Is this head lice? Photo attached!

[abigboydidit]

Apologies - I have no clue what I am looking for. DD has been complaining of an itchy head. I have checked and checked but can't find any lice. However today I came across a little patch like this - is this egg cases? Or something else? It is soft but she has been in the shower for ages as it's the only way she tolerates me using the comb. All help welcomed!

[abigboydidit]

Sorry - "are these" and "they are".

[DigestiveMuncher]

It looks like dandruff flakes to me.

[bigchris]

Yep dandruff

[UncontrolledImmigrant]

If she has lice there will be bodies.

These could be skin flakes. Coat her hair in cheapo conditioner and comb with it in- and lice will come out in the comb.

If you don't see any bug bodies,she does not have an infestation.

Trust me, I am a veteran 😂

[abigboydidit]

Thanks for the reply. I was so focused on the itching I am embarrassed to say I hadn't thought of that Can children use dandruff shampoo?!

[bigchris]

Yes vosene for children

[abigboydidit]

Her hair was and has been lathered with conditioner. She's been itching for a couple of weeks and I have never found anything! But I am paranoid as I know it does the rounds at nursery...

[originalbiglymavis]

If you see white flecks, flick then. If they stay put, they are sticky little lousy buggers.

[abigboydidit]

Are the bodies really obvious? Have been using masses of cheap conditioner and a white towel but I can't understand why she's so scratchy if no nits. Or rather I couldn't - but dandruff explains it! Thanks all.

[Fingalswave]

The eggs look like white sesame seeds and stick like glue to the hair shaft.

[abigboydidit]

Good description! Thanks! So visible if I just was inspecting her scalp without a comb then?

[UncontrolledImmigrant]

The bodies are obvious. They will be different sizes depending on where they are in the life cycle and how recently they have fed but they are unmistakeably bugs 🐜

[Fingalswave]

Tbh it is quite easy to miss the bodies depending on the stage of their life cycle and they hide really well (urgh). Sometimes when I nitty gritty-ed dd's hair I only found the eggs or just one louse (double urgh). So it is probably a good idea to comb preventatively with conditioner as you are already doing.

[Fingalswave]

X posts with uncontrolled there - maybe my eyesight isn't very good!

[abigboydidit]

Okay have found some more of the white stuff. It rubs away fairly easily. Dandruff?

[NarcsBegone]

It was always really hard to spot them on my ds even with a comb and conditioner. He would itch and I'd check and check, sometimes it would take a couple of weeks to find an actual lice. Sometimes I would get fed up with the whole process and just treat him with lotion, not ideal but I would know he was covered. He's now 11 and recently started itching but found nothing but what looked like cradle cap and it turned out he had terrible dandruff! The chemist recommended this shampoo (pic attached)

[UncontrolledImmigrant]

They are good at hiding, and move fast - the conditioner is there to sort of stun them so you can comb them out, although as it dries they 'come back to life'

It is grim. I discovered all this in a hotel room with dd when she was mega infested. An hour before checkout. Oh how I laughed, and oh how her vocabulary expanded that day 👀

[abigboydidit]

Does the second photo look like dandruff then or nits? I thought dandruff, given your descriptions? Thanks for the shampoo pic - will try to get that today.

[MrsEvadneCake]

If it rubs away it's not nits. They stick really hard.

[abigboydidit]

Dandruff it is then. Thanks everyone!

[RMC123]

Best way to check for live lice is to comb hair over white paper. Really easy to spot. Grey brown in colour and will be moving!

[Finola1step]

My dd gets the same when we are using too much conditioner and it is not quite rinsing out fully.

[abigboydidit]

Thank you. Just thinking about them makes me scratchy