Check all areas of your child's scalp, especially at the nape of the neck and around the ears; these are favorite spots for lice. Also look for lice feces, that look like tiny black specks on your child's scalp. If you see black specks, care- fully examine the rest of the head for live lice.
Although lice and their nits are small, you can see them with the naked eye. They can be white, brown, or dark gray. You're more likely to find them in the hair at the back of your neck or behind your ears. The nits are round or oval specks that are tightly stuck to hairs near the scalp.
Adult Head Lice: When lice reach adulthood, their color darkens in response to their environment. Those with blonde or light brown hair are more likely to have tan or light brown adult lice. Darker Head Lice: You'll typically find dark gray to black lice for those with black hair or dark skin.
The black dots are due to remnant of the upper part of the hair root, which remains adherent to the hair-follicle ostium. Hair powder, also known as hair dust, on the other hand, is caused by complete destruction of the hair shaft, leaving a 'sprinkled hair residue' [1].
Black dots correspond to remnants of hair shafts in the follicular ostia and cannot be removed mechanically. They are usually associated with other forms of broken hairs. The second trichoscopic finding is hair dye; if hair is improperly washed, dye can deposit on the scalp and may even penetrate the follicular ostia.
Head lice eggs (nits) are brown or white (empty shells) and attached to the hair.
Answer from a Lice Expert:
Yes, lice bugs can be black.
Booklice, sometimes known as psocids, are not actual lice. These tiny insects resemble lice in appearance, but they don't consume blood. Instead, they live on mold and fungi. In terms of appearance, they can be translucent white, gray, or brown, and are often confused for adult bed bugs.
Dandruff, hair casts, globules of hair spray, and scalp conditions such as psoriasis or eczema may easily be mistaken for nits.
Lice are a six legged insect that can be white, brown, or black. They are a very small insect, but can still be seen from the naked eye.
Dead nits are often black in colour and are found well away from the scalp. Nits are laid on the hair shaft within 1cm of the scalp and take about 7-10 days to hatch into head lice.
applying a lice treatment or home remedy, such as coconut oil. moving a louse comb through the hair in sections to remove head lice and their eggs. rinsing out any excess product from the hair using a shower head or running tap. checking anyone else in the house for head lice to prevent further spreading.
Brown-black nits are eggs that haven't hatched into lice yet. White nits are eggs that have already hatched.
Look for nits attached to the hair near the scalp. They can look like dandruff or dirt. To tell them apart, pull on the little speck with your fingers — dandruff and dirt can be removed, but nits stay stuck. A magnifying glass and a bright light can help with your inspection.
If nits are yellow, tan, or brown, it means the lice haven't hatched yet. If the nits are white or clear, the lice have hatched and just the egg remains. Lice eggs hatch within 1 to 2 weeks after they're laid.
Size: Bed bugs tend to be bigger than lice, measuring about a quarter of an inch in length. In contrast, lice are smaller than an eighth of an inch long. Coloration is an important differentiator since bed bugs are brownish-red or mahogany colored, while lice are somewhat light whitish or gray in color.
Carpet mites
They might be black/brown and have black and white spots. These mites prefer animal fibers and leather and are frequently found in carpets. Carpet mites on your windowsills might be from curtains, neighboring furniture, or a new item that was already infected.
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.
Appearance. Head lice have six legs and are usually grayish-white or tan. However, they can camouflage, so they may appear darker or lighter to match different hair colors.
Adult lice and nymphs (baby lice) are grayish white or tan in color. If you look at an adult louse (see lice pictures), you may be able to see its abdomen filled with the red human blood it has been feeding on. Lice eggs (called nits) look like tiny yellow, tan or brown dots before they hatch.
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.
A dead lice egg will be white or grey. As they are empty, they will be flat and dry.
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.
Looking closely, you will see white or yellow flakes coming from the scalp; these flakes then fall off easily. Seborrheic dermatitis can also affect other areas of the body, but is most commonly found on the scalp. 3 While lice look black or brown, dandruff will appear white or yellow.