Do Lice Prefer Specific Hair Types

If you’ve had head lice before, you may ask yourself if it was destined to happen. After all, how could you blame the tiny critters for wanting such a nice home? The truth is, lice are not picky at all when it comes to choosing a host. At the end of the day, lice just need to latch onto any hair that will provide them with the food they need to live and reproduce. There are a lot of wives tales about lice and what hair types can and cannot get them, but for the most part, none of them are true. One of the biggest misconceptions is that African American people cannot get head lice, but in reality, there are just a handful of things that make it less likely, such as hair product use and keeping your hair in braids and cornrows. If the head lice is capable of getting into your hair and attaching to a strand, then the hair color, texture, and thickness will not prevent the lice from making your head their home.

Hair Length Does Not Affect Lice 

One of the biggest misconceptions regarding head lice preferences is that they only go for people with long hair. This is simply untrue. Lice like short hair just as much as they like long hair. Lice can still stay in hair even after it’s buzzed because they attach to the roots. If you have a head lice outbreak, it is just as important to check the people with short hair as it is the people with long hair. Headlice specialist Bjorn Arne Rukke did research on multiple elementary schools to get to the bottom of these misconceptions about headlice references. His findings regarding hair length showed that lice were in fact most prevalent on the heads of students with medium-length hair. As it turns out, short hair and long hair were roughly tied in terms of lice occurrences.

Hair Texture and Color Do Not Prevent Lice

That same study also focused on other hair factors such as hair color and texture. Not to anyone’s surprise, hair color had little to no effect on the decision-making of the head lice. Hair texture, on the other hand, did yield some interesting results. Rukke found that people with wavy hair had the highest count of head lice cases. People with straight hair had the fewest number of headlice cases and those with curls were somewhere in between. This doesn’t mean that just because you have short straight hair you don’t have to worry about head lice. They are still just as capable of attaching to your hairs as they are to everyone else’s, so always remember to avoid direct head-to-head contact.

Lice Clinics of America in Milwaukee 

If you are wondering, “Where can I find a lice removal salon near me?” then look no further. Here at Lice Clinics of America in Milwaukee, we offer top-of-the-line lice treatment that can have you lice-free in just one visit. If you are in need of lice removal, then it is best to act before the lice have any chance to spread to others. Click the link at the top of the page or give us a call to schedule an appointment today!