Warning Signs That Your Child May Have Lice

Lice are the bane of many parents’ existence. Even just the word lice gives us the creepy crawlies! Any parent that has suffered through their child having lice, a tiny, wingless parasitic insect that loves human hair knows they never want to go through it again! Although lice sound dangerous, they are quite harmless (if caught early) and a very common problem among kids between the ages of 3 and 12-years-old. Lice is easily spread in group settings where they can spread happily and hungrily travel from child to child.

The problem with ridding a household of lice once they’ve set in is that they are extremely contagious and difficult to kill for good. Even though their bites don’t cause any diseases, they can cause painfully inflamed irritation and itchiness in a child’s scalp, and the persistent scratching can cause severe infection if left untreated.

Parents, be on the lookout for any of these 14 warning signs that a child (or even adult) has lice…

1. Itching

Someone who is incessantly itching their scalp is one of the most common signs of lice! An itchy scalp is an allergic reaction to lice bites, and it’s actually the louse saliva or feces that cause an itchy sensation that just doesn’t seem to go away. The onset of itching depends on how sensitive their skin is to the lice—oftentimes it can take up to 6-weeks for kids to start scratching after an infection.