Head Lice

Head lice are tiny, greyish brown, wingless insects that live on the scalp, feeding on human blood. They lay eggs that stick to strands of hair very close to the scalp. Once the egg hatches, the empty case left behind is called a nit. Head lice are hard to see because they are tiny and move around on the head. Eggs are very small, about one-third (1/3) the size of a sesame seed and take 9 to 10 days to hatch. The nits are easier to see and are found further down the hair shaft. Both eggs and nits may look like dandruff, but they cannot be easily removed because they are sticky. Head lice do not cause illness or spread disease. However, they can be irritating because they cause discomfort and spread easily from person to person.

Anyone can get head lice. Having head lice does not mean a person has poor personal hygiene or lives in an unclean environment. Anyone who has hair can get head lice.

Head lice are commonly spread among children and adults who have close head-to-head contact. Head lice cannot jump or fly from 1 person to another. They are most commonly spread through head-to-head contact by crawling from one hair to another. There is a very small chance of head lice spreading indirectly though shared pillowcases, hair accessories, brushes and combs.

See the attached information from Vancouver Coastal Health on what to do if someone has head lice.