An experience of tickling or itching on top your head might mean you have lice. Having lice does not mean people are particularly dirty or have bad hygiene. Lice can happen to anyone.

What exactly are lice? Lice is the plural form of louse, a small wingless parasitic insect that roams around the head. They feed off of blood on the scalp and give birth to eggs called nits.

“When I was little I had lice, and I hated it. It was not fun, and my head was really itchy,” freshman Alayna Meyers said.

The itching and horrible scratching sensation is due to the lice’s saliva, which causes an allergic reaction similar to mosquito bites. Scratching your head can lead to a bad rash or a bacterial infection that might require antibiotics to heal.

“If I were to ever get lice, I would shave my head,” freshman Ryan Tufts said.

Shaving your head gets rid of lice effectively since you are taking away their habitat. But, you can opt for other methods if you want to keep your hair.

You can purchase over the counter lice shampoo. If that does not work, then a doctor can prescribe you a stronger medication. To stop lice from returning, you need to remove all the nits usually found about one-fourth inches from the scalp.

“To treat the lice they took a light and put on a weird chemical that made me smell bad for a whole week,” Meyers said.

Using a light and fine-tooth comb is very helpful in applying the solution and combing out the nits.

Lice spread very quickly. Keep your head pest free by avoiding head-to-head contact with other people, sharing belongings like a brush or hat, and putting clean sheets before using the same bed as someone else.