Dandruff or Nits: How Can You Tell?

One of the main reasons why many parents fail to catch lice infestations in the beginning is because they mistake them for dandruff flakes. Dandruff and nits are both white and flaky in texture. They cause a lot of itching and can be a nuisance for children and parents alike. The truth is, aside from these characteristics, nits and dandruff are as different as chalk and cheese. Here’s why!

Differences between Dandruff and Nits

Regarding head lice, these parasitic bugs feed off the blood they get from your scalp. Color-wise, they’re typically brown, yellow and white and are contagious. Caused by close head-to-head contact, usually among children between the ages of 3 and 11, head lice can infest adults as well. Though lice don’t cause any such harm, it can be difficult if you have an infestation, since the itchiness can cause sleep problems and can make you feel very uneasy.

What about Dandruff?

In contrast, dandruff is dried pieces of scalp that flake off. Caused by several reasons including dry skin, dirty skin, and irritated oily skin or even as a reaction to certain hair products, dandruff causes itchiness and inflammation. However, dandruff is simply that. Unlike nits, dandruff is not contagious and is not too difficult to get off a hair follicle. Because these are just dried flakes, you can easily brush them off the top of your scalp, though as time goes on, more skin will dry up.

Method of Treatment

For each, the treatment method is of course, very different. You can get plenty of anti-dandruff shampoos that can effectively treat your hair issue within one or two washes. However, with nits and therefore lice, the process involves the use of anti-lice treatments, a complete inspection of one’s home and personal belongings as well as after-care. Unfortunately, over the counter lice treatments are no longer effective at eliminating lice. Over the years, lice have evolved resistance to common active ingredients in anti-lice products. The only way to effectively eliminate lice is through natural treatments.

Treating Lice the Right Way

Lice Troopers is a leading lice salon New Jersey that offers natural lice treatments that are effective and affordable. If you think you have lice and nits, come on down for a screening. If you do have an infestation, we’ll have it taken care of in a jiffy! Call now at 732-806-7717 to book an appointment.