How can you tell the difference between dandruff and lice?

Question

It looks like my brother has it but we can't tell because it is spread throught his hair. Doesn't lice usualy stick to the scalp?

Also, if you straiten hair would the heat get rid of the lice?

Also, if you straiten hair would the heat get rid of the lice? It's about 230 degrees.

Answer 1

Dandruff is due to the excessive shedding of dead skin cells from the scalp while Head lice are small wingless insects (bugs) that can get on your hair and scalp. Lice are parasites that feed on very small amounts of your blood. Lice bites may cause constant scratching, and lead to skin irritation or even infection.

Can head lice be prevented?

It may be difficult to prevent head lice from spreading among children, but the following are some steps you can take to help keep lice away:

* Ask your child not to share combs, brushes or hair decorations.
* Ask your child not to try on hats that belong to other children.
* If your child will be sleeping away from home, be sure to pack his or her own pillow and towels.

What are the signs of head lice?

Because lice move very fast, they are not always easy to see. Here's what you can watch for:

* Frequent scratching
* Small red bumps or sores on the scalp, neck and shoulders
* Lice eggs, also called nits, which look like tiny, oval shaped, white or clear dots. Nits usually stick at an angle on hair shafts.

How can I treat head lice?

Head lice can be treated with over-the-counter or prescription products. Shampoos and lotions that kill head lice contain pesticides and other chemicals, so it is important to talk to your doctor before using these products, especially if you are pregnant or nursing, or if you have allergies or asthma. It is also not safe to use products with pesticides on or near your eyes. If you find head lice or nits in eyelashes or brows, talk to your doctor.

The products that kill head lice don't usually kill all nits. To reduce the risk of another lice infestation, pick the remaining lice and nits by hand or by using a special comb (one brand name: LiceMeister comb) to remove them. Comb through all of the hair one section at a time every 3 days or more often, for at least 2 weeks or until you stop seeing head lice and nits.

Answer 2

To find out if u have lice firstly wet ur hair and apply a generous amount of conditioner. Then use a fine toothed comb and go through ur whole head over a light coloured sheet. Do the same with you daughter, as one egg can mean a head full of lice in under a weeks time. Also it really doesn't matter if the hair is clean or not the lice will still live in the hair. (Its just they find it easier to move around clean hair). Dandruff can make your head itchy and that's an issue on its own! Head lice may not be your problem! (still best to check tho!) A decent shampoo such as T-gel (stronger ones can be prescribed by your doctor if necessary), should help your scalp. Good luck! : p

Answer 3

Dandruff is normally dry white flaky bits of scalp, it brushes away easily. Lice are little creepy crawly bugs, that lay eggs (nits) in your hair. Normally they lay their eggs near the scalp, tiny tear drop shaped nits attached securely to the hair. They won't just brush away easily, they stick like glue, hard to remove. They cause uncontrollable itching. The lice will attach their nits to any part of the hair, not just close to the scalp, you have to look closely. If it is lice you need to treat the hair with lice shampoo, follow directions on box, and then all the nits need to get picked out. Some people find it easier to totally buzz cut their boys hair instead of picking nits hour after hour. You will have to totally clean everything in your house, you may have bugs in your furniture and other belongings. It's a real pain but it has to be done.

Answer 4

The difference between lice and dandruff is dandruff is white flakes from a dry scalp. You can try using Head & Shoulders shampoo to eliminate the problem, however, lice are small bugs that stick to your scalp, yes, you're correct. But lice can be picked out of the hair, and you can try snapping it between your thumbnails. If it snaps, then it is lice. Lice sticks to the scalp and hair, and dandruff falls out easily if you ruffle the hair.

Answer 5

Lice sorta looks like fleas after they hatch. The eggs are white and round and stick to the hairshaft. Lice lay their eggs on hairstrands not the scalp. If it looks flat and round it is probably just dandruff. If you are still uncertain when you look at it, just go buy the lice shampoo and do a treatment just to be on the safe side.

Answer 6

"Lice die if they are away from a human's head or body for more than 2 days. Lice are 1-3 mm long (about the size of a sesame seed) and cling to the hair shaft. During the life cycle of lice, the female louse lays eggs, called nits, that attach to the hair shaft close to the scalp or body. These nits, which resemble dandruff, are attached with a gluelike, water-insoluble substance that makes them difficult to remove. After 6-10 days, the nits hatch as nymphs and become adults in 10 days. Adult lice live about 30 days on their human hosts."

For images see the link below or type lice into your search engine and search for images.

http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images?ei=UTF-8&fr=slv8-msgr&p=lice&fr2=tab-web

Answer 7

The nits are usually stuck to the hair shaft itself and can be combed out over a dark paper to check for their activity. If you suspect lice, do buy a bottle of the over the counter generic brand of treatment(cheaper), shampoo him thoroughly and let everyone around the child shampoo. It won't hurt hair but will prevent an infestation if lice is present. Wash his bed linens in hot water, soap plus bleach also. Those little pests can be controlled easily in the early stages, but when everyone becomes infested.....

Answer 8

First of all lice crawl on the scalp and are a clear white color. Their eggs are what stick to your hair. The eggs are a small circular shape and they stick to the hair. To make sure it is an egg pull it off put it on your finger nail and press on it. If you feel it pop it is an egg. If all it does isflatten and fall off it is dandruff. Eggs, once agian, stick to the hair. Dandruff falls off the hair with no problem at all. You can flick the hair and the dandruff will fly away.

Answer 9

Dandruff flaky and thin. It falls when we rub or scratch the head.

Lice is a bit thick and it moves. It does not fall whilst rubbing or scratching the hair.

CAUTION: Lice is a bigger threat.

Answer 10

dandruff is white and lice are a translucent looking creature, believe me if your kid has lice you will know, most likely if you are unsure he probably does not have them, I hope for your sake he does not, because you are in for a mess, and lot of laundry and endless nit picking good luck