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“I never heard of any Black person having lice.”
Illustration by Soleil Summer/Getty Images
“I was honestly surprised because I have pretty kinky hair.
Lice live close to the human scalp, laying eggs near the hair follicles.
Lice infestations have been around forever they date backas far as 25 million years ago in primates.
Getty Images
Lice infestations are not as common in Black Americans,” explains Dr. King.
The science, however, is less prolific.
“[Any theories are] based on data from observational studies,” Dr. King explains.
“And there have been conflicting data in different studies.”
Why this is the case is still largely unknown.
“There could be external factors that might have impacted this study.
It will have evolved to be best suited for certain hair types.
For example, the pubic louse has evolved to be well suited for curly pubic hair.”
Do Our Hair Products Prevent Head Lice?
Young Woman Scratching Her Itchy Head Scalp
Black people often useproducts like oils and creamsto help protect our delicate hair and manage our curls and kinks.
However,the study warnsthat “There are no published trials on the efficacy of such home remedies.”
This shape hair is physically easier for the louse claw to attach to.
Treating Lice in Afro-Textured Hair
So, yes, Black peoplecanget lice.
But identifying and treating the parasite is a bit harder for kinky hair textures.
There are topical treatments to leave in your scalp and hair to treat lice.
The comb has very fine spokes, making it difficult to get through kinky curly hair.
“We basically used the internet [to find a solution].”
And she’s right.
This should not be your only method but may help if it’s combined with other proven treatments."
She claims that the hot temperature helped eliminate the lice.
However, don’t be so quick to reach for your flatiron alone.
Nevertheless, Deborah’s daughter Lauren claims that her hair actually improved after this experience.
“If anything, my hair appreciated the attention I was giving it,” she says.
It took about a week for both Deborah and Lauren to rid their locs of lice.
Certain FDA-approved lice medications can be effective within 24 hours but repeated treatment may be necessary."
Dr. Ingleton encourages communities to “go by the information from the CDC.”
The real problem is the possible long-term consequences when lice go untreated.
“If the infections are severe enough, they can cause scarring, which can cause hair loss.”
Still, hair loss is an atypical manifestation of lice, but is a possibility and has been documented.
When they examined the scalp where the hair loss occurred, a microscopic examination found nits.
We just kind of went quickly through the African-American children becausewe just knewthey don’t get lice.
Boy, was I wrong!"
*Name has been changed.
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