Question: why do nits get in your hair

Rosie Coates answered on 10 Mar 2014:

Nits are the empty egg shells of head lice. Head lice are tiny insects that are about as big as a sesame seed, they live in our hair and feed on our blood… When female head lice lay eggs they glue them to our hair very close to the scalp so our body temperature can keep them warm. When these eggs hatch the baby head lice, which are the size of a pin prick, leave the eggs shell to join the adult head lice feasting on our blood, lovely! The egg shells stay glued to our hair and as our hair grows the egg shell moves away from the scalp and becomes more visible. about 7 days later these baby head lice are fully grown and they can start laying eggs of their own.

Even though head lice can’t fly or jump they are certainly very good at getting around! They crawl from one person’s hair to another when our heads come into contact with each other. Head lice don’t really prefer one type of head to another; as long as it’s human they’re happy! Someone having nits does not mean they are dirty, just that they have come into contact with someone else who has head lice…