My friend has nits and I'm really worried I might get them because I had them before and they destroyed my life and I'm worried she might get bullied not being mean but she doesn't do anything and when she lifts her hair you can see lots I don't know what to do because if I tell her she will be mad but I seriously don't want them I really feel anxious about it please help me x
Sam
Hi there,
Getting nits or head lice is a common problem and anyone can get them. All types of hair can get head lice and it doesn't mean your hair is dirty. Head lice can't jump, fly or swim. So your head would need to be very close to your friend in order for any of them to crawl onto your hair.
It can be difficult to talk to a friend about something like this and from what you have said you don't want to upset or hurt her. Maybe you can think about if you were in the same position as your friend - would you want her to tell you? You could think about the best time and place to talk to her when she is on her own.
It can be very difficult to tell if someone has nits or head lice even if you look closely. Nits are the white empty shells where the baby lice have hatched. If you're at school you could suggest your friend goes to the school nurse if you have one. The nurse would be able to check her hair with a fine toothed lice comb to see if she has live head lice and recommend what she needs to do. Head lice can be removed by a special comb or treated with lotions or sprays.
If someone has had nits for a long time, it could be a sign that no one has noticed them at home. If there are other things that make you worry about your friend you could speak to an adult you trust like a teacher.
I hope this helps but you can always talk to a counsellor about this or suggest your friend could talk to a counsellor if you need some more help.
Take care, Sam
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