Who can Diagnose Head Lice?
11 October 2026
Home Lice Removal Service available 24/7, Melbourne metro and Geelong. Call 03 9122 5000 today!
Spring lice getting you down? Call Stella today!
Home Lice Removal Service available 24/7, Melbourne metro and Geelong. Call 03 9122 5000 today!
Spring lice getting you down? Call Stella today!
If you’re wondering who can decide if your child has Head Lice, we’ve got good news for you. Anyone can! This article will explain the current Australian public health advice about who can check for Head Lice and how.
You can do it yourself at home without the need to make an appointment or pay anyone to do it for you. (Pretty handy in a cost of living crisis!)
According to the Victorian Health Department, between 16 and 60 per cent of Australian primary school aged children have Head Lice at any time so diagnosing Head Lice is a skill every parent should have.
Your kids might have Head Lice right now so learn more below!
Diagnosing Head Lice is a handy skill for parents! Image courtesy of Freepik.
How do I find out if my child has Head Lice?
There are three ways that parents use to diagnose Head Lice. Michelle MacDonald, founder and Director of Stella Says Mobile Lice Removal Service, servicing metropolitan Melbourne and Geelong, rates the three methods below. She’s diagnosed hundreds of clients so will discuss each lice diagnosis method’s pros and cons.
1. Visual check of your child's scalp. (Michelle's rating 2/10.)
“All parents do this, even though it’s not effective and not recommended by public health advice,” says Michelle, reflecting on her knowledge gained from treating hundreds of families in her Mobile Lice Removal Service.
“Look closely at your child’s scalp at the top of their head,” explains Michelle. “You will need to separate out the hair with your hands.”
She points out that kids tend to find this method annoying and generally won’t keep still which is one of the reasons it’s not a great method of diagnosing Head Lice.
Head Lice can be darkish brown or lighter so they can look like sesame seeds.
Head Lice can camouflage themselves to the colour of your child’s hair!
“Yes that is true,” says Michelle and is backed up by science. “This is why lice are very frustrating for parents to diagnose because most children don’t itch and lice camouflage themselves to the colour of hair. I once removed a louse from a client’s head and it was pure silver. It looked a bit like a lice charm from a bracelet!” Michelle laughs at the memory.
Kids tend to have all sorts of strange things in their hair – bits of twig, sand, dirt. Not to mention dandruff and hair product. These can look like Head Lice or nits.
Head Lice crawl very fast and Michelle advises “As I say on my instagram @realstellasays, it if moves, it’s not a piece of twig!”
Nits are Head Lice eggs. They are tiny and round and tend to stick to hair and are located quite close to the scalp.
“Unlike dandruff, nits don’t break apart when you touch them. They stick to the hair,” Michelle advises.
Visually diagnosing Head Lice is not recommended because they hide very well! Image courtesy of Freepik.
Visually diagnosing Head Lice is not recommended because Head Lice hide very effectively.
Parents often ring me and say that they haven’t seen lice on their child’s head so they’ve decided their child doesn’t have lice. I always tell them ‘Just because you don’t see Head Lice on your child’s head doesn’t mean they’re not there.’ They’re the most hated parasite on earth. They know how to hide!” Michelle laughs.
That said, once your kids have had Head Lice, it’s very difficult to resist the temptation to glance down at their scalp given that they’re shorter than you!
Michelle’s rating: 2/10
This rating is made up of one point for the pleasure of cracking a Head Louse between two thumb nails (Sometimes it can be the only joy you experience as a parent that day!) and one extra point if your child likes you playing with their hair. Those two points are just for fun. This method will not accurately diagnose Head Lice and is not recommended!
Michelle points out that research shows that one of the biggest factors in an effective Head Lice treatment is a good relationship between parent and child.
“If you and your child don’t cooperate, it will make it very difficult to detect, treat or control Head Lice,” Michelle advises.
Also, watch out for your child’s sleep patterns. Head Lice tend to be active at night so they may be disrupting your child’s sleep.
If your child is tired or irritable, Head Lice might be the cause!
Michelle’s rating: 3/10
Keeping a watch of your child and their habits is really important but is only going to help you when combined with Number 3 below – the comb and conditioner method.
Is your child tired? It might be because of Head Lice! Image courtesy of Pexels and Matheus Bertelli
This is the method of diagnosing Head Lice that is recommended by public health advice in Australia.
The NSW Health Department calls it “the preferred way to detect and treat Head Lice.”
Michelle points out that this method is simple and effective. “The best part about this method? If you diagnose that your child does have Head Lice you then keep combing and the detection method becomes the treatment method. I love that!” Michelle says enthusiastically.
“My signature Stella Says NO DRAMA!®️ Hair Conditioner is suitable for this method,” says Michelle, although she quickly points out that her product is not endorsed by the Health Department.
“Stella Says conditioner is endorsed by hundreds of Australian parents and that’s the endorsement that matters to me most,” she says with a smile.
Stella Says’ I’ve Got this! Pack contains everything you need to detect Head Lice using the comb & conditioner method.
Stella Says®️ NO DRAMA!®️ Family Hair Conditioner is suitable for this method.
Michelle’s rating: 10/10
The comb & conditioner method is simple and effective, which is why it is supported by public health advice. And recommended by Michelle!
Remember to check stellasays.com.au for more detailed instructions.
Stella says find time for yourself in the chaos of parenting! Image courtesy Ylanite Koppens, Pexels.
Want more tips, tricks and freebies?
Michelle recommends that you join up to 60 Seconds of Stella – one minute reads direct to your inbox.
“I know you’re busy so the articles are only 60 seconds of reading and arrive once a week. I love that,” says Michelle.
Please note that Stella says is not affiliated with any State or Territory Government or Health Department nor do they endorse Stella’s products or services. Many Australian parents do endorse our products and services, and you can read their Google reviews here.
Health references: stellasays.com.au, betterhealth.vic.gov.au, health.nsw.gov.au
List of ingredients
List of ingredients