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get rid of canker sores

Two common recurring questions about black people contracting head lice I continuously see are ‘Can black people get lice?’ and ‘Do black people get head lice?’

I see these questions being asked over and over again in internet health forums and other forms of social media. It also appears there is some confusion about whether black people can get lice or not. As a result, this is an article that will attempt to answer these questions once and for all.

The answer is YES. Black people can get head lice and in fact anyone can suffer from head lice because we are all humans. Lice don’t care what color or race a person is, nor do they care about ones hygiene. In fact, some of the “cleanest” people have contracted head lice at one time or another. Just about everyone will experience and have to deal with lice at one time or another. Especially if you have children.

One the other hand, it’s more unlikely that black people will not get lice because of certain hair characteristics. I’ll explain below. In a study performed in 1985, only 0.3% of African American children had lice as compared with 10.4% of non-African American children. Similar stats hold true today.

Why Head Lice is Less Common with African Americans

For one, the hair follicles on the scalps of African Americans are more open and lubricated. Lice prefer to lay eggs in dryer conditions.

Second, most lice have problems latching on the different texture of African American hair. African American hair is much different from non-African Americans and is much denser and very coarse.

These traits, for the most part, prevent lice from laying eggs because the bodies and legs of lice are more adapted to the hair of non-African Americans. Remember, the European colonists brought head lice with them to America.

Instances Where Lice is More Common with Black People

In Africa head lice is a more common situation. More African children in Africa suffer from head lice than the United States because lice have adapted (or evolved) to hang onto the oval cross section of curly hairs.

Head lice is a condition most humans will encounter in some way or another, whether it is on their own head and hair or on their children. It doesn’t matter if we are black, white, pink, purple, or green. Nor does it depend on one’s personal hygiene. Lice simply don’t care. They just want a home.

So to answer the question, “Can black people get head lice?” yes they can. So please follow the exact prevention steps as you would with another child. After all, we are all humans.