How to Know When You Have Head Lice and Dandruff?

How to Know When You Have Head Lice and Dandruff? Several things cause the itchy scalp. Of course, a quick scratch here and there may not be much to take tension. But when you notice the white flakes in your hair, it can be not easy to know what’s going on in your hair. Generally, two main causes get easily confused, one is dandruff, and the second is lice.

How do you know when you have head lice and dandruff? It is the most common question that can be pop up in your mind. So, in this post, we will provide you complete information about lice as well as dandruff. So, it can be very easy for you to find out whether it’s dandruff in your hair or whether it be lice.

Difference between Lice and Dandruff:

Lice are very small, blood-sucking insects and are a temporary infestation. However, dandruff is a chronic skin condition that produces dry, flaky bits of your head skin. Both the lice and dandruff lead to itchy skin on your scalp, but the good news is that both are typically harmless and can be treatable.

Lice and Dandruff Looks:

Mild dandruff causes white flakes on your scalp. You may have redness, itching, burning, and thick, greasy scaling in more severe cases.

Usually, nits look like dandruff. But if you look it closer, they are white or yellow or appear to be the same color as your hair. Nits tend to look like little grains of rice that are firmly stuck to the hair follicle. On the other hand, dandruff is more visible on your scalp. Adult lice have six legs and are tan to grayish-white in color. Furthermore, nymphs are the smaller version of adult lice.

Causes Lice and Dandruff:

An infestation of parasitic insects usually causes lice. On the other hand, dandruff is caused by the yeast that grows on everyone’s skin. This yeast is called Malassezia and inflammation.

Lice are highly contagious, and if you come into close contact with someone who has lice, they can easily crawl from there to your head. Another way to become infected with the lice is by sharing the things like hats or hairbrushes.

On the other hand, dandruff is a chronic condition that causes the skin cells on the scalp to shed very quickly, serves to dry, itchy flakes coming off in the hair and also on your clothes.

Signs and Symptoms Lice and Dandruff:

Dandruff can be so much itchy, especially when you are dealing it with a dry scalp. When you have dandruff, your scalp feels either very oily or very dry. Dandruff affects your scalp and not the hair itself.

While when we talk about lice, intense itching is the major symptom of it which urge us to remove the lice. The bites of adult lice cause an allergic reaction, which causes itching. You may even feel a crawling sensation when you have lice in your head.

Lice and Dandruff Location:

Lice and dandruff look similar at first glance, but they occur in different locations. Lice lay eggs, usually called nits, while dandruff causes flaky skin. Nits stick to your hair and will not flake off, just like dandruff does.

Treatment Lice and Dandruff:

Generally, lice can be treated at home with many home remedies or some medicated shampoo according to the package directions. It is also very important to comb the nits out of the hair. OTC lice remedies work great. Nits are usually found within one-quarter inch of the scalp or further down the hair shaft, are generally not viable, and will not grow into lice.

On the other hand, dandruff can also be treated at home with OTC shampoo. Wash your hair with anti-dandruff shampoo twice a week, and it will remove all dandruff from your hair. Keeping this shampoo in contact with your hair for at least 5 to 10 minutes is very effective.

Washing your hair more frequently also helps dandruff. However, sometimes anti-dandruff shampoo will not work properly on your dandruff. When this happens, immediately contact your dermatologist.