Head Lice at various stages of the Head Lice Life Cycle
Difference between Louse, Nits and Head Lice Eggs
Nits are actually the head lice eggs laid by the female louse. Head lice are tiny wingless parasites that consist of nits, nymphs and adult lice. The nymph is an adolescent who, once hatches from the egg, grows to a louse in a few weeks. The louse is an adult head lice which has reached the maturity to lay eggs (nits).
The adolescent nymph’s behaviour is very similar to the mature louse, whereby it to feeds on blood to survive and doesn’t survive long away from the scalp. However, it cannot reproduce until it reaches adulthood. During the nymphs growing stages it will moult (or shed the shell of its egg) three times before reaching adulthood – usually this take about 20 days.
Nits & Head Lice are Highly Transferable, Usually in Populated Areas.
Hence the “back to school” head lice epidemics. Head lice do not much care whether hair is clean or dirty.
You can only contract nits through direct human contact. This contact can come from hugs and close play. Head lice crawl exceptionally fast and have a firm grip on the hair once in contact; the transfer can happen in an instant.
Treatment is required to remove the louse, nymphs and eggs from the hair and scalp. For the best head lice treatment NitWits recommends All-In-One using key active ingredient Dimeticone which kills the lice through a physical action by coating and either stripping away their waxy coating, causing them to dehydrate OR blocking the opening to their air ways, disrupting their ability to manage water. This will ensure that there is little to no chance nits & lice will become resistant to this treatment type.
An Adult Head Lice, a Louse
