Lice...?
How do you get head lice? Is there other ways besides getting it from someone else? What will happen if headlice goes untreated? How do you self-inspect for lice?
Maybe 2 weeks ago, I noticed little white dots around my scalp and dismissed them as dandruff. Well, then I began itching. Even directly after a shower, my scalp will itch. Is this necessarily lice or could it be something else?
You always get head lice from other people, but it need not be from direct contact - it can be from towels or pillows or head-rests. Even when it's from direct contact with other people, it need not be very close contact - if your hair touches someone else's in a crowded street, that's enough.If they are not treated, they itch horribly, and your close friends and family will get them too.You can get someone else to inspect your hair for lice, or you can use a lice comb vigorously while leaning over some paper and you'll probably see them. The easiest thing, if you suspect lice, is to buy some lice shampoo and use it and see if the itching goes. Even if it says it works on one application, use it at least twice, a week apart. At the same time wash your pillowcases and sheets and upper clothes, and treat other members of the family also.It does sound like you have lice, though it could be something else.
Thanks, as always, Ineligible. Do you happen to know of anything else that could be a possiblity? To my understanding, dandruff doesn't itch so I've eliminated that possiblity.
It could be a skin condition like ringworm or any of the others that itch. It could be mites. But lice are very common.
Actually, dandruff can be very itchy. If dry skin on your body itches, why wouldn't it on your head? I have lots of dermal problems involving dry skin, and it's very itchy, including dandruff. Try using a dandruff shampoo, using rich conditioners, and maybe even hot oil treatments. You can also try tea tree oil shampoo or a tar based shampoo such as Neutrogena T-Gel. Normally you can actually SEE lice - or their nits and eggs. Their eggs are very small, almost clear, and stick to the shafts of your hair like glue. In that case, you need to get a lice treatment at a pharmacy.
