It should be noted that the
myths surrounding the proliferation of lice (especially
head lice,
pediculosis capitis) are profoundly more well known than the
facts. Let's examine a few of the most common, shall we?
- Head lice are the result of bad
hygiene.
Bunk. Head lice are spread only by
direct contact, and as the
insects are rather limited in their
mobility, this usually requires some kind of head-to-head contact, or the use of a very swift
intermediary. Head lice also survive thorough
washing quite well, so no amount of it is going to keep them away. They feed on your
blood, not on
filth--it's no more a sign of ill hygiene to contract head lice than to be bitten by a
mosquito (though a little harder to rectify, granted). If your child has head lice, it's probably because he or she has good friends, and not because you've been a
neglectful parent.
- Head lice are often spread through shared
hats or clothing.
Head lice found on hats, clothing, and furniture are dead or dying, as a rule. They can't survive off a host for very long at all, and don't spread themselves
proactively.
- Head lice prefer
long hair.
Another piece of bunk rooted
socially. Long hair may seem a sign of ill-keeping to you (or your dad), but it's not going to make a single difference in the contraction of lice infestations. If anything, it might keep them off--hair is one thing lice have to work against when gaining access to your
scalp. Children with long hair should absolutely not be shaved as part of a lice treatment; it is unnecessary. Girls actually do have a higher rate of infestation, but this is only because they tend to play more closely than boys.
Most importantly, an infestation with head lice is absolutely
asymptomatic in most, save for a light itching. It's not something you have to worry about, and it's not a cause for medical concern. Head lice are not typically
carriers of disease.