Nits - Tips for Nit Removal

Often people will use the word "nits" to describe head lice (pediculosis). Nits are actually the eggs of the head louse. So, if somebody has "nits" it means they will have both head lice (adult louse) and nits (eggs).

Signs of nits:

Many people with head lice & nits have no symptoms at all. But common symptoms include;

• Itchiness
• You may see either head lice or nits in the hair. Nits are oval shaped cream coloured when first laid, but darken as the louse develops. They can be seen stuck to the hair shaft, usually around 1cm from the scalp. They are around half the size of a pin head. The egg casing will remain on the hair once the louse has hatched & you may notice them further down the hair shaft as the hair grows.
• Common areas for nits to be found are the hair above the nape of the neck & the hair above the ears.

Removing nits:

Nits can be difficult to remove as they are glued to the hair shaft. Spraying the hair with a mixture of 50% water, 50% white vinegar can help to loosen the glue attaching the nit to the hair shaft. There are also commercial preparations available from your chemist which can be used to loosen the glue.

Spray the hair with water/vinegar mix or commercial nit preparation (following the manufacturers instructions), put on a shower cap and leave for 20-30 minutes. There are a multitude of lice/nit combs on the market, but not all are good for removing both head lice & nits.

The comb must be fine enough to be able to pull out nits, a regular comb just will not do the job. The best one I have used (in Australia) is known as the Lice Breaker comb. I am sure there are similar looking products available in other locations. I found the plastic combs okay for removing the head lice, but not the nits. Another alternative is to use a pet flea comb.