my head itches...

[Anonymous]

Try some Selsum Blue. It could be ringworm, which would be difficult to see, depending on how long and/or thick your hair is.

[Anonymous]

I've had lice on my kids twice. It's hard to see young lice with the naked eye. You need a lice comb. Goole the licemeister and give yourself a comb out.

[Anonymous]

If you don't want to go the chemical route initially, you could do the following:

Saturate your hair with some conditioner. Get a good comb-I use a metal flea comb (saw them at Safeway yesterday in the pet aisle; also available at Petsmart). Comb out sections at a time, starting all the way down firmly on your scalp, wiping after each comb-thru on a white paper towel or tissue. If you have lice, the nymphs and the adults will get caught up in the conditioner and be removed. Repeat every couple of days, in order to capture any recently hatched lice. Lice cannot live off the host very long, and once off the host (certainly mungled up in conditioner) they can't scurry very fast either.

If you find any specs (black or reddish-brown), then you've got lice; if you don't find anything after a thorough combing with the liberally-applied conditioner, look for another itching cause (as some PPs have suggested).

For me, I started with the chemical treatment -eg, RID- which kills any existing adults/nymphs. (I also leave the RID in for twice as long as suggested on the package - as recommended to me by a nurse), and then did the conditioner trick a few times before the second chemical treatment. (The OTC chemicals only kill the nymphs and adults, not the nits/eggs, so you need to re-treat in about 7 days or so. Newly hatched nymphs can't yet lay eggs. So if you get all the current nymphs and adults out, then redo it every couple of days, you'll get all the newly hatched ones before they mature enough to hook up with that cute little boy louse from around the corner to make more nits.

Good luck!

[Anonymous]

OP here: Thanks all. Had child care provider check too and no lice. I am not really under stress unless you consider being bored at job stressful. I guess I find it mildly stressful.

I also recently weaned. Maybe that's it? I've also recently been having insomnia. Maybe I am stressed and don't know it.

I think i'll do some version of the non-RID treatments above b/c they might treat itchy scalp or mild lice infestation if I have on of those.

[Anonymous]

weird, but in a cool way:
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/24/the-alternative-medicine-cabinet-cetaphil-for-lice/

[Anonymous]

My scalp gets like that from the blow-dryer sometimes. Itcy from being dried out. Try a really deep moisturizing conditioning treatment-let it soak into your scalp for a good long time.