A member asked:

Can nits live without being attached to scalp?

5 doctors weighed in across 2 answers

Not for long: Nits die soon after detachment from hair follicles.

Answered 9/28/2016

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Words matter: The scalp is the skin of the head and associated internal structures. The nits are laid by lice at the hair base and grow out as the hair grows (about 1/2 inch/mo). The louse inside the nit must feed on emerging or it dies. So a nit without a food source will die of starvation. So nits are attached to hair, not scalp.

Answered 11/27/2017

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