How do lice look on a child? - briefly
Adult lice are tiny, gray‑white insects about 2–3 mm long that cling to hair shafts close to the scalp and may be seen moving among the strands. Their eggs, called nits, appear as flat, oval, yellow‑brown or white specks firmly attached to the base of each hair.
How do lice look on a child? - in detail
Lice on a child’s head are tiny, wing‑less insects about 2–4 mm long. Their bodies are flattened, oval, and covered with fine, gray‑brown scales that give a dull, silvery sheen. Under magnification the head appears slightly broader than the thorax, and the legs end in claw‑like tarsi that cling tightly to hair shafts.
Key visual markers include:
- Adult insects: Mobile, brown‑gray, resembling small sesame seeds. They move quickly when the scalp is disturbed and may be seen crawling near the hairline, behind the ears, or at the nape of the neck.
- Nits (eggs): Oval, 0.8 mm long, smooth, and firmly attached to the side of a hair strand. Their color progresses from white or pale yellow shortly after being laid to a darker tan as they mature. Nits are positioned within 1 cm of the scalp; older, hatched nits may appear as tiny, translucent shells.
- Egg shells (empty nits): Remain attached after hatching, appearing as tiny, translucent or white “pinheads” that can be mistaken for debris.
- Infestation pattern: Concentrated in areas where hair is dense—behind ears, at the crown, and along the hairline. The scalp may show small, localized redness or irritation where lice bite.
When examining a child, look for:
- Live insects moving on hair shafts or scalp.
- Clusters of nits close to the scalp, often in a row.
- Empty nits that have not yet been removed.
- Signs of scratching or mild irritation.
These characteristics together confirm the presence and stage of a head‑lice infestation on a child.