Before entering fully into the meaning of the term nit, we are going to proceed to know its etymological origin. In this case, we can state that it derives from Latin, exactly from the word "lendis, lendinis", which is the name given to the louse egg.
Precisely now the egg laid by lice is also called a nit . A louse, in turn, is an insect that lacks wings and lives as a parasite on the body of humans and other species of mammals.
These eggs adhere to the hairs of the louse's hosts, where they develop until they hatch.
It is possible to differentiate between dead (empty) nits and live nits (which house the developing embryo). While empty nits are clear and cannot be burst, nits with embryos are brown and burst when compressed. By distinguishing between both types of nits, it is possible to know if the person or animal suffers from the infection or if, on the contrary, they no longer have lice and only traces or traces of this ectoparasite remain.
The nits are oval and smooth, measuring between 0.3 and 0.8 millimeters. They attach to the hair fibers approximately 6 mm from the scalp and can be very difficult to remove.
It is estimated that each female louse can lay up to eight nits per day . Each nit, in turn, takes between six and ten days to hatch. In this way, a female can lay between sixty and one hundred eggs throughout her life .
To eliminate nits you can use a specialized shampoo . Another method is to comb the hair with a fine comb , also known as a comb . As the prongs of this comb are located very close to each other, almost without separation, when passing the element through the hair it drags the nits and lice, which become trapped between the prongs.
In the same way, we cannot ignore that there are many other home tricks to get rid of the nits that a person has in their hair. We are referring to applying olive oil to lavender essential oil, coconut oil or apple cider vinegar to the aforementioned hair.
Likewise, in this list of grandmother's remedies there is also the application of tea tree oil, eucalyptus oil and even citronella spray. What's more, there are those who choose to apply a garlic infusion to the scalp and even do the same with mayonnaise or so-called white vinegar.
In addition to everything indicated, we have to explain that it is a word that is used to give shape to a very particular qualification that is given to some people in Spain. Specifically, someone is described as a “master nit” because “he knows everything and understands nothing.” That is to say, he apparently thinks he knows about any topic or job, but in reality, he doesn't understand anything because he only stays on what is the "surface" of any matter.