How to Spot and Treat Head Lice in Children

Originally written as 'Head Lice' in November 2014 — Updated for clarity and reflection in 2026.

Recently both of my boys had head lice. William managed six years without a single case, which I'm sure was a benefit to him being home schooled, then James started a new nursery term and brought home a full colony. He passed them straight to his brother. Parenting is glamorous.

I wanted to write something clear and practical for anyone who has ever wondered how to spot head lice, what nits look like, or how to treat head lice in children without losing your mind. Most parents deal with them at some point, so it helps to know what you are looking for.

Facts

[Image 2. The different stages of head lice, from tiny nymphs to fully grown adults.]

Head lice, often called nits, are tiny insects that live in human hair. They are no bigger than a sesame seed and range from light brown to dark brown. They sometimes look red after feeding. Female lice lay eggs in sacs that stick firmly to individual hairs. These eggs hatch after seven to ten days. Newly hatched lice can lay their own eggs within a week.

Lice crawl from head to head by gripping hair with their claws. They do not fly or jump. It is rare to catch them from pillows or towels. The challenge is that they are incredibly hard to see. Many parents only notice them once a child starts itching. Most advice suggests checking hair every seven to ten days.

My experience

I did not notice the boys had them at first. I do not do weekly inspections. Life as a single dad with two children under five was busy and I knew I would become obsessive if I checked constantly. I only realised something was wrong when both boys kept scratching.

[Image 3. A playful illustration showing someone shaking out their hair.]

Once I looked closely, I found several lice. The best places to check are the fringe, behind the ears and the crown. These areas had the highest concentration for both boys. A full inspection is still important.

I went to the pharmacy and bought an anti‑lice treatment. Pharmacists are helpful because some products have age restrictions. Mine stated it should not be used on children under two.

I applied the treatment as instructed, waited the recommended time and used a metal‑toothed comb to remove the dead lice and any eggs. The solution I bought killed the adults but not every egg, so the comb was essential.

[Image 4. A close‑up of a fine‑toothed comb used for removing lice and nits]

A few things I learned

Brush your child’s hair before applying the treatment. Remove as many knots as possible. I made the mistake of skipping this step and the comb pulled painfully through tangled hair. Brush again after the treatment and before using the fine comb.

Wash the product out and follow the instructions carefully. Then check the hair again. It helps you see whether you missed anything.

Repeat the process for every member of the household.

Most advice says lice cannot survive on bedding because they need to feed. This is true. I still washed the boys’ pillows and sheets on a high setting. Eggs take seven to ten days to hatch. If any had fallen onto the bedding, I wanted to remove the risk of them returning to the hair.

Check again after five days. If eggs remain, they will hatch within another five to seven days and you will need to repeat the treatment.

My final courtesy is simple. Inform the place where your child caught the lice. It prevents the cycle from starting again.

Hope this helps.

2026 Reflection

Reading this back, I can see how young the boys were and how young I was as a parent. Head lice felt like a crisis at the time. I was tired, overwhelmed and still learning how to trust my own judgement. This simple post ended up becoming one of my most read pieces. It led to the Hedrin review and the Head Lice FAQ, which are still searched for today. I never expected a conversation about nits to become the start of a whole strand of writing on children’s health, which in turn led me to discuss my own health.

So much came after this. I wrote about William’s rare mouth condition, James’ early stammer, the long ASD assessments for Will and James, and the ADHD journey that followed. I wrote about the Talk PANTS conversations and the difficult post on self harm in children and sex education. I even wrote about the boys being tested for FSHD, before we realised it was misdiagnosed. All of those posts came from the same instinct that sits underneath this one. I wanted to help other parents feel less alone and discuss the health issues no one else was discussing.

This post reminds me that even the unglamorous moments matter. They were the foundation for everything that came next.

If you want to read more about our family life and health, click here.