What do pubic lice eggs look like? - briefly
Pubic lice eggs, known as nits, are tiny (about 0.8 mm), oval, and appear white, gray, or tan, firmly glued to the base of hair shafts. They are often mistaken for dandruff but remain attached until the larvae hatch.
What do pubic lice eggs look like? - in detail
Pubic lice (Pthirus pubis) lay oval‑shaped eggs, commonly called nits, that measure approximately 0.8 mm in length and 0.3 mm in width. The shells are translucent to whitish, often appearing pale yellow when freshly deposited and turning darker brown as the embryo develops. Each nit is attached to a single hair shaft near the base by a robust, cement‑like substance that resists removal; the attachment point is visible as a small, glossy dome at the end of the egg.
The eggs are arranged in a linear fashion along the hair, typically spaced 0.5–1 mm apart. Because the cement anchors the nit firmly, it remains in place even when the hair is brushed or washed. The embryonic development inside the shell creates a faint, darker spot that becomes more pronounced in the final days before hatching, allowing differentiation from empty shells.
Key visual characteristics:
- Oval, elongated shape with a slightly pointed tip.
- Size: less than 1 mm, comparable to a grain of sand.
- Color progression: clear → pale yellow → amber → dark brown.
- Cemented attachment at the hair shaft base, forming a visible dome.
- Linear distribution along affected hair, often in the pubic region but also on coarse body hair.
These features distinguish louse eggs from dandruff, hair casts, or fungal spores, which lack the cemented attachment and have different sizes, shapes, and coloration.