Do Lice Prefer Specific Hair Types

No one likes getting lice, and some people worry that their hair type could be making them prone to head lice exposure. Well, those people can rest easy, because when it comes to picking a new host, your hair type is not a major concern to the parasites. At the end of the day, all a louse needs is a hair to latch onto and a scalp to feed on. There are a lot of misconceptions and myths about what type of hair can and cannot get lice. 

Hair that is thickly coated in product may discourage the lice, but if they can find a way to latch onto the hair, then they will. Keeping your hair in braids or cornrows can also prevent lice simply by keeping your hair further from other people. Many people think you can’t get head lice if you are Black, but in reality, Black people are just more likely to have braids, cornrows, and use hairspray than a lot of other demographics. If lice can get into your hair and get attached, then the texture, color, and length are not going to be able to stop them from reproducing.

Do Lice Prefer a Specific Hair Length?

One thing that a lot of people get wrong is that they assume lice will only go for people with long hair. This is another popular myth. Lice like short hair, long hair, and medium hair the same. Long hair can increase the likelihood of your hair coming into contact with lice, but only marginally. If you find yourself in the midst of a head lice outbreak, it is important to check everyone, and not just the people with long hair. Headlice specialist and Ph.D. Bjorn Arne Rukke conducted a study in several elementary schools to try and figure out what type of hair lice ended up in the most. After combing through thousands of students, Rukke found that despite the wives’ tales, lice appeared the most often in medium-length hair. Long hair and short hair scored about evenly.

Can Color & Hair Texture Prevent Lice?

Rukke also looked into what hair color and texture were attracting the most lice. Unsurprisingly, hair color proved to be the least important factor when it comes to head lice, but hair texture did play a role. He found that students with straight hair had the least number of lice, followed by students with curls, and the students with the highest amount of headlice cases were students with waves. That being said, just because you have short straight hair, or you keep your hair in cornrows does not mean you don’t have to worry about getting lice. These bugs are just as capable of attaching to your hairs as they are to anyone else’s, so try not to give them the opportunity.

Lice Clinics of America in Omaha

If you’ve been asking yourself, “Where can I find lice removal near me?”, then look no further. Here at Lice Clinics of America, we work hard to provide the best head lice treatment possible. We specialize in chemical-free, same-day treatment. If you would like to learn more about lice prevention or schedule an appointment, give us a call at (402) 557-0798 or click the link at the top of the page.