We came across a helpful article from Lice Troopers, who treat lice professionally. Parents know what it’s like when your kid has lice and suddenly you feel like your head itches constantly. “Is it in my mind? Or do I actually have lice?” You might think. Well, we found a simple 5 step process to check yourself for lice and discover the answer once and for all!
The 3 Species of Lice
Lice Troopers reminds us that lice come in 3 forms:
- Head lice
- Body Lice
- Pubic Lice
You’ll encounter head lice the most often. Luckily, they don’t spread disease. But, they do have a nasty habit of sticking around for a while.
Body lice may be more dangerous since they do carry diseases, but they’re also harder to contract. Linked to poor hygiene, they affect homeless populations most often. Living in clothes or sheets, body lice don’t stay on your body, coming & going to feed.
Head lice, on the other hand, make their home in your hair. This means that you can’t get rid of them by simply washing your clothes, or even by washing your hair. Their infestations last long, and they’re notoriously difficult to get rid of.
Similar to head lice, pubic lice carry no disease. They attach to coarse hair like pubic hair, beard hair, or even eyelashes. But, unlike with head lice, most don’t have qualms with shaving the areas where this type of hair grows. Because of this, a pubic lice infestation comes with a simpler fix.
We focus on head lice, because these are the most common. But be sure it’s head lice you’re suspecting and not one of these other two before you check.
Symptoms of Head Lice
- Itchiness
- Light red bumps on the head/neck
- Possibly infected sores
- Lice eggs, or nits, stuck to your hair
- Poor sleep & a bad mood
Before You Start—Getting Prepared
You’ll need a few things before getting started:
- A comb
- A bright light
- A mirror
- Conditioner
- Water
The 5 Steps
Step 1: Set up in a room with good lighting.
Whether you choose a room with natural lighting or a bright ceiling lamp, make sure it’s well lit. If you can’t access a place like this, get a flashlight for some additional light.
Step 2: Wet your hair, apply conditioner, & part it into halves.
Now that you’ve got your lighting set up, wet your hair. Do this however is most convenient to you. You may apply conditioner to make it easier to part, but this part is optional. Begin parting your hair into halves. This step allows for a more thorough inspection.
Step 3: Use a mirror to check behind your ears and at the nape of your neck.
According to Lice Troopers, lice are attracted to warm areas, so it’s more likely you’ll find lice and nits in such areas. Grab your mirror and check behind your ears. They also recommend using two mirrors to see better and not miss any possible blind spots.
Step 4: Shake your head to make sure you’ve seen nits and not just dandruff.
If you think you’ve found nits, confirm that you haven’t just seen some harmless dandruff. Tug on the nit. Then, shake your hair. If the white spots move or drift away, you simply have dandruff. Otherwise, if they remain attached, you’ve likely found nits.
Step 5: Take a look at the base of your neck.
Lastly, grab your mirror and use it to look at the base of your neck. You may also do this by turning in front of your bathroom mirror and looking into your handheld mirror to get a visual of your neck. If you see bites or small, moving parasites, you have lice! Now that you’ve confirmed this, it’s time to move on to removing them.
For professional intervention and assured removal, consider a lice removal service such as Lice Troopers.
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