Someone told me yesterday that black people can't get lice due to the grease in their hair, is this true?

Answer 1

I used to work at a daycare center and I was told that lice is attracted to very clean non oily hair. Most of the employees at the daycare hardly washed their hair during the week to prevent getting head lice. Most african americans that use hair grease DO NOT get lice because lice is attracted to nonoily and clean hair. Head lice need something to stick to and oily hair or hair grease is hard to stick to because they tend to slip off. If you have any further questions of head lice. Research it online or speak to a doctor.

Answer 2

Person experience here. I'm a dark skinned woman with a flat hair shaft; in all the 30+ years living on this planet have worn every hairstyle known to humanity including, dreadlocks which I still wear, NEVER HAVE AND NEVER WILL get head lice. I wash my hair at least once or twice a month, as excessive daily washing for this hair type dries. it. out. This is the Truth with a capital T from my typing here to your eyes onscreen.

All hair types with round shafts ( that any insect can grab hold of and hang out on) and gets oily very quickly, require daily washing is susceptible to them.

I don't know why that is and I'm not seeing a need to fingerwag here... it is what it is.

The myth about clean hair and getting lice doesn't make sense anyway.

I've never ever heard anyone with my hair type ever having it. Here's a tip for people who post on the www claiming that there is a possibility otherwise; show the unbiased proof or shut up. It's time to end the mystery and treating it as if it's the myth of whether black people have tails.

Answer 3

The truth is they are less likely than most. The grease and oils that are put in the hair suffocate the lice. They cannot live in that type of environment. Hope this helps. Blessings.

Answer 4

I've seen several homeless black men and black women with head lice, scabies, and in one guy's case maggots in their dreadlocks and braids. These characters need to forget all the grease, and instead use shampoo and soap more often than once a month.

Answer 5

The type of hair products Black people tend to use is part of it but it also has to do with the texture of the hair. The species of lice commonly found in North America and Europe have evolved to attach to straight hair. They have trouble gripping coarser hair. However Black people can get lice. Species of lice better suited to attaching to Blacks can be found in Africa and Brazil where there is a much higher population of people of African descent. Dirty scalps leads to infestation and a variety of other infections.

http://www.stayitchfree.com/can-black-people-get-lice.htm#.UrzGAft62Sc

Answer 6

Lice eat the scalp. They are after blood, and do not discriminate when it comes to what colour skin that blood happens to be under. I have also heard that it is harder for the nits to attach the eggs to certain types of hair, not limited to African-descent hair, but upon google-ing it, couldn't find anything definite either way.

Answer 7

No; not true. Everyone should wash and condition their hair every 2-3 days. Lice simply comes from a dry and dirty scalp.

Answer 8

false. black americans tend to use more products on the average due to their coarser hair, and lice prefer clean hair, not dirty. so anybody that uses a lot of product in their hair will be less susceptible to acquiring lice, not just because their black though.

Answer 9

I work with mostly African-American kids, and some of them have had lice. Not all of them put grease in their hair.

Answer 10

That is not true. As a teacher I can tell you that just as many black stuendts get lice as white.