When people are concerned about treating head lice, they will also want to know about nits. Nits and head lice are quite different. Lice are small grayish bugs that you can spot on and near the scalp. Though they are small, they move and are easy to find if you look. Nits are the eggs of head lice, and since they are immobile and even smaller than lice, they can be quite hard to detect. However, lice treatment depends on the removal of nits as well as lice.

Nits are lice eggs that are attached to hairs close to the scalp. They look like rice and can't be removed easily. The nits do not cause any itching, so you'll have to look for them and remove them. If all are not removed, the lice infestation may happen again.

The simplest means of removal is the use of a special very fine toothed nit comb. The teeth are so small and close together that any nits are scraped off. After using a shampoo or solution to kill all of the live lice, every strand of hair must be searched and any nit removed. Some lice treatments will kill these eggs, but many do not. Never skip this step.

Even when a nontoxic cure like mayonnaise or petroleum jelly is used, nit removal is crucial. More lice will hatch out unless these are eradicated. Remember that the treatment may have only killed live lice, not those who haven't yet hatched out. Any nits that are removed need to be flushed down the drain or placed in a sealed container as they can live for many days after removal.

A nit that happens to fall off into your bed linens, your furnishings, your garments, or your child's plush toys can lay its eggs there. The house must be vacuumed throughout and all possible items washed and dried. Steam cleaning can also be useful. Whatever you cannot clean must be wrapped in a closed sack for approximately 21 days.

For several weeks after treating for lice, the head should be closely inspected for nits and any found should be removed and killed. Check the hairline and nape of the neck first, but examine the entire head. Repeat the lotion or shampoo as directed on the label. Lice are an annoying problem, but this is one case where "nitpicking detail" is literally the key to successful cures.