Frequently Asked Questions

Head lice (Pediculosis capitis) are tiny parasitic insects that live on the human scalp and feed on blood. They have six legs with claws designed to grip hair shafts and range in color from light tan to dark brown — darkening after a blood meal. Adult lice are roughly the size of a sesame seed.

Head lice develop in three stages: nit (egg), nymph (juvenile), and adult louse. An adult female lays 6–10 eggs per day, cementing each one to a hair shaft within a quarter inch of the scalp. Nits hatch in 7–10 days; nymphs mature into adults about a week after that.

Adult lice are 2–3 mm long (sesame-seed size), flat, and tan to dark brown. They move quickly and avoid light, making them hard to spot.

Nits are tiny, oval-shaped eggs firmly glued to the hair shaft. They can be light tan (unhatched) or white/clear (already hatched). Unlike dandruff, nits do not brush off — they're stuck. A simple rule: if it moves when touched, it's not a nit.

Lice are most often found above the ears, at the nape of the neck, and at the crown of the head. Nits are typically within a quarter inch of the scalp — the further from the scalp, the older (and likely dead) the nit.

The most reliable sign is finding live lice or nits on the scalp. Other common symptoms include:

• Itching — an allergic reaction to louse saliva. Note: about 50% of people with lice never itch at all.
• Tickling sensation — the feeling of something moving in the hair.
• Small red sores on the scalp from scratching.
• Difficulty sleeping — lice are most active in the dark.

Because itching isn't universal, many infestations go undetected for weeks. Regular head checks every 2–3 weeks are the best way to catch lice early.

Four quick ways to tell them apart:

• Removability — Dandruff brushes off easily. Nits are glued to the hair shaft and won't slide off.
• Appearance — Nits are tiny and oval-shaped (tan or white). Dandruff is larger, irregularly shaped, and bright white.
• Location — Nits cluster near the scalp (behind ears, nape of neck). Dandruff is scattered all over the head.
• Movement — Dandruff flakes fall freely. Nits stay put when you try to slide them.

Still unsure? Come in for a free head check — we'll tell you definitively within minutes.

No. Lice have no wings and cannot jump. They can only crawl — which is why direct head-to-head contact is by far the most common way they spread. Lice will crawl from one strand of hair directly onto another person's hair during close contact.

Head lice are not known to spread any disease. They are a nuisance and cause discomfort, but they are not a health hazard. The CDC confirms that head lice do not transmit bacterial or viral diseases.

Secondary skin infections from excessive scratching are possible but rare and easily treated.

No. Head lice are species-specific — they only survive on human blood. Dogs, cats, and other household pets cannot get human head lice, nor can they transmit lice to people. There's no need to treat your pets.

It's common for an infestation to go unnoticed for 4–6 weeks or longer — especially since about half of people with lice never itch. Itching itself is an allergic reaction that develops over time, so a first-time infestation may cause little or no discomfort early on.

By the time a parent notices, the infestation is often well-established. This is why routine checks every 2–3 weeks are so valuable.

The most common route is direct head-to-head contact with an infested person — this accounts for the vast majority of cases. Children are especially vulnerable because they play in close physical proximity at school, sleepovers, sports, camps, and playgroups.

Less commonly, lice can transfer through shared personal items such as brushes, combs, hats, helmets, towels, pillowcases, or headphones. However, because lice cannot survive long off the scalp, object-to-head transfer is far less likely than direct contact.

It's possible, but it's much less common than head-to-head contact. Lice need human blood to survive and quickly become inactive off the scalp. For transfer to happen via an object, a louse would have to crawl from the item onto the new host's head — and this becomes increasingly unlikely the longer the item sits unused.

Still, it's a good habit not to share hats, helmets, brushes, hair ties, or headphones with others during or after a known lice exposure.

Adult lice can survive off the human scalp for up to 24–48 hours without a blood meal. Nits (eggs) cannot hatch without the warmth of the scalp, and any nit that falls off the head is unlikely to survive. This is why thorough home cleaning, while helpful, is less critical than treating the head itself.

