Where Do You Catch Head Lice From?

You can catch head lice from many places, including other people’s hair, personal items, and even the air. The best way to avoid getting head lice is to keep your personal items away from other people. Clothing and other inanimate objects can pass on the bacteria that the lice need to survive.

To avoid getting head lice, you should clean pillowcases and hats frequently. However, disinfecting the house is not necessary. Lice eggs are oval-shaped and stick to the base of hair. Once attached, the egg produces a nymph, which is grey-white and has three stages before it becomes an adult. Adult lice are tan and move quickly through the hair and scalp.

The most common place to get head lice is through head-to-head contact with an infested person. This is the easiest way to get the infection, but it can also spread through clothing and personal items that are shared by two people. Lice cannot survive more than two days away from a human body.

Adult lice are grayish-white or tan in color, about the size of a sesame seed. They feed on the blood in the scalp and feed several times a day. When they are attached to your hair, they live about 30 days, and can survive for up to two days off your scalp.