What is the difference between body lice and head lice?

What is the difference between body lice and head lice?

Body lice and head lice look similar because they’re both from the same species, with only slight physical differences.

Body lice don’t affect your head, and head lice don’t affect your body. Body lice live and lay their nits in the seams of your clothing, bedding and other fabric items that are in frequent contact with your body. Head lice live and lay their nits in your hair.

Head lice are more common than body lice. Head lice spread by direct head-to-head contact and sharing items — including combs, brushes, scarves and hats — with an infected person.