If the head is very itchy, what could be the problem? Sometimes the cause of itching is dandruff, and sometimes a disease such as lice. In order to correctly diagnose, you need to know how to distinguish nits from dandruff.
Let's talk about dandruff first
With this disease, skin flakes begin to exfoliate rapidly. Most often, the cause is the malfunctioning of the sebaceous glands, which are located in the scalp. And although dandruff does not pose any threat either to others or to the person himself, it is worth paying attention to it at least in order to know how to distinguish dandruff from nits.
With oily seborrhea, the scales stick together. Hair even after washing looks dirty, the head is very itchy. This type of dandruff is not so striking, but it is impossible to create a well-groomed hairstyle. This situation also occurs: the scales cover large areas of the skin. After some time, they exfoliate, this is the cause of hair loss.
The dry type is characterized by the appearance of itching. Hair looks dry and brittle, but clean. It is worth scratching your head and from there begins to pour a white "powder".
Currently, the most common fatty seborrhea.
Who are nits
People think these are lice eggs. But scientifically, the basis of nits is the shell of an insect. They are attached to the hair with an adhesive composition, at a distance of one to four centimeters from the scalp. It’s impossible to simply remove them after washing your head. This is one of the answers to the question of how to distinguish nits from dandruff. The sticky fluid holds them so tightly by a thread that even clasping them with their nails does not always work out. Only by using special means can the future louse be destroyed. And yet this sticky composition does not allow nits to move from person to person.
The infected hair of the head looks as if it was sprinkled with cereal. If there are a large number of parasites, then they resemble profuse dandruff. Hair appears dirty, not well-groomed, even if it has recently been washed.
With the naked eye it is impossible to make out eggs of insects, since they are very small, about one millimeter.
How the future louse develops
Before you find the answer to the question of how to distinguish dandruff from nits externally, you should study the stages of development of the parasite in order to see the changes. The following stages of life:
- nit;
- larva;
- pupa;
- the final stage (adult, adult).
The adult female begins to feed on blood and is ready for mating. She can lay about a hundred and fifty eggs. Nits immediately begins to live independently. The incubation period is from five to eight days. The optimum ripening temperature ranges from thirty to thirty-five degrees. The larva hidden in the shell matures. She squeezes the lid, thus falling out. The parasite goes away, and the shell still remains on the hair. If you do not fight insects, then there may be more capsules on the head.
Here is another answer to the question of how to distinguish nits from dandruff. Having examined the life cycle of a parasite, we can say that it not only feeds on blood, but also multiplies. Dandruff is a byproduct of human life.
We look under the microscope
As mentioned above, it is almost impossible to consider a future louse without a microscope. That is why at the moment we will use this tool, which will help to understand how to distinguish nits from dandruff.
Looking into it, you can see small elongated capsules of a whitish-translucent color. That's why they are easy to find on the head, especially if the hair is dark.
On the lower body of the parasite, an elongated formation can be seen. It is somewhat reminiscent of leaked glue and consists of a sticky substance. Exactly the same composition as the one that covers the shell. The formation that is visible under the microscope helps to stay nits on the hair. Removing it from them is not so simple. Dandruff, unlike nits, flies without problems.
The upper part has a valve cover. It is through her that an adult comes out, but first she must swallow air and secrete it. Due to the large accumulation of released air, it gets out. It takes a few minutes.
Dead or alive egg
It is difficult to immediately determine if there is something inside the shell or not. As mentioned above, empty capsules will not go anywhere either. They must be removed by special means. Otherwise, they will leave their heads only with falling hair.
If you look with a cursory glance, it is impossible to distinguish whether a parasite is alive or not. They look almost the same, and removing them from the hair is equally difficult.
But still there are differences.
- The non-living capsule has no volume; it is flat.
- If you press a dry shell with your fingernail, you will not get any sound. When pressing on live, a crack is heard.
- Non-living nits are dull and faded, while living nails shine.
- Color change. Bright white changes to murky yellow.
Under the microscope, you can see not only the difference in the capsule form of the living and dead individuals, but also the presence of a living creature in it.
The only thing that remains the same is that both the living and the dead individuals are firmly held on their hair, and it is difficult to comb them.
Where are the nits attached
In the presence of insects, the hair looks just messy. That is why it is immediately very difficult to determine lice. This will help knowledge that the eggs do not attach below or above one to four centimeters from the scalp. It is rare to find that more than one egg is located on one hair. Each capsule should have its own individual place. And now about how to distinguish dandruff from nits, because from a distance they are so similar to each other.
You just have to ruffle your hair a little, just blow it and particles of dandruff will fly. But the future louse will remain in its old place. The sticky secret of nits holds firmly. It remains to tear them out only with nails and that is not always possible. Special tools will help.
What experts say
To summarize all of the above, we will listen to the advice of specialists. They will advise on how to recognize nits from dandruff. There are several methods already verified.
- Dandruff easily and simply flies off the hair with a comb or brush. It is not so easy to remove the future louse, it is firmly glued.
- Appearance. Nits have an oval shape, shades: from light gray to dark brown. Dandruff is only white in color. Insects are almost always the same, and the scales have different sizes.
- Nits are located in warmer places: on the back of the head, behind the ears and closer to the skin. Flakes are scattered all over the head.
- Itching accompanies both diseases. With dandruff, it is easier to tolerate, and with pediculosis, a person combes his head sometimes up to blood.
If desired, you can see how to distinguish dandruff from nits. Photos clearly demonstrate the differences.
Conclusion
It is believed that nits can be infected. But this should not be believed. If the future insect adheres tightly to hair, how can it pass onto the head of a neighbor?
The only option is getting infected hair on a healthy head or using a comb with eggs. This is all theory, in practice this is unlikely to happen. Now that you know how to distinguish nits from dandruff, it will be easy for you to make the right diagnosis and start getting rid of the problem in time.