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.
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. Good lighting is important when you are checking. Head lice move fast and are hard to see.
If you spot nits, but do not see any lice, it is possible that they are hiding and scurrying from the light as you search the hair and scalp; they can move quite quickly! Focus your search to their preferred hideouts, behind the ears and at the nape of the neck.
Lice Eggs are Tiny. Female lice lay 6-10 lice eggs a day, so it's pretty uncommon for there to not be any lice eggs in the hair. More common is that people just don't see them. Lice eggs are tiny, the size of a poppyseed.
While lice are contagious, eggs aren't contagious. What do we mean? You cannot transfer a nit to someone else and neither can they contaminate your hair with nits. However, professional lice removers warn against hatched nits.
Nits take about 1 week to hatch (range 6 to 9 days). Viable eggs are usually located within 6 mm of the scalp. ) and become adults about 7 days after hatching.
After each treatment, checking the hair and combing with a nit comb to remove nits and lice every 2–3 days may decrease the chance of self–reinfestation. Continue to check for 2–3 weeks to be sure all lice and nits are gone.
If they are full then they will be plump and shiny. What does a dead lice egg look like? A dead lice egg will be white or grey. As they are empty, they will be flat and dry.
If you do not comb out all the remaining nits, they will hatch and restart the cycle in 7-10 days from that point. That's why we recommend 3 treatments over a 12-day period of time. This stops the life cycle of lice. These are nits at different stages and a louse.
Head lice survive less than one or two days if they fall off the scalp and cannot feed. Head lice eggs (nits) cannot hatch and usually die within a week if they do not remain under ideal conditions of heat and humidity similar to those found close to the human scalp.
New research shows that if conditions are right, the eggs, called nits, can sit dormant during treatment, only to pop later and reinfest the scalp. A third application may be necessary after 14 days to eliminate any slow-hatching nits, they say.
Head lice are tiny insects that live in hair. Nits are the empty egg cases attached to hair that head lice hatch from. Head lice are a common problem, particularly in school children aged 4 to 11.
How many head lice are usually found on an infested person? 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.
How long does head lice last? With effective treatment, head lice will completely go away after two to three weeks. The duration is dependent on how many lice made a home in your hair. Make sure you follow the instructions on your medicated shampoo, lotion or cream to get rid of lice quickly.
After Treating with Lice Medicine
Use the nit comb to remove dead lice and nits. If some are still present but moving slowly, do not shampoo again. If lice are still active and no dead lice are found, call your health care provider. These lice may be resistant to the medicine.
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.
A preventative shampoo and spray can break the life cycle. A shampoo that kills lice before they can lay eggs is critical for closing the “bridge” from one head to another.
Lice Life Cycle
Once the lice have spread to the person's head, the female louse will start to lay their nits or eggs; an infestation has begun. The first nymphs, or baby lice, will appear 7-10 days later. Nymphs will continue to eat and grow over the next 7-10 days.
Head lice have no wings and do not fly or jump, but they can crawl or run through hair quickly. Most commonly, head lice are spread by direct head-to-head contact with an infested person.
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.