I am very sure my 3 yr. old son has head lice, but after showing his grandmother she says that it definately is NOT lice. My question is what exactly does it look like. I am pretty sure I seen something moving in his hair, but couldn't find it. Whatever this it is, it is stuck to his hair. There are alot around the nap of his neck and behind his ears. They are dark colored though, and everything I have found on the internet says lice are light grey or white. I am so confused. I'm sure I'm right but, could someone who has seen lice before please help me out??

They are white...and itch terribly...get a magnifying glass and look....

There are 2 things to look for, eggs (nits) and live bugs. The nits are a brown color and will be stuck to the individual hair strands. The bugs look like small spiders and can be light or dark in color (I know this because my son gave them to me and I found one on my ear.). They move fast and can jump from head to head. Also, check for a rash on the back of his neck.

If he does have them, make sure that you treat your whole house. You need to wash all bedding, throw stuffed toys in the dryer (or bag them up for a few weeks) and treat his car seat. (There is a spray that can be used for this.) The nits must be killed and removed with a special comb.

Many say that the whole family should go through a treatment, but others say it's not a good idea, as the products can be very strong. Over-the-counters don't work as well as they use to since the lice are becoming immune to them. You can ask your pediatrician for a rx or try some of the natural treatments, like mayonnaise in the hair over night. (Use a shower cap to keep it on.)

HI
I agree with the previous posts on all but one point, they do not jump from head to head. The way they spread is by the eggs, which are very sticky and stick to everything. If your hair touches an infected persons hair or anything such as pillows, rugs etc, where there are eggs you could get it.

Please take him to the doc or the health department if you are unsure. He could be contaminating other people.

The biggest sign, the nits are hard and stuck firmly to hair strands. Pluck a peice of hair out that is in question and run your finger over the strand. If it flakes off then no. If it feels like a little hard thing and doesn't budge, then yes.

I teach preschool and we have had a lice outbreak over the last few months. I had it myself and it is hard to get rid of.

Good luck

Many say that the whole family should go through a treatment, but others say it's not a good idea, as the products can be very strong. Over-the-counters don't work as well as they use to since the lice are becoming immune to them. You can ask your pediatrician for a rx or try some of the natural treatments, like mayonnaise in the hair over night. (Use a shower cap to keep it on.)

I have to agree with you on this. My daughter got it many times over a month from the baby sitters house till we found out thats is where it came from and not school or daycare. Over the counter meds DO NOT work. I have found that the off brand of real mayonnaise, works the best. I would let it set in her hair for 10-20 mins then wash it out and comb her hair out with the lil combs for lice.

My daughter used to have headlice for a long time.
A good sign is itching his head a lot. Headlice that have hatched are brown with a little black spot in the middle (not very sure i think its the other way round i havnt seen one in a while) The eggs are white or grey.When the hair has more headlice inside, More things will happen, as in you may see headlice in the bath tub after he washes his hair. They like warm places on the head so they do stay behind the ears (thats where i found lots of eggs) Also i noticed , when in a hot place it tends to itch more because the headlice likes the warmer area and probably the warmer blood aswell. If he has headlice, get a fine teeth comb (thats what its called in england, or a "nit comb") and do it regularly to prevent more headlice. Also if you see white eggs in there, gently pull it out ( my daughter screamed when i pulled one out so i did it more gently )
Good Luck.

Soph

I took him to the doctor and the doctor suggested using rid and spraying the entire house,washing bedding ect...the problem is I followed directions to a T and the lice are already back. I have no idea where he is getting these. We just moved into a new house,could they be here from someone that lived here before???I don't know, but he is starting to get sick now so I'll have to take him back to the doctor(I don't know if being sick could be related to the lice or not)I have read on different boards that they carry disease. I never dreamt lice could be this hard to get rid of.