Do black people get lice? Head lice is a condition related to hair. Lice is a parasite that lay eggs in the head of the effected person. It lives on the blood of its host which is basically the one on which it lays eggs.
A person who gets lice or its eggs in his or her hair may have intense itching on the scalp or neck area and an excessive temptation or feeling of scratching the head. Though it sucks the blood of its host, it is not a life-threatening condition.
The hair structure of black people posses a question that do black people get lice?
Hair Structure Of Black Americans!
Black people have a different hair structure that is why most of the people tend to believe that they do not get effected with head lice infestation.
Due to the coarse hair structure of black, over the years, people have concluded that African Americans are less prone to get infested by head lice as compared to the Caucasian American or Asian Americans.
This misconception needs to be cleared out as African Americans are also prone to get inflicted with head lice. Reason being, that over the years head lice have evolved and now it’s able to crawl and survive in a thick, coarse and dense hair of African people.
In America, comparatively, there are fewer incidences reported where African Americans have seen dealing with head lice infestation. But in Africa, head lice infestation is found commonly. So when someone asks do black people get lice? Tell them Yes!
Why Don’t African Americans Get Lice?
In the past, the chances of African Americans were less for being caught by head lice due to the fact that they tend to apply a lot of grease and oily products in their hair to avoid them from being getting dry.
But with the passage of time, people drifted away from these natural home care remedies and started applying styling products or keeping hair long. The structure and environmental conditions also made it possible for the head lice to survive in African American’s hair.
Consequently, this has increased the chances of African Americans for being caught by louse and nits.
Do Head Lice Transfers From Person To Person?
The head lice are usually transferred from sharing other’s stuff or being in touch or close with someone who is infested. It can also be the comb, brush, cap, headphones or scarf of a person who has been a host for head lice.
It can be difficult for head lice to move in the afro bonnet hairstyles with having grease and a lot of other oily products applied into the hair to make them look healthy and shiny. But still, head lice make its way to crawl and move in the hair.
How to get rid of lice in African American hair?
Head lice infestation is an alarming situation as it spreads quickly especially it is rampant in kids. There are few of the ways that you can implement to get rid of the head lice.
1Use Nit Comb To Remove Nits
Nit comb is specially designed to comb the hair infected by head lice or nits. It is especially designed to remove the nits from hair shaft while combing. The right method is to apply oil to the hair and then comb it with the nit comb.
You can find nit combs made up of metal or plastic material. The metal nit combs work better and are more effective in removing the nits from the hair shaft. Plastic nit combs are also available in the market and do the job for you.
2-Use Anti-Lice Shampoo
If you or your kid is having such condition, then you can use anti-lice shampoo which is an easy and convenient way to get rid of the head lice.
This product contains chemicals for killing the insecticides so it is recommended not to expose your body with the shampoo. Wash the hair of the effected person in a sink or basin to minimize the exposure to the body.
3-Use Hair Straightener
Some people also uses hair straightener as they believe that the heat will kill the head lice. This is only possible for killing the eggs attached to the hair. Otherwise, the head lice move on the scalp so it is not possible to touch the scalp with hair straightener as it can burn the scalp.
4-Apply Hair Dye Over The Hair
Another way to treat head lice in black people is to use a hair dye. Hair dye is made up of strong chemical components that can be proven to kill the head lice. Head lice cannot survive such harsh chemicals, and if an adult feels that the head is getting inflicted with head lice, then she can try dying her hair.
5-Soak Your Body In Swimming Pool Containing Chlorine
Some people even tries to kill head lice with chlorine. Swimming pools contain some amount of chlorine to kill the bacteria and purify the water. But soaking yourself in swimming pool water will not help you to get rid of the head lice completely.
6-Go Bald!
If nothing works and in an extreme case of head lice or reinfestation, the best approach would be to shave off the head completely to live peacefully without hosting any louse.
So Do Black People Get Lice?
After reading the article, do black people get lice? does not remain a question for you now.