(HealthDay News) -- Head lice are a pesky, often itchy problem that should be remedied to prevent a secondary infection caused by scratching.

Having head lice, which live in the hair on a person's head, and perhaps the eyebrows, is not a reflection of a person's social status or personal hygiene, the U.S. National Library of Medicine says.

The agency offers these suggestions for how to detect head lice:

• Look for small white dots (they're actually eggs, called nits) on strands of hair that stick and are difficult to remove.
• Look for an outbreak of small, red bumps that appear on the shoulders, neck and scalp.
• Wear gloves and inspect the scalp beneath a bright light. Try using a magnifying glass.
• Carefully inspect all hair on the head and the entire scalp.