No need to tear your house apart. A focused clean is enough:

• Wash pillowcases, sheets, and recently worn hats/clothing on hot (130°F+) and dry on high heat.
• Vacuum upholstered furniture, car seats, and carpets where the infested person sat or slept in the last 48 hours.
• Soak combs and brushes in hot water (not boiling) for 10 minutes.
• Items that can't be washed can be sealed in a plastic bag for 48 hours.

You do not need to bag every stuffed animal, quarantine rooms, or hire an exterminator. The head is the only real treatment priority.

Longer hair provides more surface area for head-to-head contact and more places for nits to attach, which can make transfer slightly easier. However, lice don't discriminate — any hair length or type can be infested.

Keeping hair braided or in a bun during high-risk periods (school, camp, sleepovers) reduces exposure but doesn't eliminate risk. Tightly coiled or natural hair textures are not immune, though the hair structure may make detection harder.

If your child keeps getting lice despite prevention efforts, it's almost always because someone in their close social circle has an untreated or undetected case. Lice can only come from other lice — your child is likely being re-exposed repeatedly from the same source.

The most effective step is to notify your child's close friends' parents so everyone can get checked and treated at the same time. Breaking the cycle requires treating the whole circle, not just your household.

Most over-the-counter lice products (like Nix or Rid) contain pesticides (permethrin or pyrethrin) that many lice strains have developed resistance to — so-called "super lice." Even effective OTC products typically require multiple treatments over two weeks and extensive manual combing.

Our treatment is pesticide-free, uses a natural enzyme-based process, and is completed in a single visit. We remove both live lice and nits during the appointment, and we back every treatment with a 45-day guarantee.

Every appointment follows these steps:

• Head check — We assess the severity of the infestation.
• Treatment application — Our natural enzyme solution is applied to the hair and scalp.
• Manual removal — Our trained technicians comb out lice and nits section by section.
• Final check — We verify the head is clear before you leave.
• Education — We walk you through prevention steps and follow-up care.

You leave in a single visit with the infestation fully treated.

Most appointments take 1–2 hours, depending on hair length, thickness, and severity of infestation. When you call to book, our team can give you a more specific estimate based on your situation.

Our treatment is 100% pesticide-free and non-toxic. We use a natural enzyme-based formula — no chemicals that can harm developing nervous systems or cause skin sensitization. It's safe for the whole family.

Yes. Because we use no pesticides or harsh chemicals, our treatment is safe for pregnant women, nursing mothers, newborns, and people with sensitive skin or allergies. If you have any specific medical concerns, we recommend consulting your doctor — but our formula has no known contraindications.

Our Hero Treatment (full lice removal) is $169 per person. Head checks are $30 per person — and free for any family member when another family member receives a paid treatment.

We treat multiple family members in the same appointment. Call us at (512) 856-4824 with any questions about pricing for larger families.

We do not bill insurance directly. However, some flexible spending accounts (FSA) and health savings accounts (HSA) may cover lice treatment — check with your plan. We're happy to provide a receipt for reimbursement purposes.

We stand behind our work. If lice are found on a treated head within 45 days of your original appointment, we will re-treat at no charge. We're confident our process works — and this guarantee gives you peace of mind.

Absolutely. We treat the entire family — children, parents, grandparents, everyone. In fact, we recommend that all household members be checked any time someone in the home is diagnosed with lice, regardless of age or whether they're itching.

Often, yes. Same-day appointments are frequently available at both our Round Rock and South Austin clinics. The best way to check is to call us directly at (512) 856-4824 — we'll do our best to get your family in as quickly as possible.

In most cases, the next morning. After a professional treatment at Hero Lice Clinics, your child's head is clear of live lice — so there's no medical reason they can't return to school immediately.

Some schools have "no-nit" policies that require children to be nit-free before returning. We recommend calling your school's nurse line to confirm their specific policy before your child's first day back.

Yes — and we know it can feel uncomfortable. But notifying your school's nurse and your child's close friends' families is the single most important thing you can do to stop re-infestation. Most parents are grateful for the heads-up and would want to know.

Many schools have a notification process for lice cases. Your school nurse can reach out to affected classrooms discreetly.

Yes, this is completely normal. Itching is an allergic reaction to the saliva from louse bites — even after the lice are gone, the scalp can remain irritated for up to a week as the reaction subsides. This is not a sign that the treatment failed.

