An infested person will most often have nits firmly attached to the hair shafts, particularly around the back of the neck and behind the ears. Do not mistake hair spray globules, cast hair follicles or dry skin for nits. These are available at most discount drug stores. Be sure to follow labeled directions completely since much of the success in controlling head lice depends on how well the treatment instructions are followed. The presence of nits alone on a recently treated individual does not necessary indicate an active infestation .
Nits become more noticeable as they move further from the scalp as the hair grows.
As a general rule, nits located further than half an inch from the scalp should have already emerged and been killed by the first and second treatment. Another method is to heat the articles in water to 130 F for 5-10 minutes. It bears repeating, head lice seldom survive for more than two days off the host and rarely hatch at room temperature or lower. Infested children should be sent home promptly with a note addressed to the parents or guardian detailing the problem and recommended control measures presented in this EntGuide . Thereafter, biweekly inspections should be made to assure re-infestation does not occur.