It’s a little creepy when you think about it!
With 7 billion people in the world, lice still go for the
26 percent under the age of 15. Is there something about children or their hygiene that attracts lice, or is it just a coincidence?
As a leading
lice clinic in New Jersey that deals with lice infestations all day, every day, we’re here to give our two cents on the matter!
Children and Lice—what’s The Connection?
In truth, there is no sinister reason why lice are attracted to children.
Lice have no actual preference for anything, except that they want human blood. Whether the it is a child or an old timer, they’ll happily crawl on any head as long as it gives them access to food.
The reason why we mostly see children with lice infestations is because they
offer such access to lice.
Unlike adults who understand personal space, children don’t bother. They’re less protective and often come into physical contact with each other while playing in school or perhaps sharing a book or a screen.
It also doesn’t help that children readily share their personal items like headbands, hair ties and brushes. They also have sleepovers where they share pillows and blankets. So you see, with such easy access, its stands to reason that a lice outbreak would ensue.
A Note on Hygiene
It’s a common misconception that children contract lice as they don’t care about hygiene as much as adults do.
That is not true.
In fact, lice are more attracted to cleaner scalps since it helps them crawl easily; hygiene plays no role here.
A Medical Perspective
There’s also an argument that our scalp’s pH may also have a role to play in lice infestations.
According to the professional hair care brand
Schwarzkopf, the pH of our scalp should be chemically neutral i.e. 7 though it can range from 4.5 to 5.5 as well.
PH is the measure of acidity in our scalp’s mantle, which is a shell created by our body to protect the scalp from fungus and bacteria. When we’re born, our skin’s pH is at 7 but as we grow, it develops into the acid mantle.
When a child is 12, this layer only partially forms and becomes well-trained by the time we reach the age of 20. Some argue that because a child’s scalp’s pH isn’t fully acidic and therefore cannot protect against bacteria and viruses, this allows the lice easier access to blood. The acid mantle isn’t strong enough to stop the lice from feeding.
This is why children who have balanced pH levels only get milder lice infestations. While some don’t catch lice at all!
Conclusion
Even if your child does get lice and you don’t, there’s no need to fret. There’s no judgment on your part as a parent. It’s all part and parcel of being a child.
Just bring your little one to our
New Jersey clinic for a lice treatment and they’ll be lice-free in no time! Lice Troopers offers 100% guaranteed results! Call us today at 732-806-7717 to book an appointment.
