How do I know if I still have lice?

Common signs and symptoms of lice include:
  • Intense itching on the scalp, body or in the genital area.
  • A tickling feeling from movement of hair.
  • The presence of lice on your scalp, body, clothing, or pubic or other body hair. ...
  • Lice eggs (nits) on hair shafts. ...
  • Sores on the scalp, neck and shoulders.

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How do I know if my head lice is gone?

Comb dead and any remaining live lice out of the hair using a fine–toothed nit comb. If, after 8–12 hours of treatment, no dead lice are found and lice seem as active as before, the medicine may not be working.

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How long does it take to get rid of lice?

Continue to check hair and use the nit comb to remove nits and lice every 2 to 3 days for 2 to 3 weeks. This process should be done for as long as nits and lice are still found on the head. Many lice medicines recommend a second treatment in 9 to 10 days.

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Is lice gone after one treatment?

No. The two treatments 9 days apart are designed to eliminate all live lice, and any lice that may hatch from eggs that were laid after the first treatment. Many nits are more than ¼ inch from the scalp.

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Can you tell how long you've had lice for?

Infestation timeline

So if you look on the scalp and see no visible adult lice and several small nits, it's likely that you've caught lice in the earlier stages and had them for less than 2 weeks. Nits and nymphs: 1.5 to 2 weeks. If you see nits and small, moving lice, you've likely had lice for 1.5 to 2 weeks.

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How to spot and treat Head lice (nits) | Doctor O'Donovan explains...

44 related questions found

How long will my head itch after lice are gone?

After treatment, your skin may still itch for a week or more. This is because of your body's reaction to the lice.

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Why don't adults get lice?

Adults are not immune to head lice. In fact, if you have any close contact with children or even parents of children you can be at risk of catching them if they have them. Lice transfer primarily through head to head contact, so you would have to get close to the other person.

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Can you use lice shampoo two days in a row?

Repeat treatment every day or every other day for 2 weeks. Some lice eggs (nits) survive head lice treatments. The only way to be sure that lice won't come back is to pick out all nits. Nits left on the hair can hatch and cause a new case of head lice.

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How do you know if nits are dead?

New eggs are attached to the hair shaft very close to the scalp. Eggs that still contain a louse embryo are brownish in color, while the empty egg shells are white to grey.

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How long can lice live on a hairbrush?

Adult lice can't live longer than 24 hours or so on nonhuman surfaces like carpets, hardwood floors, clothing, furniture, sports helmets, headphones, or hair accessories. However, if you have identified lice in your home, isolate and wash those items and areas within at least 72 hours.

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How many lice are usually found on a head?

Typically, 10–15 head lice are found. The number of lice often depends on personal hygiene, for example, how often the person bathes, shampoos, or changes and washes his/her clothing.

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Does shaving get rid of lice?

Shaving Will Not Get Rid of Lice.

The reason shaving will not work is because lice live on the base of the hair, and on the scalp. The nits are laid right at the base of the hair oftentimes against the scalp. Shaving will not get close enough to make an impact on the lice and nits.

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How hard is it to get rid of lice?

Lice can be hard to get rid of. If you still have lice 2 weeks after you started treatment, let your doctor know. Your doctor may want to try a different medication or repeat treatment in case any nits were left behind and hatched after treatment.

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What kills head lice instantly?

Ivermectin (Sklice).

This lotion kills most head lice, even just-hatched lice, with just one use. You don't need to comb out lice eggs (nits). Children ages 6 months and older can use this product.

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Can you have nits but no live lice?

Nits are often confused with other things found in the hair such as dandruff, hair spray droplets, and dirt particles. If no live nymphs or adult lice are seen, and the only nits found are more than ¼-inch from the scalp, the infestation is probably old and no longer active and does not need to be treated.

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Is it possible to have lice but no nits?

To confirm a case of head lice, you need to find live lice. Children can have a few nits without actually having a case of head lice. Usually children have no more than 10 to 20 live lice.

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Do nits stay on pillows?

Lice and nits can live on pillows and sheets. Lice glue their eggs to the hair strands of their host. However, if a piece of hair with an egg falls out while the lice host is sleeping, an egg could end up on pillows or sheets.

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Why can't I use conditioner after lice treatment?

First, wash the hair with a regular shampoo. Then, towel dry it before using the anti-lice creme. Do not use a conditioner or creme rinse after shampooing. Reason: It will interfere with Nix.

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What happens if you overuse lice shampoo?

Parents must be careful not to overuse a prescription drug for treating lice infestations because too much could cause neurological damage, the Food and Drug Administration said yesterday. The drug, lindane, is safe when used as directed, the FDA said.

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Why does my daughter keep getting nits?

There are two reasons for a recurrent lice infestation: The lice treatment you used didn't work. You or someone in your family came in contact with lice again.

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How do girls avoid getting lice?

Prevention & Control
  1. Avoid head-to-head (hair-to-hair) contact during play and other activities at home, school, and elsewhere (sports activities, playground, slumber parties, camp).
  2. Do not share clothing such as hats, scarves, coats, sports uniforms, hair ribbons, or barrettes.
  3. Do not share combs, brushes, or towels.

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What do nits look like on paper towel?

If you see sesame-seed-shaped objects, those are the nits and lice, which can be brown or grey and stand out against the white paper towel. “The nits may look like they have tails that stick out the back,” says Faulkner.

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Why am I still itchy after lice?

Dry Scalp from Lice Treatment

One of the most common sources of your head still itching after lice treatment is from a dry or irritated scalp from treatment. All over-the-counter lice treatments contain a variety of irritants – from chemicals to salt-based compounds – that cause irritation and drying on the scalp.

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Can head lice come back after treatment?

Head lice keep recurring when eggs are missed and left in the hair. Those missed eggs then hatch and you find head lice again. Removing all the eggs is key to stopping head lie recurring.

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Do lice go into ears?

You can find head lice on the scalp, neck, and ears.

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