Nit Facts

How to get rid of nits and head lice

To understand the best way to eradicate head lice and nits, it helps to know a bit more about them.

Information on nits and nit infestations

  • The scientific name for a head louse is ‘pediculus humanus capitis’.
  • A head louse infestation is sometimes referred to as ‘pediculosis’.
  • Head lice are tiny (2-4mm long) wingless brown hair parasites that live in the hair and on the head of humans, feeding on blood that they suck from the scalp.
  • Head lice are highly contagious and are easily spread through head-to-head contact.
  • Head lice cannot survive for long away from a host as they need regular blood meals.
  • The head louse lifecycle lasts approximately 30 days, during which the louse passes through three stages:
    • Eggs: Often called nits
      photo of nits in hair
      An adult female louse will lay approximately six or seven grey head lice eggs (nits) a day which she cements firmly to the base of the hair shaft with a very strong glue-like substance. They live close to your head where it is warm.
    • Nymphs:
      After seven days, an immature hair louse (nymph) will emerge from the egg (nit); the empty nit remains glued in position.
    • Adult lice:
      photo of a head louse
      After shedding their skin (moulting) three times, head lice nymphs become sexually mature adults; this normally takes 10 to 14 days. Within a day of becoming adult hair lice, male and female lice will start to reproduce – and numbers can grow at an alarming rate if left untreated. Very soon hundreds of lice can be living in your hair laying nits every day.

Nit-Nurse
Effective, naturally

Nits and head lice can be treated with Nit-Nurse. (Buy here).

The key to treating a lice infestation – and preventing re-infestation to get rid of nits – is to break the lifecycle.

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I was so worried that the nits would come back. But with Nit-Nurse I was so relieved that I did not have to do all that cleaning again

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Nitty News and Updates

Top tips for knocking lice dead: The human head louse affects around 20 million people each year...

Natures head lice remedy: Parents will often reach for a popular over-the-counter treatment...

The welcome return of the "Nit Nurse": Parents used to rely on the school nurse – or ‘nit nurse’ – to check...

How to get rid of nits: Parents with school age kids will need to know how to get rid of nits...

For some more information, videos on nits in hair and other common kids conditions visit Embarrassing Bodies

Research from the Department of Dermatology, Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital reports that there is now strong evidence of insecticide resistance established in many countries to such an extent that some of these insecticide based chemicals have become obsolete in the treatment of nits and head lice. This may be a reason more and more parents are choosing natural non-toxic solutions such as Nit Nurse. Read more here...
Managing head lice in an era of increasing resistance to insecticides.