The term “nit” is just an added name for the egg of a head louse also identified as “louse”. Head lice and pubic lice attach their eggs, or nits, to skull or body hair very close to the skin’s surface. Nits stick to the hair follicle with a very strong glue that holds them securely to the hair shafts and may not be easy to remove if there are a large number of them.

Head lice nits, also called pubic lice, need the heat and high humidity found next to individual skin to grow properly. If the nits are removed from this warm and humid place, they will die. It is for this reason that they are most often found in close proximity to the skin.

Effective head lice control begins with careful nit removal. Lice or live Lice can be quickly eliminated with the right products. All nits must be completely removed or there will be a high chance that the infestation will start again. You can crush the nits with your fingers or physically remove them. Lice combs do a good job of crushing nits into place or if lice combing is combined with one of the nit loosening lotions found in various home lice remedies, over-the-counter products, and lice products. prescribed by doctors, it can actually remove nits without pulling hair out

When the juvenile lice hatch, they leave behind the empty egg shell. The eggshell will remain attached to the hair shaft. This empty shell can remain attached for weeks or months, so that as the hair grows, the empty shell moves further and further away from the scalp’s surface. If left, they become very obvious. Many mothers develop what is known as “Nit Picky” and remove nits from their children’s hair. A nit comb will do this, but if time is a factor and you want to remove them quickly, you can easily do this by simply pulling them out.

When looking for nits, any nits more than about 1/4″ away from the skin are more commonly found to be hatched or dead. However, new research suggests that in hot climates lice viable eggs are sometimes laid further up the hair shaft.

Color can be a superior way to distinguish blank or dead nits from live ones. Empty eggshells are white, while live nits with lice inside are darker in color. The difference between live and dead nits is simple and easy to see. Getting rid of lice nits can be easy if you take the proper preparation and with a little patience.