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Head lice - Management
What else might it be?
- Itching
- Psychogenic itch on hearing that there are head lice within the school.
- Other itchy scalp conditions, such as eczema.
- Successfully treated head lice infestation but with persisting itch; itch can persist from days to weeks after successful eradication.
- Nits
- Nits can be confused with:
- Seborrhoeic scales.
- Hair muffs (secretions from the hair follicle that are wrapped round the hair shaft).
- Hair spray.
- Nits can be distinguished from seborrhoeic scales, hair muffs, and hair spray by brushing the hair:
- Nits stick firmly to the hair even after vigorous brushing.
- Seborrhoeic scales, hair muffs, and hair spray can be brushed off.
- Lice
- Head lice might be confused with pubic lice (Phthirus pubis) or body lice (Pediculus humanus), but can be distinguished by the location where they are found.
- Head lice are found on the head. In cases of heavy infestation they may fall off onto the upper clothes.
- Pubic lice are found in pubic hair and other coarse hair, such as eyebrows, eyelashes, axillary hair, moustaches, and beards. Pubic lice can also be found around the scalp margins, particularly if the hair is widely spaced (for example in redheads, bald people, and infants).
- Body lice are found on clothes, although they feed on the body.
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