It may be possible to have nits but no lice. If a person cannot find any nymphs or adult lice in the scalp and the nits are more than a quarter of an inch from the scalp, these may be dead and from an old
It is very likely to have nits and no lice in the very early stages of an infestation. It is also possible to have leftover nits from a prior infestation. Those would be old and not viable but with no real way to tell the difference to new nits.
Don't Obsess Over Nits
Nits and their shells may remain in the hair for some time but won't be viable. Many prescription head lice treatments target nits along with adult head lice. If you used a product like this, no combing is necessary unless you can't wait to get rid of the dead shells.
Dandruff, hair casts, globules of hair spray, and scalp conditions such as psoriasis or eczema may easily be mistaken for nits.
The nit is laid by the female near the base of the hair shaft and usually takes about 8-9 days to hatch. Viable eggs are usually located within 6 mm of the scalp. A nymph is an immature louse which matures into an adult in about 7-12 days after hatching. A nymph must feed on blood to survive.
While a study in Georgia (14) found that having five or more nits within 0.6 cm of the scalp was a risk factor for becoming infested with active lice, this occurred in fewer than 32% of such children (14). For children with fewer than five nits close to the scalp, only 7% became actively infested.
Head lice eggs
A live egg will 'pop' when squashed between fingernails. Dead eggs have crumpled sides and hatched eggs look like tiny boiled eggs with their tops cut off. To optimise treatment remove as many eggs as possible.
This is a tactile hallucination known as formication. People with this condition are convinced the bugs are real, even with reassurance from others they are a hallucination. This makes formication difficult to treat for the person and their medical provider.
The most common causes of an itchy scalp are dandruff or a condition called seborrheic dermatitis. Dandruff shows up as loose flakes on the scalp and in the hair, which are often easy to see. Seborrheic dermatitis is an inflammatory condition often caused by an overgrowth of yeast.
Combing wet hair with a fine-toothed nit comb may remove lice and some nits. Studies show that wet-combing results vary. Start by wetting the hair and lubricating it with hair conditioner or olive oil. Comb the entire head from the scalp to the end of the hair at least twice during a session.
They are very small and will be a dark golden-brown colour if they are about to hatch or are white if the louse has already hatched and left the egg. If they are full then they will be plump and shiny. What does a dead lice egg look like? A dead lice egg will be white or grey.
As with furniture and carpets, adult lice typically live for around 2 days on pillows and sheets without human contact. Nits will not hatch and will die within a week. People should machine wash any pillows or sheets someone with lice has used in hot water of more than 130°F (54.4°C) .
Head lice usually look grayish-white or tan in color, though they can camouflage. Adult lice are around the same size as a sesame seed. Lice eggs may look like tiny ovals on the hair shaft. Head lice are tiny parasites that live on the human head and feed on blood from the scalp.
Finding eggs (nits) without lice does not necessarily mean that there is an active infestation; nits can be found for months after lice are treated. Because lice lay eggs at the base of the hair shaft, the identification of nits within ¼ inch of the scalp suggests (but does not confirm) an active infestation.
Lice eggs (nits).
Unless a child has many head lice, it's more common to see nits in the hair than live lice crawling on the scalp. Lice eggs hatch 1–2 weeks after they're laid. After hatching, the remaining shell looks white or clear and stays attached to the hair shaft.
Things often mistaken for nits include: Dandruff. Residue from hair products. Bead of dead hair tissue on a hair shaft.
If nits are yellow, tan, or brown, it means the lice haven't hatched yet. If the nits are white or clear, the lice have hatched and just the egg remains.
Research suggests that bed linen, hats, clothing and furniture do not harbour or transmit lice or nits and that there is no benefit in washing them as a treatment option. Nits and lice only live on the human head. They quickly dehydrate and die if removed from the head.
There are two reasons for a recurrent lice infestation: The lice treatment you used didn't work. You or someone in your family came in contact with lice again.