Nits are the eggs of head lice. Head lice are very small insects which live on the scalp of human beings. They are few millimeters in length and are a light brown color. They dont live on animals and feed by sucking blood from your scalp.
Head lice lay eggs, called nits, which they stick to the shafts of your hair with a very strong glue. The eggs are dull grey and are fastened to the hair very close to the scalp. After about 7 days, the eggs hatch, and new lice are released.
How nits are contracted
Head lice and nits cannot jump or fly. They walk from one head to another and one can catch head lice by having your head alongside the head of someone else who is infected with head lice. Once a person is infected, he/she can pass head lice to any close friend, or family member, whose head is in contact with his/her head.
Head lice die if they are not kept warm. It is very unusual for lice to be found on hats, scarves, brushes or combs and they dont survive on pillows or towels. The only way of catching them is to be in head to head contact with an infected person.
