How to Identify Lice in Children and Adults

"What does head lice look like?", is one of those questions every parent asks. Unfortunately, head lice is one of those common annoyances at every school. Discovering head lice quickly will reduce the spread of lice in school and at home.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Comb
• Tweezers
• Magnifying Glass

1. With a comb or chopsticks, go through your child's hair carefully pulling back just a small group of hair at a time.

2. Look for anything that looks white, light beige or cream colored. Dandruff can look like head lice at first sight so do not get worried just yet.
   
   However, that being said, if your child has never had dandruff before, your child may have nits, which are actually head lice eggs that look just like dandruff. These are difficult to pull off with a tweezer or your fingers, unlike dandruff.

3. Is there any bleeding or scabbing on the scalp? A baby louse or baby lice needs blood to survive. These baby lice are also called nymphs. Nymphs will mature to adult lice in 7 days.
   
   Do not forget to check behind the ears for any signs of blood or lice.

4. Does what you are looking at look like a sesame seed? Adult lice look as big as a sesame seed until viewed up close with a magnifying glass. Some people may not need a magnifying glass to notice that this speck is actually a louse (one adult lice).

5. Remember, head lice is not life threatening. At most, it is annoying and itchy. Be sure to contact your school if you find lice. They will give you the information you need on treating lice and will spread the word to other parents that there is an incident of lice in the classroom.