How Do Head Lice Move?

Most people think that head lice move on hats and clothes, but this is actually not the case. Head lice only move by crawling on human hair. They attach to individual strands of hair close to the scalp. These parasites can also be found on eyelashes and eyebrows. They feed on human blood and often move from hair to hair very quickly.

Although head lice do not transmit disease, they do spread eggs in the hair. Lice eggs are small, grain-sized, and stick to the scalp. When touched, they look like dandruff. However, they aren’t easy to remove with your fingers. To find them, you should use a magnifying glass or bright light.

Lice tend to move and feed more at night, when they are most active. This keeps the affected person up at night and interferes with their quality of sleep. Lice do not typically go away on their own and will continue to breed. One louse can lay as many as 10 eggs per day. This means that if you leave the infestation untreated, the population will explode within two to three weeks.

Head lice are easily transmitted from person to person, including family members. They can be spread via head-to-head contact or through sharing of clothing or personal items. Pets cannot catch head lice.