5 Misconceptions About Head Lice

Head lice are nuisances that are known for their head biting ways. These little bugs are about the size of sesame seeds with oval shaped bodies and have a voracious appetite for human blood. They latch onto strands of human hair and are found on the neckline and the scalp on the human's head. They feed off the blood and produce rapidly. There are few popular misconceptions held about head lice. These misconceptions that people hold cause them to overlook some of the important facts about head lice. Below are some common misconceptions about head lice.

1. Head lice jump from person to person. This is not true. Many people confuse the habits of head lice with those of mites and bed bugs. Head lice are wingless and they do not fly or jump. They simply crawl from place to place.

2. Head lice are found only on people's hair that are of Caucasian decent. This is not true. Head lice do not show discrimination towards a person's race however, they do show preference towards certain type of living conditions. Hair is hair and if you have hair then you are susceptible to catching lice.

3. They are found only on dirty people. This is not true. Lice like clean hair and are actually opposed to dirty hair. They like hair that is cleaner because it is easier for them to cling onto one strand of hair. Hair strands will clump together on hair that is not very clean and this is because the oil and dirt causes it to clump. Head lice do not like hair that is clumped together because they cannot grip on one strand of hair. They prefer to infest a person's head that is full of clean hair.

4. They are found on animals such as dogs and can transfer to humans. While it is true that there are lice found on animals these lice cannot infect humans. Humans get lice from contact with one another or from wearing the clothing or using the linens of an infected person.

5.You have to cut off all of your hair to get rid of them. This is not true. Cutting all of the hair is certainly one way to rid yourself of lice and was a common method a decade ago but now with the advancement in hair products this is not the case. There are many hair products on market that get rid of head lice. Head lice can also be removed manually by nit picking which is; running a comb through wet hair and picking out all of the nits (lice eggs.)