Lice

During an exam, a health care provider may use a magnifying lens to look for lice. The provider may also use a special light, called a Wood’s light, to check for nits. This light makes the nits easier to spot by making them look pale blue.

Head lice

A health care provider may diagnose head lice after finding a live young or adult louse in the person’s hair or on the scalp, or after seeing one or more nits on hair shafts found within 1/4 inch (6 millimeters) of the scalp.

Body lice

A health care provider may diagnose body lice if they find eggs or crawling lice in clothing seams or on bedding. You can see a body louse on skin if it crawls there to feed.

Pubic lice

A health care provider may diagnose pubic lice when they see moving lice or nits on hair in the pubic area or on other areas of coarse hair, such as chest hair, eyebrows or eyelashes.