10 Signs A Child Has Lice

1. They keep scratching their head

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The clearest sign that your child has lice is when they cannot stop scratching their head. They're itching with no relief and it's clearly irritating them. If you see your kid scratching their head, the first thing to check is whether they have lice so that you can get rid sooner rather than later.

2. White specks in their hair

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White specks in the hair could be a sign of nits - lice eggs. And, when you can see lice eggs, there's definitely lice. Lice hatch from eggs and eggs are hatched from lice, much like the chicken and egg debate. So as soon as you spot the white eggs it's a very clear sign that you have lice.

3. They are irritable

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Sometimes lice aren't so easy to spot, especially in the beginning when the infestation may be milder. But your child may begin to be irritable. They may not understand why they are, or they may not be able to communicate the reason. But if your child is irritable, it could be a sign that they have lice.

4. They can't stop fidgeting

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If your head (or anything) is itching, you just can't stay still, it feels impossible. You're uncomfortable and you just keep fidgeting. So when your child cannot stay still without moving and fidgeting it could be because they have lice in their hair and it is irritating them!

5. They have sores on their head or neck

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Sores may appear on your child's head or neck, and it may be nothing serious to worry about it, it could be a sign that they have lice! Which, through time and effort can be eradicated. Sores appear from bites and scratches, so it's a clear sign of lice.

6. They aren't able to sleep properly

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If your child is suffering from lice then they will feel their head prickling and itching meaning that it may be super difficult for them to fall asleep or stay asleep. If you've noticed your child is struggling to sleep through check whether it is lice causing the problem.

7. They are losing hair

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Lice can actually cause a more alarming symptom, where your child loses hair. This could be caused by the irritation which is causing them to scratch and break the hair follicles or it could be caused by the bites causing damage to the scalp and the hair. When you see clumps of hair loss, check for lice.

8. Their head looks inflamed

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Our skin inflames when it has something causing it to be infected, irritated, or hurt. So sometimes you may notice that a child has a red and inflamed scalp before actually noticing the lice. It can be a sign that your child has lice and it suggests that they are in some kind of discomfort!

9. Your child has been in close contact with other children

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Let's not forget that lice is a completely normal part of childhood. When children spend time together and play they come into close contact with one another, meaning that if any of them have lice your child could also catch them. So if you suspect they have lice and they have been with lots of other children, it could be likely.

10. Swollen lymph nodes

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It's less common but not unheard of for the child's lymph nodes to swell when they have lice. This is because their body realizes that it has to fight against something, and so they swell as a sign of infection or that their immune system is fighting. And sometimes it can happen in response to lice!

11. There are black or white specks on the hairbrush

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As we mentioned, white specks may be nits or lice eggs. And, black particles in the hair could be lice poop. It may sound gross but it is super common that when a child has lice, there will be visible lice feces at some point. If you spot these, you can almost be sure your child has lice.

12. You've spotted lice crawling on their bedding

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Lice cannot live on your child's bedding, but for a period of time they can survive there until they re-attach themselves to skin. So there's a definite possibility that you could find lice on your child's sheets or pillow when they get out of bed, most likely pointing to the fact that they have lice.

13. You've spotted eggs close to their scalp

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You may not see the lice at first glance, in fact, that's usually very unlikely unless your child has become infested with lice. Usually, you have to look very close to the scalp where they live and look for some kind of trace or dirt. If you do find it, then they probably do have lice.

14. A persistent cough

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This symptom is a rare side effect of lice. So while a persistent cough may not be the first sign of lice, it is a possibility. There are instances where lice have entered the respiratory tract and caused problems. The cough usually passes in time without consequence.

15. You can see something moving on their head

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It's super disconcerting when you visibly see lice moving on their head. But if you do see something crawling around their head, the chances of it being anything other than lice are extremely slim. Insects will not stay on your child's head, it is most probably a lice!

16. You think they've developed dandruff

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It's most probable that your child has not developed dandruff, it's usually a sign that your child has lice. These white specks in your child's head could be dead skin cells as well as lice. But the dead skin cells are more likely caused by excess scratching which is causing the scalp to flake.

17. They have become very unwilling to brush their hair

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If your child has lice you may notice that they suddenly become very unwilling or super sensitive about you brushing their home. It may hurt them or cause them some kind of discomfort which makes them squirm and pull away when you reach for the brush.

18. They have bites on their skin

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The lice may not stay solely on the head. They may occasionally all off or jump to other parts of the skin before going back to the head. On these occasions, it is normal for lice to bite. If your child has bites on them you may think of an insect, but it could also be headlice!

19. The scalp is sensitive to touch

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Your child may have become super sensitive about having their scalp touched. When lice are living on your child's head they are regularly being bitten and they will be scratching their scalp. The sores and inflammation will cause your child's head to be sensitive and sore!

20. You have started to feel itchy

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Don't be alarmed, but when your child has lice...it can be very likely for you to catch them too since you will be in very close contact with them. So if you have started to find your head itching, you should definitely check your child's scalp as it is likely they have them and have passed them to you!

21. Your child feels nauseous

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Again, this isn't super common but some children feel nauseous when they have lice. It's a result of something biting and upsetting your child which can take a toll on them. If they have been displaying other signs as well as nausea then you should definitely check your child for lice.

22. It's not going away

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Lice won't go away on their own certainly, they won't even go away without a fight. It can take a lot of time and serious effort. So if it's lice it will start to get worse over time and the symptoms and signs we have discussed will all increase and become more prominent.

23. Your child is pulling at their hair

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When a child pulls at their hair it can be a response to having a sore or itchy head. So it's not necessarily a habit they have picked up with no meaning. Check their head as they may not be able to communicate or work out why their head is feeling so itchy.

24. They don't want you to look at their head

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When you have a sensitive area the last thing you want is someone inspecting and touching it. So a sign that your child has lice is if they are reluctant to let you inspect their head. But, unfortunately, you have to because if it is lice it will only get more sore and more itchy.

25. You find excess dirt when you brush their hair

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You know when your child has washed their hair or when you have washed their hair. So if you find excess dirt that's not normal it could be because the lice are creating faeces and itchy skin on your scalp which are building up as dirt on your child's head.

26. Your child can't concentrate

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Could you concentrate if you had lice crawling around your head? Probably not. So before you dismiss your child's lack of concentration as misbehaviour, check out if there's a physical reason. Lice could be irritating your child's head so that they cannot concentrate on tasks.

27. The nursery/school has issued a lice warning

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When you get a warning from nursery or school informing you that there's a lice problem, it's unfortunately only a matter of time before your child starts itching and scratching and you see creepy crawlies in their hair. Lice spreads so easily that sometimes there's no way to avoid it!

28. Children they have been with also have lice

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On the other hand, even if you've not been in a school setting, you may have met up for a playdate with your friends and their children. If you get a text saying 'I'm so sorry I've just found out they have lice', then your child will soon have them too i'm afraid.

29. The symptoms are getting worse

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If a few days ago your child was scratching their head a little bit, and now they're covered in sores and can't stop itching, it's a sign that the lice and breeding and reproducing to create even more of a problem. Check it out so that you can start to tackle the problem.

30. They haven't had them recently

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It's one of those things, if you have children at some point they're going to have lice. If it's been a while and you thought you were on a lucky streak and they've started to display some signs then your child probably has lice. It comes around WAY too quickly.