FAQs
QUESTIONS: Physical Characteristics of Head Lice
What is a head louse?
How big are head lice?
What color are head lice?
What is a nit?
What does a nit look like?
What is a nymph?
How do head lice move?
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Q:
What is a head louse?
- A:
'Lice' is plural for 'louse.' If someone has more than one LOUSE on their head, they have head LICE.
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Q:
How big are head lice?
- A:
Head lice are actually very small. They are about the size of a sesame seed, measuring 1/16 to 1/8 of an inch (~2-3 mm long). Female head lice are slightly larger than males.
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Q:
What color are head lice?
- A:
Head lice are usually a pale gray or brown color, but they can vary depending on the color of the infected person's hair. Nits (eggs) are usually white or yellow but are very difficult to see without proper lighting and a magnifier.
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Q:
What is a nit?
- A:
A nit is the name for a head lice egg. Nits hatch in 7-10 days after the female head louse lays it close to the scalp.
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Q:
What does a nit look like?
- A:
Nits are extremely small measuring 1/32 of an inch (about the size of a pin head). They are oval-shaped, gray to white in color and clear when empty after hatching. Usually, because of the incubation period, nits found more than 1/4 inch from the scalp are not considered viable.
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Q:
What is a nymph?
- A:
A nymph is the name for a newly hatched head louse. A nymph goes through three stages of maturity before becoming an adult head lice in ~9-12 days after hatching.
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Q:
How do head lice move?
- A:
Head lice have 6 legs with special claws adapted for the human hair. These features help them crawl very quickly. They do have wings and cannot NOT fly, jump or hop.
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