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Head Lice Blog

WHAT ATTRACTS HEAD LICE?

by Amy Chinian

Head lice are pesky critters that take up residence on your head. They can be very difficult to get rid of, especially if you don’t use the right treatment. The good news is you can address lice the first time when the right lice products are used. However, a severe infestation will require two treatments and wet combing in between, so it’s important to read all instructions. 

Even though treatment is effective, prevention is key. Head lice do not prefer dirty hair, as many people assume, though some types of hair can be more desirable than others. Below are some of the things that make hair more attractive to head lice. 

Clean Hair 

It’s true - head lice prefer clean hair to dirty hair. The reason why is that a clean strand of hair is easier to grab onto and climb up. When hair has products in it, such as hair spray, gel, or mousse, it makes it harder to grasp. Of course, we’re not suggesting that you stop washing your child’s hair to reduce the chances of lice! Instead, we want to spread factual information that lice are NOT a sign of being dirty. 

Long Hair 

People with long hair tend to report getting lice more often than those with short hair. You don’t need a lot of hair to get lice, though. Most lice eggs are freshly laid within ¼ inch of the scalp. This means that even if you have very short hair, you can still provide enough cover for a family of lice. But, since long hair flows around, it makes it easier for lice to grab onto. For this reason, we recommend tying up or braiding long hair. 

School or Daycare 

Head lice most commonly affect school-aged children, and there’s a good reason why. Lice show up in these schools because there are lots of children sharing tight quarters. Kids also don’t have a fear of personal space, so they tend to put their heads together while playing, listening to stories, working on projects, and more. If your child goes to school or daycare, lice are likely to be hanging around. 

Wavy Hair 

Some research has suggested that people with wavy hair see the most cases of head lice, followed by people with curly hair and then straight hair. While this has yet to be proven, it is something we wanted to share with our readers. Wavy hair may hide lice better, which can delay their discovery and treatment. 

Previously Infested Hair 

Finally, people can get recurring lice infestations because of the scent left behind by the lice. Even after applying dimethicone lice oil, the lice leave behind a scent to attract other lice. This evolutionary process allows head lice to survive.

Unfortunately, it’s difficult to remove the scent, and it is not detectable to humans. 
While lice don’t care which head they crawl onto, there are some types of hair that they will find more desirable.

If you or your child ends up with head lice, you can purchase a head lice kit from My Hair Helpers. Our products are guaranteed to work, and they contain no harsh chemicals or ingredients like store-bought products do.

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