Part the hair with a rat-tailed comb. Also look for lice feces, that look like tiny black specks on your child s scalp. If you see them, examine the rest of the head for live lice and nits. There can be from a few to several hundred nits in a child s hair. Use a magnifying glass and a good light to help distinguish between nits and dandruff.
Eggs are oval-shaped and glued securely to only one side of the hair shaft.
The spent egg stays attached to the hair shaft even after hatching. If your time is limited, it is much more important to comb the child's hair than to spend time washing clothes and linens and vacuuming your house. What probably won t work . We ve heard of some home remedies that include cooking oil, mayonnaise, vinegar and other combinations. However, lice can survive in hair covered with oil even when it is left overnight.