“How do I check my child for head lice?”
I think my 4 year old son has head lice. How do I check my child for head lice?
4 Answers
Dr. Bin S. Sung
Pediatrician
Look for either live lice or the eggs like a size of sesame seed about < 1 inch away from the scalp.
Visioal inspection
There are two things we look for when examining for head lice: 1) the lice themselves. They are about the size of a sesame seed. Wear thin rubber gloves and carefully push the hairs apart one area at a time and see if any are crawling. 2) The "nits" or eggs. These are small spherical white things attached to the hair close to the base. Dandruff or dead skin will shake
off easily, but the nits are stuck.
off easily, but the nits are stuck.
Look for any moving bugs especially at the edge if the hair at the neck. You can also see nits which are lice eggs on the hair shaft, The scalp is usually very itchy
