Overview
Head lice
Head lice
Head lice feed on the scalp. They're easiest to see at the hairline on the neck and over the ears. Their eggs, called nits, stick to hair shafts. Nits are tiny and may be hard to see.
Lice are tiny, wingless insects that feed on human blood. Lice spread from person to person through close contact and by sharing clothes and other items.
There are three types of lice:
- Head lice. These lice feed on the scalp. They're easiest to see at the hairline on the neck and over the ears.
- Body lice. These lice live in clothing and bedding and move onto the skin to feed. Body lice most often affect people who can't bathe or wash clothes often, such as people who live in refugee camps or don't have homes. These are the only lice that spread disease.
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Pubic lice. These also are called crabs. They live on the skin and hair of the pubic area. Less often, they may be found on coarse body hair, such as chest hair, eyebrows or eyelashes.
They are different from head lice or body lice. They look like tiny crabs.
Symptoms
Head lice
Head lice
Head lice feed on blood from the scalp. Female lice lay eggs that stick to hair shafts. The eggs are called nits.
Common symptoms of lice include:
- Itching on the scalp, body or in the genital area.
- Lice on the scalp, body, clothes, or pubic hair or other body hair. Adult lice may be about the size of a sesame seed or slightly larger.
- Lice eggs on hair shafts. Lice eggs, called nits, stick to hair shafts. Nits may be hard to see because they're tiny. It's easiest to see them around the ears and at the hairline on the neck. Nits can look like dandruff. But you can't brush them out of hair easily.
- Sores on the scalp, neck and shoulders. Scratching can lead to small bumps that appear red on white skin and may be harder to see on Black or brown skin. These sores may get infected.
- Bite marks. These are small areas of blood and crust on the skin. They appear mostly around the waist, groin, upper thighs and pubic area.
- Swollen lymph nodes. Children with head lice sometimes have swollen lymph nodes in the neck. Lymph nodes are bean-shaped organs that are part of the immune system.
When to see a doctor
Most people who have lice don't need to see a healthcare professional. If you're not sure that what you see are lice, call your healthcare professional.
For pubic lice, see your healthcare professional to find out if you have other sexually transmitted infections. Children with pubic lice need to see a healthcare professional to check for signs of sexual abuse.
Causes
Lice are insects that feed on human blood. They live on the human head, body and pubic area. You get lice by coming into contact either with lice or their eggs.
For head lice, female lice make a sticky substance that holds each egg to the base of a hair shaft. Eggs hatch in 6 to 9 days. Body lice most often lay eggs in clothing seams.
The most common way to get pubic lice is through having sex. Pubic lice on children may be a sign of sexual abuse.
Transmission
Lice crawl, but they can't jump or fly. They can live 1 to 2 days off the body. Head and body lice spread through:
- Head-to-head or body-to-body contact. This often happens within families or among children who have close contact with each other at school or play.
- Clothes stored together. Storing clothes that have lice on them close together with other clothes in closets, lockers or on side-by-side hooks can spread lice. Lice also can spread from stored items such as pillows, blankets, combs and stuffed toys.
- Shared items. These may include clothing, headphones, brushes, combs, towels, blankets, pillows and stuffed toys.
- Contact with furniture that has lice on it. Lying on a bed or sitting on cloth-covered furniture that someone with lice recently sat on can spread them.
Risk factors
Head lice
Head lice spread mainly by direct head-to-head contact. So the risk of spreading head lice is greatest among children who play or go to school together.
Body lice
People who are at higher risk of body lice tend to live in crowded, unclean conditions. These include refugee camps, shelters and homeless camps.
Pubic lice
Having sex with a person who has lice raises the risk of pubic lice.
Prevention
It's hard to keep head lice from spreading among children in schools or places that provide child care. Policies that prevent hair and head contact between people can help. The chance of spreading head lice from items that come in contact with the hair or head is small. But you can lower your risk of getting head lice by not sharing hair items, such as brushes or things that touch the head, such as hats or scarves.
To prevent body lice, don't have close physical contact or share bedding or clothing with anyone who has lice. Regular bathing and changing into clean clothing at least once a week also may help prevent body lice.
To prevent pubic lice, don't have sex or share bedding or clothing with anyone who has these lice. If you are being treated for pubic lice, your sexual partners also must be treated.
Aug. 29, 2025