A case of head lice does not mean you’ve been a neglectful parent or that you’re lacking in the hygiene department. It simply means that your child – at school or playing with friends – came into contact with someone with lice.

Head lice are tiny, wingless parasitic insects that live on human hair and feed on small amounts of blood drawn from the scalp.

• Head lice are very small insects called arthropods.
• The proper name for head lice is pediculus humanus capitis, while official name for the medical condition is pediculosis capitis.
• Nits (the eggs of the head louse) are small yellowish-white, oval shaped eggs that are “glued” at an angle near the base of a hair shaft.
• Nits must be laid by live lice. You cannot “catch” nits.
• It takes 7-10 days for a nit to hatch and another 7-10 days for the female to begin laying her own eggs.
• Head lice live for about 30 days on the host and a female louse may lay up to 100 nits.
• Having head lice is very common, especially among children 3 to 12 years of age and although they are an annoyance for parents they are not dangerous and do not spread diseases.  Head lice are very contagious and can spread easily and rapidly.

 

Head Lice Resources

The following information resources have been developed to help you better understand both the condition of and management of head lice for you family.

How do you get head lice?

Head lice crawl very fast, they cannot jump or fly, and they require head to head contact for transmission. The prevalence of had lice in young children is thought to be because of the way social young children play… More on how you can catch head lice

Treating head lice

Humans have lived with lice for for thousands of years. As with any insect, and probably better than most, they learnt to adapt to their environment in order to survive… More on how to treat head lice

Head lice treatments

A search on the internet or visit to your local pharmacy may leave you totally confused about the best head lice treatment for you or your child… More on head lice treatments

Head lice prevention

Head lice are highly contagiousness and we typically see infestations bloom in clusters. A letter home advising of head lice infestation at your school is the perfect time to take defensive action to prevent your bringing home this unwanted guest…More on head lice prevention

Pictures of head lice

Once you have experienced head lice in your family, chances are you will develop a keen interest in what your children are bringing home in their hair… More on pictures of head lice

Bug Busting, Nit Busting and Wet Combing

Not busting, bug busting or wet combing is a method which has been developed for the detection and eradication of head lice that works on the louse’s life cycle…More on bug busting, not busting and wet combing

Head lice FAQ’s

Wild Child is a pioneer in natural and pesticide free head lice treatment. Our Quit Nits head lice treatments are trusted by parents all over the world and our team assists thousands of anxious parents each year…More on frequently asked questions about head lice