What do lice eggs look? - briefly
Lice eggs are tiny, oval‑shaped structures about 0.8 mm in length, white to yellowish in color, and firmly glued to the hair shaft close to the scalp. They appear as small, translucent beads that can be mistaken for dandruff.
What do lice eggs look? - in detail
Lice eggs, commonly called nits, are tiny, oval‑shaped capsules attached firmly to the hair shaft near the scalp. Each capsule measures about 0.8 mm in length and 0.3 mm in width, making it barely visible to the naked eye without close inspection. The shell is smooth, slightly translucent, and often appears white, ivory, or a faint yellow hue; color may darken as the embryo develops. The surface of the capsule is glossy, lacking the ridges or texture seen on hair debris. A single nit is affixed by a cement‑like secretion that hardens within minutes, securing the egg to the hair at an angle of roughly 30–45 degrees from the shaft. This attachment point is typically within ¼ inch of the scalp, where temperature supports embryonic development.
Key visual characteristics:
- Size: approximately 0.8 mm × 0.3 mm.
- Shape: oval, slightly elongated, resembling a teardrop.
- Color: white to pale yellow, becoming more opaque with age.
- Surface: smooth, glossy, without visible pores.
- Attachment: cemented to hair shaft close to scalp, angled outward.
- Position: clustered near the base of hair strands, often in groups of 2–3.
Differentiation from hair debris: nits remain stationary for the duration of the incubation period (7–10 days), whereas dandruff flakes are lighter, irregularly shaped, and easily dislodged. The cement that secures nits is resistant to washing, requiring mechanical removal or specialized treatment.