Head Lice Screening

How to tell if you have lice

Head lice can be difficult to spot, even when the head is closely inspected. They’re very small grey-brown insects that range from the size of a pinhead to the size of a sesame seed.

Many people believe that the most common symptom of any type of lice is itching, but that is only true for half of the people affected. Lice bites cause an allergic reaction that causes an itchy feeling. However, you may not notice any symptoms for up to three weeks the first time you get lice.

The only way to be sure someone has head lice is to find a live louse or nit by combing their hair with a special fine-toothed comb.  This is the absolute first step we take to determine if an infestation is present before treating.

Get your child’s hair wet in order to slow the lice down. Use a fine-toothed comb to part your child’s hair, then shine a bright light onto their scalp. If your child has lice, you’ll notice small, brown insects the size of sesame seeds moving around or nits that look like they’re cemented on to individual hairs.