Do Head Lice Cause Hair to Fall Out?

Do head lice cause hair to fall out? These parasitic creatures live on your scalp and feed on your blood. They tend to stay close to your scalp, but they can also be found on your eyelashes and eyebrows. Female lice lay six to eight eggs a day, which stick to your hair. They then hatch after nine days, and their larvae feed on your scalp blood. If you do not treat your infestation quickly, your hair may fall out.

The first step is to inspect your child’s hair for lice. During this inspection, make sure to use a wet comb to help you spot lice. If you do spot lice, you can use a bright light and fine-toothed comb to remove them. The lice are much easier to remove when they are wet, but you may have to comb your hair several times.

Once you have identified the source of the infestation, you can treat the head lice at home using a dimethicone-based lice removal oil. In most cases, this oil can eliminate the lice within the night. It is also a safe alternative to using insecticides. However, severe infestations may lead to hair loss.

Adult head lice are 2 to 3 millimeters long and are grayish-white in color, but can be lighter or darker. They have six legs and claws, which allows them to latch onto hair. Adult lice live for 30 days when attached to the scalp, but die after just a few days if they fall off.