Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsLice vs. DandruffCausesTreatmentPrevention
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Lice vs. Dandruff
Causes
Treatment
Prevention
There are key differences between lice vs. dandruff, though the symptoms can be similar.Dandruffconsists of flakes on the scalp itself that fall off easily, while lice eggs—called nits—stick to strands of hair and are hard to remove. While both can be itchy, lice can cause severe itching.
Lice and dandruff are harmless conditions that won’t cause long-term health problems. Both can be treated safely and effectively at home.
While both lice and dandruff can cause your scalp to itch, you should be able to tell if you have lice or dandruff based on the differences in symptoms and appearance.
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Lice
Certain symptoms and patterns occur with a head lice infestation.
How to Tell if You Have Lice: Symptoms and Pictures
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Dandruff
Dandruff can sometimes be mistaken for lice, but the symptoms are different. While lice is a parasitic infection, dandruff is a skin condition.
Lice vs. Dandruff on Your Comb
Causes of Lice vs. Dandruff
Head-to-head contact is the most common way to transmit lice. For example, if you hug someone with lice, the lice can crawl from their head to yours. Although lice cannot jump or fly, they can also be transmitted when you share hats or hairbrushes.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the United States sees between 6 million and 12 million cases of head lice each year. Young children are most at risk because they frequently have hair-to-hair contact with others at daycare or school.
Seborrheic dermatitisis a chronic condition that causes the skin cells on the scalp to shed too quickly, leading to dry, itchy flakes coming off in the hair and on clothing. Dandruff is a mild form of seborrheic dermatitis.
How do I check myself for lice?
Lice lay their eggs on the hair shaft about 1/4 inch from the scalp. The eggs are firmly secured to the hair and cannot be brushed away. Adult lice live on the scalp and usually appear tan, brown, or black. Sometimes a magnifying glass is helpful for identifying adult lice on the scalp.
Most cases of lice and dandruff can be successfully treated at home.
Lice can usually be treated at home with an over-the-counter medicated shampoo according to the package directions. It is also important to carefully comb the nits out of the hair with a metal nit comb. Nits are usually found within one-quarter inch of the scalp.Nits found further down the hair shaft are usually not viable and will not grow into lice.
You can try to crush lice with your fingers but it’s not a recommended strategy for treating them. A metal nit comb is best for removing nits. Because lice have become resistant to many of the insecticides used to treat them, some people recommend treatment with careful nit combing alone, or combing combined with heat.
If you’re treating your child’s lice, call yourpediatricianfirst to discuss the right amount of shampoo and how often to use it. This is often based on their age and weight. The shampoo will need to be used twice, about one week apart.
Some common home remedies for lice treatment involve coating the scalp with heavy, oily food like mayonnaise or olive oil as a way to suffocate the lice. These treatments have not been proven effective and are not recommended. However, olive oil and some dishwashing liquids can make it harder for nits to stick to hair when combing.
Avoid using conditioner in the hair until it is completely free of lice and nits. Conditioner can act as a barrier that blocks the medicated shampoo from adhering to and treating the hair shaft.
Since lice need a human host to survive, wash any items that could transfer them back to you or to a new host. This includes clothing, bedding, stuffed animals, hats, and any other items that come in contact with the person’s head.
The CDC recommends washing all items in hot water over 130 degrees F to kill both the lice and nits.Items should then be dried in the dryer at the hottest setting. Vacuum any areas where the person with lice lay down, such as carpets and furniture. Any items that cannot be washed or vacuumed should be sealed in a plastic bag for two weeks.
If over-the-counter treatments have not been effective, see your healthcare provider. It’s possible that the lice are resistant to the over-the-counter treatment and you need a prescription medication. An antibiotic may be needed.Your local health department may also be able to help.
If you don’t wash your hair often, you may try to wash it more frequently, up to once a day.
Use caution withdandruff shampoosthat contain coal tar because they can cause your scalp to become more sensitive to the sun.
Autoimmune ConditionsSome autoimmune conditions such aspsoriasisoreczemacan appear as dandruff but require more specialized treatment. Your dermatologist will be able to help you determine thecause of your flakes, as well as the best way to treat them.
