The head louse is a tiny, wingless parasitic insect that lives among human hairs and feeds on extremely small amounts of blood drawn from the scalp. Although they may sound gross, lice (the plural of louse) are a very common problem, especially for kids ages 3 to 12 years (girls more often than boys).
Lice aren’t dangerous and they don’t spread disease, but they are contagious and can just be downright annoying. Their bites may cause a child’s scalp to become itchy and inflamed, and persistent scratching may lead to skin irritation and even infection.
Having head lice is not a sign of uncleanliness or poor hygiene. The pesky little bugs can be a problem for all ages and socioeconomic levels, no matter how often they do or don’t clean their hair and bathe.