Lice facts

Head Lice Facts Every Parent Should Know

Here are some of the things you should know about lice. Understanding how they live and spread is the first step to stopping them. Please note that all data are approximate.

Head lice basics

Small, fast and very productive

200egg output per female
24hsurvival away from host
9″/minadult mobility
30dtotal life span
Head lice life cycle Egg incubation 7 to 14 days, three nymphal stages of 3 to 4 days each, adults live about 20 days; total life span about 30 days. ~30 days total life span Egg (nit)7–14 days1st nymph3–4 days2nd nymph3–4 days3rd nymph3–4 daysAdult~20 days

Life cycle of head lice

From nit to adult in 7–10 days

Nymph stages

First
3–4 days
Second
3–4 days
Third
3–4 days

Laying eggs

Adult female to gravid (pregnant)
0.5–2 days
Hatched egg to adult
7–10 days
Adult longevity (female & male)
20 days

Size & life span

Easy to miss, hard to ignore

Female2.4–3.3 mm
Male2.1–2.6 mm
Nit0.08 mm

Egg incubation period: 7–14 days. Total life span: 30 days.

Itching

No itch doesn't mean no lice

Itching of the scalp is due to an allergic reaction to the lice saliva in the person's bloodstream. At first infestation, this allergic reaction happens only after 4–6 weeks. That is why we encourage all family members to be checked even if they don't itch.

4–6wkbefore itching starts on a first infestation
100%of the household should be checked

Prevention

4 keys to becoming lice-free

Hover or tap each key for the tip.

FAQ

Lice questions

Itching is an allergic reaction to lice saliva. On a first infestation it can take 4–6 weeks to appear, so someone can have lice without itching at all. That's why we encourage every family member to be checked.

Head lice survive roughly 6–24 hours away from a host. Adult lice move about 9 inches per minute, which is why they spread so easily through close contact.

Follow the 4 keys: comb weekly with a metal nit comb, keep long hair up in buns or braids, use mint spray daily to repel lice, and tell anyone who may have been exposed.

No. After just one treatment you're no longer contagious and ready to get back to school, work, or even that long-overdue haircut.

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It happens. Let's get you lice-free today.

One treatment and you're no longer contagious. Two follow-up visits over the next two weeks are included.