Lice facts
The first step to getting rid of lice is understanding more about them.
Understanding lice and super lice
What are head lice?
Head lice are tiny, wingless insects that live on the human scalp and feed on blood to survive. They are generally found behind the neck and ears. Sometimes lice can be found on eyebrows and eyelashes. They can be tan, brown, or grayish-white and can be seen without magnification. An adult head louse is about the size of a sesame seed and can live for 30 days on a person’s head but can only survive up to 2 days if it falls off and cannot feed. Adult female head lice can lay about 6 eggs (nits) a day. Although head lice should be eliminated, they do not transmit disease or pose a serious health threat.
What’s the difference between lice and super lice?
Over the years, lice have built a genetic resistance to traditional pesticide-based ingredients, making some over-the-counter treatments less effective. These resistant lice are called super lice and have become the dominant species of lice, present in at least 48 states. The highest level of resistance has been found against the pesticide ingredient, permethrin. Since you cannot tell super lice apart from regular head lice based on appearance, using a lice treatment that is shown to kill super lice, such as any of RID® SUPER MAX treatment products, will eliminate even those resistant, tougher-to-kill head lice.
How do lice spread?
Lice can’t fly—they can only crawl from person to person. Children often get head lice from head-to-head contact with other children but may also get them by sharing personal items such as hats, combs, or headbands. Lice infestations affect many children, with 6 to 12 million infestations occurring every year among children 3 to 11 years of age. Getting head lice is not related to cleanliness of the hair or home environment. Super lice spread in the same manner as regular lice. Dogs, cats, or other pets do not spread head lice. If a family member gets lice, RID® Daily Defense Shampoo & Conditioner can be used to reduce the risk of head lice spreading in the household.
What do lice look like?
Lice start out as eggs (nits). Head lice live for about 40-50 days and go through 3 stages in their life cycle:
1Egg Stage: hatches in 8-9 days
Lice eggs (nits) are laid by the female louse near the root of the hair shaft. They are attached to the hair with a glue-like substance that can’t be washed off or blown away. Eggs (nits) vary in color, from yellowish-brown hue to white. As the hair grows, eggs (nits) are found further away from the hair root. The louse egg (nit) develops and hatches about ten days later. Once the louse hatches, it leaves behind an empty eggshell, which remains attached to the hair as it grows, until it is removed.
Lice eggs (nits) are about the size of poppy seeds and can be difficult to find because they can easily blend in with the color of the infested person’s hair. Sometimes mistaken for sand, dandruff, or hairspray droplets, they are easy to tell apart since eggs (nits) are not easy to remove. They must be carefully combed out with a fine-toothed lice removal comb.
2Nymph Stage: grows over 9-12 days
Once a louse hatches, it’s called a nymph. Nymphs are barely visible to the naked eye. Nymphs cannot reproduce because they are not fully developed. After about 12 days, nymphs mature into adult lice.
3Adult Stage: lasts about 30 days
The adult female louse can lay up to 6 eggs per day starting new lice generations of lice. Lice cannot live longer than two days if they are separated from the head.
Three-stage lice life cycle

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