Itching can also be caused by scalp sensitivity from the comb-out process or from thinking about lice (it's more common than you'd think). If itching persists beyond 7–10 days or is severe, call us.

You can be confident your child is lice-free when you have found no live lice and no clusters of nits near the scalp for two weeks.

Finding a stray nit far from the scalp is not cause for alarm — nits that are more than ½ inch from the scalp are old and almost certainly dead or hatched. Finding a cluster of 6–7 nits close to the scalp, however, warrants a recheck. Nits never take more than two weeks to hatch — if they're more than two weeks old, they're dead.

Take a breath. Most of the time, what looks like lice post-treatment is dandruff, residue from hair products, or scalp debris. Try to remove the suspected nit or louse completely — if you can, take a photo and send it to us.

If you're within your 45-day guarantee window, call us and we'll get you back in. If it is confirmed lice, we'll re-treat at no charge. Don't panic — just contact us and we'll walk you through the next steps.

Yes, absolutely. About 50% of people with lice never itch, so the absence of itching is not a reliable indicator. Head checks are free for family members when one person receives a paid treatment — we strongly recommend checking everyone in the household at the same time.

On Day 4 after your appointment, apply our Lice Prevention Gel to dry hair. Let it sit for 10 minutes, then rinse. This step is included in your post-treatment instructions.

We also recommend using our Lice Wits Prevention Spray daily and our Prevention Shampoo once a week going forward — particularly if your child is in an environment where lice exposure is likely.

We understand that treating a large family can be a significant expense. Our Lice Wits At-Home Treatment Kit, combined with our household spray and prevention spray, is available for families who need a more affordable option. We also offer a video tutorial on self comb-out technique.

Give us a call — we'll help you prioritize who needs professional treatment most and walk you through home options for the rest.

No prevention method is 100% foolproof, but these steps significantly reduce risk:

• Avoid head-to-head contact during play, sleepovers, or sports.
• Don't share combs, brushes, hair ties, hats, helmets, or headphones.
• Wear hair up (braids, buns, ponytails) in high-risk environments like school and camp.
• Use a lice prevention spray or conditioner containing tea tree oil or other deterrent ingredients.
• Check your child's head every 2–3 weeks, especially after sleepovers or known exposures.

Yes. Our Lice Wits Prevention Spray and Prevention Shampoo are formulated to make the scalp environment inhospitable to lice. We recommend the spray daily and the shampoo once a week as an ongoing prevention routine — especially during back-to-school season and when there's a known exposure.

These products are available for purchase at either clinic location.

Yes. Lice cases spike at the start of the school year (August–September) when children return from summer camps and activities and resume close contact in classrooms. A second surge often occurs after winter break in January.

However, lice don't take holidays — we see cases year-round. Any time children are in close contact, lice can spread.

No. Lice have nothing to do with hygiene or cleanliness. Clean hair is actually slightly preferred by lice because there's no product buildup to interfere with gripping the hair shaft. Anyone — regardless of how often they wash their hair — can get lice. Getting lice is not a sign of poor hygiene and there's nothing to be embarrassed about.

Hero Lice Clinics partners with schools across Central Texas on lice prevention and early detection. Recommended steps:

• Schedule routine lice screenings through our clinic — catching cases early prevents large outbreaks.
• Run a proactive education program for parents on detection, prevention, and treatment.
• Assign individual cubbies for hats and scarves; use wall hooks for coats rather than shared hooks.
• Clean shared headsets and helmets with a damp cloth after each use.
• Vacuum carpeted or upholstered areas frequently.

Contact us at (512) 856-4824 to discuss a school screening program.

Hero Lice Clinics runs a "Keep Lice Out of Camp" program. We offer on-site or in-clinic screenings before camp sessions begin, as well as mid-session checks if needed. Early detection is the key — one undetected case in a cabin can spread quickly.

Call us to set up a camp screening plan before your summer session starts.

A "no-nit" policy means a school requires children to be completely free of nits (not just live lice) before returning to class. These policies vary by school and district — the American Academy of Pediatrics actually recommends against strict no-nit policies because stray nits pose very low transmission risk.

Check directly with your school nurse to understand the specific policy. We provide documentation of treatment upon request that you can present to your school.