What do head lice look like?

Head lice can be in three different forms, the nit, the nymph, and the adult louse.

Nits are the lice eggs and are often confused with dandruff or dried hairspray. Nits are found attached to the hair shaft. They are usually yellow or white, oval shaped and they take about a week to hatch.

The nymph is a baby louse. It looks like an adult head louse but smaller. Nymphs mature to adults in about seven days after hatching.

The adult louse has six legs, and is tan to grayish-white and the size of a sesame seed. The female lays nits and they are usually larger than the males. Adult lice can live up to 30 days on a person's head, but they need blood to feed.  If a louse falls off the head it will die within two days.