Lice Vs. Dandruff: How Do I Tell The Difference? - Healthline

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What’s the Difference Between Lice and Dandruff?

Medically reviewed by Judith Marcin, M.D. — Written by Erica Roth — Updated on March 8, 2019

Symptoms
Causes
Lice treatment
Dandruff treatment

Lice is a contagious condition caused by a parasite, while dandruff is a skin condition that can’t be passed from person to person. Due to their different causes, life and dandruff require different treatments.

Lice and dandruff are two common conditions that affect the scalp. While they share some similarities, lice and dandruff have different causes so they require different treatments.

Head lice are contagious parasites that exist in three forms:

eggs, also called “nits:” tiny white specks
nymphs, or young adults: small, tan-colored insects hatched from nits
adult lice: still extremely small, about the size of a sesame seed

Dandruff, also called seborrheic dermatitis, is a self-contained scalp condition that causes flaky skin or scales on your scalp. You can’t catch dandruff from anyone else, although it tends to run in families.

Read on to learn the differences between lice and dandruff. Knowing the differences can help you treat your scalp condition properly.

How do the symptoms of lice and dandruff differ?

Head lice and dandruff can cause noticeable symptoms in some people, but not in others. Itching is the most common symptom associated with both conditions. Lice feed on human blood and stay close to the scalp. The insects’ saliva irritates the scalp and causes you to itch. Dandruff can itch if your scalp is very dry.

What causes lice and dandruff?

The causes of dandruff and lice are different.

Lice

Lice are parasitic insects that crawl and spread to others through close contact. Lice can crawl onto:

clothing
bedding
towels
personal items like combs, hats, and hair accessories

It’s very easy to get head lice from a family member who has them.

Dandruff

Dandruff is a noncontagious, noninflammatory skin condition. Excessively dry or oily skin, common skin yeast, and certain genetic factors are commonly associated with dandruff.

Dandruff typically affects adolescents and young adults, but older adults and small children can also experience a flaky scalp. Cradle cap, a type of dandruff, is common in newborns and babies.

Is it dandruff or psoriasis? »

How do you treat lice?

Check all members of your household if someone has lice, especially if you share the same bed. Lice transfers easily from person to person.

Prescription shampoo

Treatment for head lice can come in the form of medicated shampoos. Shampoos containing permethrin and pyrethrin kill lice and nits and are recommended for adults and children over 2 years of age. You may have to wash your hair with the medicated shampoo again after 7 to 10 days to ensure that all the lice are dead.

Find over-the-counter lice shampoo here.

To apply treatment, you should:

Remove clothing that may become wet or stained during application.
Apply the medicine according to instructions on the box. You may need a second bottle if you are treating longer hair.
Check for live lice 8 to 12 hours after application. Comb out dead and live lice using a fine-tooth comb.

It is often advised to continue treatment until all the lice and nits are gone. Depending on your medication, a follow-up treatment is recommended about 7 to 9 days after the first treatment or if you see crawling lice.

Medication

You may require over-the-counter (OTC) or prescription medication. These medications include:

pyrethrins, available OTC
1 percent permethrin lotion, available OTC
5 percent benzyl alcohol lotion, prescription
0.5 percent ivermectin lotion, prescription
0.5 percent, malathion lotion, prescription
0.9 percent, spinosad topical suspension

Home treatment

Nonmedical remedies can be used in addition to medicated shampoos to help prevent head lice from spreading.

A lice infestation requires a little more work around the house to make sure that all of the tiny insects and their eggs are destroyed.

Wash clothing, towels, and bedding in very hot water and dry them on a high heat setting. Vacuum upholstered furniture and carpeting, and bag up stuffed animals and other toys for at least 3 days and up to 2 weeks. Any remaining lice will die without food.

»MORE:Get discreet treatment for head lice in as little as 15 minutes with Optum Now Online Care.

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How do you treat dandruff?

Shampoo

You can also manage dandruff with special shampoos designed to slow the skin-shedding process or treat fungal infections that might lead to skin flaking. Look for shampoos with coal tar, salicylic acid, ketoconazole, or selenium sulfide. Use dandruff shampoos every day to control severe flaking or weekly to manage minor symptoms.

Find shampoo containing coal tar, salicylic acid, ketoconazole, or selenium sulfide.

How we reviewed this article:

SourcesHistoryHealthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations. We only use quality, credible sources to ensure content accuracy and integrity. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.

Dandruff. (n.d.)http://www.hse.ie/eng/health/az/D/Dandruff/Prevention-of-dandruff.html
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs). (2015, September 1)http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/lice/head/gen_info/faqs.html
Head lice (Pediculus humanus capitis). (n.d.)http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001843/
Head lice. (2015, June)http://kidshealth.org/en/parents/head-lice.html
Mayo Clinic Staff. (2016, July 14). Dandruff: Overviewhttp://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/dandruff/diagnosis-treatment/treatment/txc-20215312
Mayo Clinic Staff. (2014, June 18). Head lice: Definitionhttp://www.mayoclinic.com/health/head-lice/DS00953
Seborrheic dermatitis. (n.d.)http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001959/
Treatment. (2016, August 19). Retrieved fromhttp://www.cdc.gov/parasites/lice/head/treatment.html

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Medically reviewed by Judith Marcin, M.D. — Written by Erica Roth — Updated on March 8, 2019

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