23/10/2025
🪮 Head Lice Happen - Here’s How to Spot and Treat Them
Head lice and nits are very common, especially among school-aged children and their families. They’re not caused by dirty hair and are usually spread through head-to-head contact.
👀 Spotting them:
Head lice are tiny insects (up to 3mm long) that can make your head feel itchy. Their eggs (nits) are small, white or brown, and stick to the hair. The only way to be sure is by finding live lice - use a fine-toothed detection comb on wet, conditioned hair to check.
🪮 Getting rid of them:
You can treat head lice without seeing a GP. Try wet combing first: wash, condition, and comb from root to tip - repeating on days 1, 5, 9, and 13. If that doesn’t work, you can buy medicated lotions or sprays from your pharmacy.
There’s no need to keep your child off school or to wash everything on a hot cycle. Just treat everyone affected at the same time to stop the spread.
Find full guidance on the NHS website:
👉 https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/head-lice-and-nits/