To help you quickly identify the insect, here are the most common culprits typically found in hair, along with their distinctive characteristics:

Insect Appearance & Behavior
Head louse Approx. 2–3 mm long, grayish-white to brownish, flat; scurries quickly along the hair (cannot jump or fly). Eggs (nits) are glued firmly to the hair roots.
Deer ked Approx. 5–6 mm long, flat, leathery, dark brown. Flies in, often sheds its wings upon landing, and crawls extremely fast and vigorously across the scalp.

Tick Arachnid (8 legs), oval, flat (when unfed), brown/black. Anchors itself into the scalp and remains stationary.
Bedbug Approx. 4–7 mm, reddish-brown, flat. Ends up in the hair by accident; doesn’t bite there but seeks out exposed skin at night.

Cicada / Beetle Accidental visitors from nature: Fly or jump into the hair but have no interest in staying and do not bite.
What should you do now?

Don’t panic: If the creature was just sitting loosely in the hair and came out easily, it was likely just an accidental summer or forest visitor (like a cicada or a small beetle).

Check the scalp: Systematically part the hair under good lighting (ideally using a fine-toothed lice comb).
Look for nits: Do you see small, teardrop-shaped white or brownish dots that don’t simply brush off like dandruff but are stuck fast? If so, it’s head lice. Check for bites: Are there red, itchy spots on the scalp or an attached creature (tick)?
What exactly does the insect look like (size, color, wings, legs)—or was it stuck fast?