Head lice: What you need to know

They pass from other people’s hair and can be picked up by head-to-head or close contact. Head lice can’t live away from hair for long, so it’s unlikely you’ll catch them from pillows or towels.

They are not caused by dirty hair and the lice can’t jump or fly.

What are the signs of head lice?

Head lice can make hair feel itchy, but it’s possible to not feel any symptoms.

The only way to be sure someone has head lice is by finding live lice in their hair.

Head lice are small insects that grow up to 3mm long, so they can be quite difficult to spot in hair. The hair at back of the neck and around the ears is a good place to look first. 

You can make finding them easier by combing wet hair with a special fine-toothed comb (known as a detection comb). These are available to buy online or at pharmacies.

Here’s what headlice can look like in hair:

Head lice eggs (known as nits) are brown or white and attached to the hair: 

How can I get rid of head lice?

You should treat head lice as soon as you spot them. You don’t have to see a GP. 

Check everyone you live with, or have close contact with, and start treating anyone who has head lice on the same day. There’s no need to check your pets as they can’t get head lice. 

There’s no need to keep your child off school if they have head lice and you do not need to wash your laundry on a hot wash.  

It’s a good idea to speak to your child’s teachers or the parents and carers of friends and classmates so they can check for head lice too.  

Read below about some of the ways to treat headlice. 

Wet combing

You can buy a special fine-toothed comb (detection comb) online or from pharmacies to remove head lice and nits. 

There may be instructions on the pack, but usually you: 

• wash hair with ordinary shampoo 

• apply lots of conditioner 

• comb the whole head of hair, using the detection comb, from the roots to the ends 

It usually takes about 10 minutes to comb short hair, and 20 to 30 minutes for long, frizzy or curly hair.  

When you’ve finished combing the hair, comb through all the hair again for a second time. 

Do wet combing on days 1, 5, 9 and 13 to catch any newly hatched head lice. Check again that everyone’s hair is free of lice on day 17. 

Medicated lotions and sprays

If wet combing has not worked, you could try a medicated lotion or spray. These kill head lice in all types of hair, and you can buy them from pharmacies, supermarkets or online. 

Head lice should die within a day. Some lotions and sprays come with a comb to remove dead lice and eggs too. 

Some treatments need to be repeated after a week to kill any newly hatched lice. 

Check the packaging for instructions and to make sure they’re suitable for you or your child to use. You can ask a pharmacist if you’re not sure. 

If lotions or sprays don’t work, speak to a pharmacist about other treatments. 

Treatments that are not recommended for head lice

Some treatments are not recommended because they’re unlikely to work. 

For example: 

• products containing permethrin 

• head lice “repellents” 

• electric combs for head lice 

• hair straighteners 

• plant oil treatments, such as tea tree oil, eucalyptus oil and lavender oil herbal remedies 

There is no way to prevent head lice. Using medicated combs and sprays to try and prevent head lice will not work and can irritate the scalp. 

If you think your child might have been exposed to head lice, comb regularly using a detection comb to catch them early. 

You can also read our article written for kids about head lice here.