treated hair affects head lice in any way, including preventing infestations.

No, all children are equally at risk of acquiring head lice. Transmission occurs very easily through contact from one infected child to another. Being clean does not prevent infection. (BACK)

Nit: Nits are head lice eggs. They are hard to see and are often confused for dandruff or hair spray droplets. Nits are found firmly attached to the hair shaft. They are oval and usually yellow to white. Nits take about 1 week to hatch. Nymph: The nit hatches into a baby louse called a nymph. It looks like an adult head louse, but is smaller. Nymphs mature into adults about 7 days after hatching. To live, the nymph must feed on blood.

Head Lice are tiny brown insects about the size of a sesame seed. Visible Nits are tiny, whitish ovals. They are firmly glued to the hair shaft, most often near the scalp. Nits may be mistaken for dandruff but unlike dandruff, nits cannot be brushed off or removed by normal shampooing and washing.

Visual inspection is a very poor way to check for head lice. In a study from Israel diagnosis of louse infestation using a louse comb was found to be four times more efficient than direct visual examination and twice as fast. The direct visual examination technique underestimates active infestation and detects past, non-active infestations.

Head lice CRAWL very fast and require head to head contact for transmission. It is possible that because of the way young children play, head lice are seen more widely amongst primary school children than adolescents or adults.

No absolutely not, it's more to do with skin chemistry. Some heads are just nice places to be if you are a head louse. If your child's head is an attractive head they will be plagued while their brother, sister or even twin may never have a visitor.

According to the National Association of School Nurses, children found with live head lice should be referred to parents for treatment. Data does not support school exclusion for nits (lice eggs). Because head lice do not cause illness or disease, schools are not advised to exclude students when nits remain after appropriate lice treatment, although further monitoring for signs of re-infestation is appropriate. Information from the Vermont Department of Health: http://www.state.vt.

Anyone can get head lice--it has nothing to do with cleanliness or poor hygiene. Head lice are common among school-age children, particularly those in elementary schools. Head lice are transferred from one person to another through close physical contact or from sharing items like hats, combs, brushes, headphones, etc.