Who Usually Gets Lice?

Who Is At Risk For Getting Lice? 

Head lice is the second leading cause of absenteeism from schools, after the common cold. About 6-12 million cases are reported each year; many go unreported out of embarrassment, which comes from the stigma: “I never thought this could happen to my kid, because…”. 

‍Consider: anyone with hair can get lice. Nobody of any age, gender, social status, ethnicity, or hair length is immune except someone who is totally bald. 

Who gets head lice the most?  When you think about who is most likely to get head lice, it’s a sociable preschool-aged child with long, often-washed hair who is most likely to get lice. Unwashed hair oils actually protect against lice!

Can You Get Lice From Someone Who Only Has Nits?

‍The answer is no, because nits are not able to detach and reattach to new hair, but if nits are not treated, they will hatch and then the answer to who can get head lice from this person becomes: anyone with hair.

Can You Get Lice From Someone Who Has Already Been Treated?

Parents are often unaware that it’s very likely that some lice will survive treatment, (LiceDoctors - What Is Super Lice?) so caution is still warranted when interacting with people who were recently treated. (LiceDoctors’ proprietary aftercare plan will eliminate this worry!)

Let's review...2 kinds of people CANNOT get lice: the completely bald and hermits. While every human with hair can get lice, lice are more often found on children with loose, often-washed hair who are highly social (in close contact with several others, like a sports team). Since it's the clean, friendly hugger who gets lice, it’s safe to say that if your child has lice, you and your kid are doing nothing wrong. Get treated, protect from reinfestation, inform other parents, and life will get better.