Head lice are small, parasitic insects that live mainly on the scalp and neck of their human host. They are capable of moving from head to head, thus no one is immune. Head lice live by biting the scalp and sucking the blood. The head lice life cycle has three stages: nit, nymph and adult.

Q. What is a nit?

Nits are head lice eggs that are barely visible and are firmly glued to the base of the hair shaft. They appear oval and generally brown to yellow in color. They take about 7 to 10 days to hatch. The empty egg casings are white in color and resemble dandruff.

Q. What is a nymph?

Nymphs are immature lice. The nit hatches into baby head lice called a nymph. It looks like an adult head louse, but it is smaller in size. Nymphs mature into adults about 7 days after hatching. To live, the nymph must feed on blood.

Q. What are adult head lice?

Adult head lice are about the size of a sesame seed, has six legs, and is brown to grayish-white. In persons with dark hair, adult head lice will look darker. Female head lice, usually larger than males, lay nits. Adult head lice can live up to 30 days on a person's head. To live, adult lice need to feed on blood. If the louse falls off a person, it dies within 2 days.

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Click here to read about common myths about head lice.