Can Head Lice Crawl on Your Body?

Head lice are a common problem for children. They are spread by direct head-to-head contact, and through sharing clothing and personal items. While the risk of contracting head lice from another person is very small, it is important to keep personal belongings away from public areas. It is also important to wash your clothes regularly.

Diagnosing head lice infestation requires the presence of live lice on the scalp. You may need a magnifying glass or fine-tooth comb to locate them. The presence of nits attached to the base of hair shafts is another sign of head lice. If the nits are outside of the base of the hair shafts, they are already hatched.

Adult head lice are a tan or grayish-white color. They are approximately 2 millimeters long. Their legs have claws, and they can latch on to your hair. While they normally stay on your scalp, they can also live on your eyelashes and eyebrows.

To kill head lice, you must remove nits from your hair and wash your bedding and clothing thoroughly. Then, dry the items in a dryer with a temperature of 130deg F.