When your child complains of an itchy scalp, particularly around the ear and along the hairline behind the neck, he or she might have head lice. If you detect small, white-ish nits attached to the hair shaft or head lice crawling between strands of your child’s hair, your child should begin treatment.
Head lice have six legs and are equipped with claws to grasp the hair. The lice are clear in colour when they hatch but turn reddish-brown once they start feeding on the blood of their hosts. If you suspect that you or your child might have lice, check for tiny black spots on bed pillows, sheets or clothing as a sign of an infestation.
These black spots consist of digested blood excreted by a head louse after feeding. Some children may also get small, red bumps and suffer from mild scalp irritation, however, it is possible to have head lice without these symptoms. For an initial detection use a fine tooth comb (like the Controlice® Lice Comb). Comb through the hair onto a tissue to ascertain if any lice or nits (eggs) are present. The magnifying glass supplied with the Controlice® Lice Comb will make this procedure easier.
