How to Spot Head Lice: What to Look for at the Root of the Hair

Head lice—just the phrase alone can make your scalp start to itch. But if you or someone in your household might be dealing with these tiny pests, it’s important to know exactly what to look for and where.

What Are Head Lice?

Head lice are tiny, wingless insects that live on the human scalp and feed on small amounts of blood. While they don’t spread disease, they are highly contagious and cause itching and discomfort.

But spotting head lice isn’t always straightforward, especially if you’re not sure what signs to look for. Many people confuse dandruff, dirt, or hair product residue with lice. The key is understanding where lice like to live—and what they actually look like.

Where to Look: Right at the Root

Head lice like warmth, and they stay close to the scalp to feed. You’ll usually find them right at the root of the hair. This is their favorite hiding spot because it’s warm and gives them easy access to their food source.

What Do Lice and Their Eggs Look Like?

One of the first things you’ll probably spot are nits, which are the eggs laid by adult lice. Nits are small, teardrop-shaped, and they’re often mistaken for dandruff. But here’s how you can tell the difference:

• Color: Nits are usually a brownish or tan color, not white like dandruff flakes.
• Location: You’ll find them glued to the base of the hair shaft, about ¼ inch from the scalp.
• Texture: Unlike dandruff or lint, which will flake off easily, nits are stuck firmly in place.

This brings us to one of the most important (and frustrating) features of nits: the glue.

The Glue That Holds On Tight

Head lice eggs are cemented to the hair shaft with a special kind of glue secreted by the female louse. This glue is incredibly strong—water-resistant and tough to break down with regular shampoo. That’s why nits don’t wash out easily and often require a special nit comb and plenty of patience to remove.

This glue is what makes lice infestations tricky to get rid of, because even after the lice are gone, the eggs may remain stuck until they are manually combed out.

What to Do If You Suspect Head Lice

If you think you or your child might have lice, don’t panic. Here’s what you can do:

1. Check the scalp in natural light, focusing on the roots near the nape and behind the ears.
2. Use a fine-tooth lice comb to go section by section through the hair.
3. Look for live lice (which move) and nits (which do not).

Final Thoughts

Catching a lice infestation early makes a big difference. By knowing what to look for—brown, teardrop-shaped nits stuck at the root of the hair—and understanding the role of the strong glue that keeps them there, you’ll be better equipped to spot and treat the problem before it spreads.