Children should be warned against sharing hats, clothing or grooming aids with others. Household pets do not transmit lice. What to look for Lice are small insects about the size of a sesame seed. They are usually light brown but can vary in color. They move quickly and shy away from the light, making them difficult to see.
Nits are tiny, grayish-white oval eggs attached to the hairshafts.
Nits may be found throughout the hair, but are most often located at the nape of the neck, behind the ears and at the crown. A magnifying glass and natural light may help when looking for them. Distinguishing dead nits from live nits is nonproductive since the presence of 10 dead nits does not guarantee that the 11th won't be alive. DEC plugs are bright white, irregularly-shaped clumps of fat cells stuck to the hair shaft. Hair casts are thin, elongated, cylinder-shaped segments of dandruff which encircle the hair shaft and are easily dislodged.