Autoimmune Conditions
Some autoimmune conditions such aspsoriasisoreczemacan appear as dandruff but require more specialized treatment. Your dermatologist will be able to help you determine thecause of your flakes, as well as the best way to treat them.
Dandruff can be difficult to prevent, but it may help to sleep with a humidifier in your room to help prevent dry skin. Regular use of dandruff shampoo may help keep flaking under control.
Body Lice Bites: Steps to Identifying and Treating Them
Summary
Dandruff and head lice cause similar types of itching, but they are different conditions. Dandruff will appear as white or yellow flakes of dry skin. Lice eggs, also known as nits, look like tiny yellow or white eggs in the shape of a teardrop. Adult lice are darker in color and about the size of a sesame seed.
Usually, both conditions can be effectively treated at home. Invest in a medicated shampoo, and carefully comb the hair if you’re removing lice nits.
Talk with your healthcare provider before treating young children or if your at-home treatments have not been successful. They will be able to diagnose your condition and recommend the safest and most effective treatment.
7 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Library of Medicine.Head lice.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About head lice.Borda LJ, Wikramanayake TC.Seborrheic dermatitis and dandruff: a comprehensive review.J Clin Investig Dermatol. 2015;3(2):10.13188/2373-1044.1000019. doi:10.13188/2373-1044.1000019Burgess IF.Head lice: An inexpensive bioassay for use as guidance for healthcare workers monitoring treatment failures for insecticide resistance (1994-1999).Parasitol Res. 2023;122(2):425-433. doi:10.1007/s00436-022-07737-8Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.Head lice.Apet R, Prakash L, Shewale KH, Jawade S, Dhamecha R.Treatment modalities of pediculosis capitis: A narrative review.Cureus. 2023;15(9):e45028. doi:10.7759/cureus.45028.American Academy of Dermatology Association.How to treat dandruff.
7 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Library of Medicine.Head lice.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About head lice.Borda LJ, Wikramanayake TC.Seborrheic dermatitis and dandruff: a comprehensive review.J Clin Investig Dermatol. 2015;3(2):10.13188/2373-1044.1000019. doi:10.13188/2373-1044.1000019Burgess IF.Head lice: An inexpensive bioassay for use as guidance for healthcare workers monitoring treatment failures for insecticide resistance (1994-1999).Parasitol Res. 2023;122(2):425-433. doi:10.1007/s00436-022-07737-8Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.Head lice.Apet R, Prakash L, Shewale KH, Jawade S, Dhamecha R.Treatment modalities of pediculosis capitis: A narrative review.Cureus. 2023;15(9):e45028. doi:10.7759/cureus.45028.American Academy of Dermatology Association.How to treat dandruff.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
National Library of Medicine.Head lice.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About head lice.Borda LJ, Wikramanayake TC.Seborrheic dermatitis and dandruff: a comprehensive review.J Clin Investig Dermatol. 2015;3(2):10.13188/2373-1044.1000019. doi:10.13188/2373-1044.1000019Burgess IF.Head lice: An inexpensive bioassay for use as guidance for healthcare workers monitoring treatment failures for insecticide resistance (1994-1999).Parasitol Res. 2023;122(2):425-433. doi:10.1007/s00436-022-07737-8Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.Head lice.Apet R, Prakash L, Shewale KH, Jawade S, Dhamecha R.Treatment modalities of pediculosis capitis: A narrative review.Cureus. 2023;15(9):e45028. doi:10.7759/cureus.45028.American Academy of Dermatology Association.How to treat dandruff.
National Library of Medicine.Head lice.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About head lice.
Borda LJ, Wikramanayake TC.Seborrheic dermatitis and dandruff: a comprehensive review.J Clin Investig Dermatol. 2015;3(2):10.13188/2373-1044.1000019. doi:10.13188/2373-1044.1000019
Burgess IF.Head lice: An inexpensive bioassay for use as guidance for healthcare workers monitoring treatment failures for insecticide resistance (1994-1999).Parasitol Res. 2023;122(2):425-433. doi:10.1007/s00436-022-07737-8
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.Head lice.
Apet R, Prakash L, Shewale KH, Jawade S, Dhamecha R.Treatment modalities of pediculosis capitis: A narrative review.Cureus. 2023;15(9):e45028. doi:10.7759/cureus.45028.
American Academy of Dermatology Association.How to treat dandruff.
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