Key Takeaways

  • Finding nits, even without seeing live lice, suggests past or present lice that should be treated promptly to prevent the nits from hatching and spreading.
  • To stop a lice infestation, use OTC treatments, wet-combing, or smothering oils, and thoroughly clean your home by washing bedding and vacuuming.
  • After treatment, continue to comb your hair regularly. If nits and lice persist, or if they seem to multiply, try another OTC solution or consult a doctor.

It’s never nice to find nits in your or your child’s hair, but it can be especially confusing when you see the eggs without finding lice.

Nits are lice eggs, so the presence of them in hair suggests that a louse has been there at some point, and it may still be there, as they can be hard to find. However, it is possible that the louse has laid eggs and crawled to another head or fallen out when you brushed your hair.

In the best-case scenario, you could also be mistaking nits for dandruff. They appear similar and are typically found near the scalp. The key difference is that dandruff will pull out more easily, while nits stick to the hair.

Let’s look at the differences between lice and nits, and what to do if you have only nits in your hair.

Nits are eggs laid by lice. They are extremely tiny and may resemble dandruff.

If you see nits, even if you don’t see any lice, you want to act quickly before they hatch into nymphs, which typically takes 6 to 9 days.

Here’s the life cycle of a nit.

Nits

Nits are small white or yellowish-white specks that are usually found close to the scalp, around and behind the ears, and at the nape of the neck.

Nymphs

Nymphs are newly hatched lice. They are a yellow or tan color and are very small.

Lice

Lice are adult wingless insects. They crawl instead of jumping or flying. They’re larger than nymphs but still small, at about the size of a sesame seed.

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Illustration by Maya Chastain

Symptoms of lice include itchiness on the scalp and the sensation of something crawling on your head, but if you just have nits, there may not be any symptoms.

If you are going through your hair and you find nits but no live louse or lice, which will generally be moving, you may be tempted to simply pick out the nits and hope that you get them all before they hatch.

Treat with lice medication

Once you find nits or lice, you’ll want to treat the infestation as soon as possible to prevent it from getting worse or spreading to others.

It’s possible that nits are left behind from a previous infestation and are no longer viable, which means they are dead and won’t hatch, but it’s difficult to tell the difference, so you should still treat any nits you find, even if there are no lice.

There are over-the-counter (OTC) lice treatments that are effective at getting rid of lice, including Rid and Nix. If lice return or the nits do not go away, a doctor may prescribe lotions such as Sklice and Ulesfia.

Use a nit comb

Using a nit comb can be an effective way to remove nits and lice. The combs have very fine teeth, which enable nits and lice to become trapped. You can do this on wet or dry hair.

Wet-combing lice can be time consuming, but it can work well — and more effectively compared with dry combing — if you saturate the hair with conditioner. This makes the lice and nits more visible. Work through the hair in very small sections to ensure thoroughness.

Though dry-combing can be faster — and may even make it easier to spot lice — the process causes static electricity, which can cause lice to move quickly.

You can also try smothering the scalp and hair in oils to suffocate lice.

Wash everything

There’s no need to fumigate if you have lice, but you will want to clean your home.

  • Wash and dry all bedding at the hottest temperature the fabric can handle.
  • Vacuum areas where lice may have fallen.
  • If you have something that is not machine washable, seal it in a plastic bag for 2 weeks, says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

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If lice eggs are still there after you’ve undergone treatment, continue combing your hair with a nit comb every 2 to 3 days for the next 3 weeks, according to the CDC.

Additionally, for some medications, re-treatment is recommended routinely after the first treatment. Follow the manufacturer’s directions if you find more nits after initial treatment.

If you feel like the nits are multiplying or that you just can’t get them all out, it’s time to see a doctor or try an OTC lice eliminator, if you haven’t already.

It’s not uncommon to find nits in your hair without live lice, and if you find only nits, you should still treat your hair as if you have lice.

Use OTC treatments, avoid close contact with other people, and refrain from sharing hats or brushes until you no longer see nits or lice in your hair.