Hairdressers are often the first to identify
Under the Public Health and Wellbeing Regulations 2009 there is no Regulation preventing a person with head lice or their eggs from using or attending a hairdressing salon. People get head lice from direct hair to hair contact with another person who has head lice.
Can someone have nits but no lice? It may be possible to have nits but no lice. If a person cannot find any nymphs or adult lice in the scalp and the nits are more than a quarter of an inch from the scalp, these may be dead and from an old infestation. However, the lice could be in hiding.
Head lice are tiny insects that live on the scalp, where they lay eggs. Head lice do not spread disease. It's not your fault if you or your child has head lice. Having head lice does not mean you are not clean.
Look for lice crawling on the scalp where the hair is parted or on the hair shaft. The lice will be dark in color and the size of a poppyseed. Look for nits near hair follicle about ¼ inch from scalp. Nits (eggs) will be white or yellowish-brown.
Treating Close Contacts:
If lice or nits are seen, they also should be treated. Use the anti-lice shampoo on them as well. Also, anyone with an itchy scalp rash should be treated. Bedmates of children with lice should also be treated.
Lice are most often spread by head-to-head contact with another person who has lice, such as sleeping in the same bed. Although they do not survive long away from a human host, lice may also be spread by wearing another person's hat or clothing, or by using another person's comb, brush, or bedding.
How soon do symptoms appear after exposure? Some people may not have symptoms, particularly with the first infestation or when the infestation is light. It may take 4-6 weeks for itching to appear the first time a person has head lice.
Yes — as answered in question #1, informing other adults of children who have close contact (neighbors, sleepover friends, sports team friends, classmates, scouts etc.) will promote their early identification and treatment of lice too, and prevent the continued re-infestation of your own child and others.
What you can do is examine the area behind your ears in the mirror, because this is where head lice will lay their eggs. You might find a live lice or you might see nits on your hair.
You Have to Treat Them
Head lice will not go away on their own. If you think your child has an infestation, there are several steps you should take right away. Call your doctor to confirm the diagnosis. Notify your child's day care or school so other students can be checked.
Avoid head-to-head (hair-to-hair) contact during play and other activities at home, school, and elsewhere (sports activities, playground, slumber parties, camp). Do not share clothing such as hats, scarves, coats, sports uniforms, hair ribbons, or barrettes. Do not share combs, brushes, or towels.
If you leave head lice untreated, the symptoms of lice infestation will worsen. The lice will continue to feed on the scalp, spreading from person to person, and the itching and discomfort will become more severe. As the lice population grows, so will the amount of eggs they lay, raising the risk of reinfestation.
Can head lice live on pillows or sheets? Head lice cannot live for long on pillows or sheets. It is possible for a live louse that has come off a person's head to crawl onto another human host who also puts their head on the same pillows or sheets.
While there usually is more concern and discussion of lice infesting children than adults, without a doubt people of any age can become hosts for lice.
One of the first signs of head lice is an itchy scalp. But it is possible to have head lice without any symptoms. If you think your child has head lice, check his hair for nits right away, then again after 1 week and after 2 weeks.
Just like with mattresses, lice can only live on any bedding—whether it's sheets, pillows, or comforters—for 1-2 days. Without a human scalp as a source for food (blood) for longer than 1-2 days, lice cannot survive.
Run your fingers along the hair shaft to see if you can easily move the suspected nit. If it truly is a nit it will not slip or fall off the hair shaft. If it does move, it most likely is not a nit as nits need to be pulled off the hair shaft with your finger nails or a good lice comb. They are difficult to remove.
Girls are more likely to get head lice than boys, possibly because of their play styles and sharing of personal items. People with long or short hair can contract head lice. Although all races can get head lice, studies show that children of African-American descent are less likely to become infested.
Heat Method:
There are recent studies that show that treatment of lice with heat can be quite effective in killing head lice. Products such as Lousebuster are very effective but even a home hairdryer can successfully treat lice.
More than 90% of lice cases comes from head-to-head or hair-to-hair contact. You get lice when your head touches someone else's head that is contagious. This happens through hugs, sharing pillows, talking pictures or selfies. Anytime hair touches hair you are at risk for getting lice if that person has lice.