March 02, 2010
How long does it take for head lice to show up and start itching?
Category: Lice
On Thanksgiving we had a possible exposure to head lice. Came home and scrubbed everyone and everything involved with lice shampoo, etc. I want to make sure we don’t get lice. How long does it take for head itching to start and how long does it take to start being able to see actual nits/lice on my kids’ heads?
2 Responses to “How long does it take for head lice to show up and start itching?”
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March 2nd, 2010 at 12:10 pm
oh ya… been there… (I still have eebe jeebies)
Watch for about two weeks. You can see the nits (looks like white (can be brown)) stuck to the hair easier to see when hair is dry.
The adults (lice) look like wingless flies, almost like aphids.
Check the crown and the base of the neck (we found ours mostly at the top of the head, under the most of the hair) I found these easier to see when combing hair when wet.
As far as itching – my kid didn’t itch – I saw them while combing the hair. When they are adults they move around causing itching.
The eggs hatch about a week or so (even after treatment).
Good luck…
March 2nd, 2010 at 12:23 pm
The hatching of eggs of head lice is 7 days. You can observe nits (eggs) on the hair shaft before the itching starts. Most common place for nits is the fine hairs behind the ears, heading down the back of the neck. Lice are small silvery, flat bugs that can produce millions of eggs quickly. You might have been premature in treating everyone. Unless the children shared hats, hairbrushes, combed each other’s hair, braided each other’s hair, laid on the same pillow, your risk is fairly low. Keep checking for nits/lice and then treat.