What does lice look like?

Head lice are parasitic insects generally found on the scalps and hair of human hosts. Female adult lice lay their eggs (called nits) at the base of the hairs nearest the scalp. These nits take about 1 week to hatch into baby lice, also called nymphs. A nymph looks the same as an adult louse, only smaller. It takes the nymph just 10 days to become and adult, where it will then live for around 30 days.

Lice rely on human blood to survive. If a louse is unable to feed, it will die within 2 days. Lice cannot jump or fly but are transferred by head to head contact or from contact with the item of an infected person, such as a hat, jumper, brush or towel.

Lice are quite hard to see and can even change color to match the hair of their host. They have six legs with a hook-like claw at the end of each, which they use to hold on to the hair. People of all ages are susceptible to lice, however children between the ages of 3-10 are most at risk. Girls are more likely to contract lice due to the fact that they generally have longer hair, which it is easier to get infested.

Some people may have very few or no symptoms, however most will have some of the following:

• A feeling as though something is moving in your hair
• An itchy scalp
• Nits found attached to the base of hair strands
• Red sores on the scalp that can become infected from constant scratching
• Irritability

The treatment of head lice is very quick and easy. You can get natural head lice treatment solutions at almost any chemist or pharmacy. Generally it's just a matter of massaging the lotion into the scalp and leaving it for a set period of time before washing it out and combing the hair thoroughly. Try to avoid any chemical treatments as these can often have adverse side effects on children's scalps.