Nits and lice - what you need to know

Gary Mason from Coop Pharmacy, Walsall is here to help with all things head lice. He tells us what they are, how to recognise them, and how to treat them.

"Head lice are common particularly in children and catching them can be hard to prevent. I hope that after reading this and watching our short video below you’ll know that they aren’t dangerous and they can usually be treated in no time at all."

What are head lice and nits?

There is a difference between head lice and nits. Nits are the eggs and lice are the small insects that live on the hair.

Head lice feed on blood and spend their whole lives on a human scalp. A person who has lice will often feel itchy and uncomfortable until they are treated. You may also see bites across their skin, especially if they have long hair that covers their neck.

What causes head lice?

Head lice and nits are very common in young children. They are usually caught by coming into contact with a person who has head lice. It’s also possible to catch lice by sharing headwear, clothes, or bedding, but this is less likely. 

Having long hair doesn’t put you more at risk from catching head lice, and they can live in both dirty and clean hair.

What are the risks of having head lice?

Having head lice can be uncomfortable but they don’t tend to pose a danger to your body, particularly in Europe where they aren’t known to spread diseases. 

Most people with head lice will be itchy and may have trouble sleeping. While head lice aren’t physically dangerous, having them can be distressing. A child at school might find it particularly difficult, because of how friends and classmates are prone to react.

Gary's top 3 head lice tips

1. Don’t keep your child off school if they have nits. Once they are treated, the lice should die within a day. 

2. If you don’t want to treat the lice with chemicals, you can use a special fine-toothed comb to remove them. You will usually need to comb wet, conditioned hair from the roots to the ends several times over two weeks.

3. Ignore treatments like electric combs, head lice “repellent”, products that contain permethrin, or tree and plant oil treatments. They aren’t likely to work.

How do you treat head lice?

The NHS recommends medicated lotion or spray to treat head lice, and most treatments will come with a comb to remove dead lice and eggs. 

Sometimes the treatment needs to be repeated. If sprays and lotions don’t clear all of the head lice, you can come and talk to someone at your Coop Pharmacy to discuss what to do next. We’re always happy to help where we can.

Click here to see Coop Pharmacy's range of reliable head lice treatments.