Head Lice

Head lice are very common, especially in children. They're tiny insects that live in hair and can make your scalp feel itchy. Don't worry - head lice are not dangerous and don't spread disease.

What Are Head Lice?

Head lice are small insects, about 3mm long (smaller than your little fingernail). They live close to your scalp where it's warm. Head lice lay eggs called nits, which look like tiny brown or white specks stuck firmly to hair strands.

Important: Head lice are NOT caused by dirty hair. Anyone can get them, no matter how clean their hair is.

How Do You Get Head Lice?

Head lice spread through head-to-head contact. This means when heads touch directly - like when children play together, hug, or share pillows during sleepovers. Head lice cannot jump or fly.

Signs You Might Have Head Lice

The main sign is an itchy scalp. However, the only way to be sure someone has head lice is by finding live lice in their hair.

To check for head lice:

• Use a special fine-toothed comb (called a detection comb)
• Buy these from pharmacies or online
• Comb carefully through damp hair from roots to ends

How to Get Rid of Head Lice

If you find head lice, start treatment straight away. Check everyone in your household and treat anyone who has lice on the same day.

Good news: Your child doesn't need to stay off school because of head lice.

Wet Combing Method

This is often the first treatment to try:

1. Wash hair with ordinary shampoo
2. Apply lots of conditioner (any type works)
3. Use the detection comb to comb all hair from roots to ends
4. This takes about 10 minutes for short hair, 20-30 minutes for long or curly hair
5. Comb through everything twice

Repeat wet combing on days 1, 5, 9, and 13. Check everyone is lice-free on day 17.

Medicated Treatments

If wet combing doesn't work, you can buy medicated lotions or sprays from:

• Pharmacies
• Supermarkets
• Online

These treatments kill head lice within about a day. Some need repeating after a week. Always read the instructions on the pack carefully.

What Doesn't Work

Don't waste money on these treatments - they don't work well:

• Products containing permethrin
• Head lice "repellent" products
• Electric combs
• Tea tree oil, eucalus oil, or lavender oil
• Herbal treatments

Can You Prevent Head Lice?

Unfortunately, there's no way to completely prevent head lice. However, you can catch them early by regularly checking your family's hair with a detection comb.

Don't use medicated treatments to try preventing head lice - they can irritate your scalp.

When to Get Help

If medicated treatments from the pharmacy don't work after following instructions properly, speak to your pharmacist about other options. If you're still having problems, speak to your GP for further advice.

Remember, head lice are very common and nothing to be embarrassed about. With the right treatment, they can be cleared up effectively.

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Based on NHS.uk guidance. Written by Dr Krishnan Pasupathi, NHS GP.