Do you think your child has head lice? Have you noticed him scratching his head frequently? Or maybe you’ve heard of an outbreak of head louse at his school? You can probably discover if your son or daughter has head louse by doing an easy evaluation at home.

The simplest way to identify head lice is through identifying their eggs in the hair. Lice eggs are called nits. Head lice will lay these eggs on the hair shaft close to the scalp. This is why a head examination requires looking at the scalp. Before the baby lice hatch, nits look tan, brown, or yellow. Once the nit has hatched, the shell will stay attached to the hair shaft. This is the easiest thing to see, as it is whitish, looking somewhat like dandruff. The main difference between head lice eggs and dandruff is dandruff will easily shake off of the hair shaft, while lice eggs are fused to the shaft.

Sometimes you will be able to notice adult head louse on your child’s hair, particularly if your child’s hair is short. These little beasties are small, the same size as a sesame seed from your hamburger bun, and they tend to possess the same coloring as your child’s hair. A lot of parents grasp their little ones are infected the moment they see the adult lice moving through their kid’s hair.

Head scratching is, without a doubt, another sign of a head lice infestation. But, not all children find head lice to be irritating. Also, scratching their scalp might be an indication of other problems, such as dandruff or eczema. The itching from nits is generally likened to a tickle, or the feeling of something crawling on the scalp.

Children who have sensitive scalps, and spend a lot of time scratching because of the nits will regularly get a rash on their scalp. Head lice rash looks like red bumps at the base of the hair shaft. It may infrequently develop into a more extreme infection that needs antibiotics.

If you suspect your child could be suffering from head lice, part his hair and observe the base of the hair shaft for the nits. Pay particular concern to the areas of scalp around the ears and neck. If you have trouble focusing up close, you may want to use a magnifying glass. Make sure you do the lice checking in bright light. If you can’t see anything, but the itching does not go away, it is time for a trip to the doctor. On the other hand, if there is continual scratching, and you’ve heard of an outbreak at school or day care, you possibly can be sure that the cause is head lice.

To treat head lice you can buy a chemical based shampoo that can eliminate the lice. Make sure you follow the application guide to the letter, because incorrect use will not wipe out all of the lice. You will also need to comb through the hair with a fine tooth comb to remove any nits that are not killed by the shampoo.

When you have cured your child, wash any clothes that are lying around, as lice have the ability to live up to three days out of the hair if they are attached to clothing. Also, boil anything that comes in contact with an infected head, including combs, brushes and bows. It is particularly crucial to wash any bedding. Vacuum all furniture and floors. Then watch carefully for signs of any re-occurrence. If it occurs, start the process again. It can be hard work, but you can get rid of head lice with the proper steps.