Black Hair and Lice?

[happylife]

I think it makes perfect sense for lice to differ according to geographic regions, if you think about basic evolution and adaptation.
I mean, if lice are only able to grab a hold of straight, smooth hair, then the lice that live in African nations would run into difficulty, since most people in those nations (especially the Sub-Saharan ones, because there are less likely to be people of Middle Eastern descent there) have kinkier and coarser hair.
So the lice that, for whatever reason, were more suited to live in kinkier textures would be the ones that would survive, because they would be able to settle into the hair available and feed. All the others that couldn't handle it would die from starvation. Then the kinky lice (for lack of a better term) would reproduce and pass off their genetic traits, creating a class of lice that would be different from the ones in North American, European, or Asian nations, where there are more straight-haired people.

That sounds pretty well thought out. I think I see where you are coming from.

 

[happylife]

Thank god it is not prevalent. Imagine going through a head of thick natural hair with this thing:

And also treating the whole family is typical. Everyone in the family woukd have the pleasure of doing that!

 

[TamedTresses]

Thank god it is not prevalent. Imagine going through a head of thick natural hair with this thing:

That's probably why my classmate's mother cut her hair.

All I can think about are split-ends when I see that itty bitty comb.

 

[happylife]

....By the way I'm in Texas. I don't think the region plays a part in this.

I want to concur, but I may be wrong.....learn something new everyday.

During the developmental stage of a louse it is called different names and the lice may habitat on certain places on one's head mostly to satisfy its physiological needs.

 

[chrisanddonniesmommy]

Technically, your sentence here is inaccurate. It should be:

I was like, "Hold on, I think that just might be a continent."

(Note: plus one comma, minus one period.)

If we are correcting stuff around here, I am up for the challenge.

Actually, that would be the following: "Hold on. I think that just might be a continent." lol

But, anyway, none of my black students had it, unless they were mixed with a white parent. Otherwise, my white students dealt with this issue a lot.

 

[happylife]

Don't feel bad ladyraider, I am not a speller and my grammatical accuracy leaves plenty to be desired, like majority of people. Don't be embarrassed. You are cool peeps!

 

[QBOE2001]

That's probably why my classmate's mother cut her hair.

All I can think about are split-ends when I see that itty bitty comb.

I thought there was some kind of cream or lotion that killed the little buggars that could be used in lieu of the comb....you mean to tell me that the comb is the ONLY alternative????

this thread makes me wanna go out and buy a big jar of barbasol and soak all of my hair combs, brushes and accessories....suddenly i don't feel so clean.......

 

[Mz.MoMo5235]

when i was 6 i got lice at sleep away bible study camp i went to for a week. i assume i got it from some other black girls since they were the only ones who touched my hair (my mom told me when i got there to find some black girls to braid my hair so i didnt come home nappy), though them critters dont just come from combs so i could have gotten it from any where there. we found out i had it when i started the school year. the whole family got treated and my mom cut my then wl hair to sl. though i didnt care, i got to miss school so i was ok with it lol.

but yeah, black kids get it too.

 

[silenttullip]

Black hair can have lice if it's void of greases, sticky products, and oils like teatree and others that can kill lice. Once I had a very sweet smelling product in my hair and it felt like lice but I bought a robi comb and whatever was it in got zapped the heck out lol. I then washed with a tea tree and neem poo bar and then clarified. Slapped in some pomade, and flat ironed. If it was lice the tea tree and then flat ironing would have killed the louse and the eggs

 

[silenttullip]

the comb isnt the only thing. There's a study and a vid on utube about this girl who thought of killing the eggs and lice with a flat iron on high. The scientist there found her idea quite effective but I'd still suggest a comb

I thought there was some kind of cream or lotion that killed the little buggars that could be used in lieu of the comb....you mean to tell me that the comb is the ONLY alternative????

this thread makes me wanna go out and buy a big jar of barbasol and soak all of my hair combs, brushes and accessories....suddenly i don't feel so clean.......

 

[sharifeh]

that's weird man; isn't there a shampoo you can use?
and how do you know you have lice? does it itch?
eeek
this thread is ickky
and about the mothers that cut their daughter's hair, is there a point? isn't lice in the scalp?

 

[sharifeh]

ewwwwwwwwww

this makes type 1 hair so unattractive to me
yuck

 

[melissa-bee]

^^ Oh my, they are freakin huge! Why did i think they were white, are lice and nits two different parasites?
I remember in school they gave out nit combs for everyone to take home, my mum ran that through my hair once and put that ish down.

 

[theLovelyStyle]

WOW I didnt know they looked like that!!! Those are HUGE!!!...or maybe the pic is...

 

[manegoal]

This thread had me so grossed out last night and surprised, too. I got up this morning and washed-conditioned AND OILED my hair. I have a shipment of oils on the way, can't wait.

 

[Chaosbutterfly]

^^ Oh my, they are freakin huge! Why did i think they were white, are lice and nits two different parasites?
I remember in school they gave out nit combs for everyone to take home, my mum ran that through my hair once and put that ish down.

Lice are the actual insects, and the nits are the eggs. The lice live on the scalp, and the nits are attached to the hair. So even if you kill the lice, you may still have nits that hatch into lice and reinfect yo' head. So you gotta comb the hair with the special comb to detach the nits from the hair.

that's weird man; isn't there a shampoo you can use?
and how do you know you have lice? does it itch?
eeek
this thread is ickky
and about the mothers that cut their daughter's hair, is there a point? isn't lice in the scalp?

Yup...itchies and little red bumps are signs that you have lice. And if you have them, they're big enough that you'll see them when you part your hair and look at your scalp.
People cut the hair because lice thrive in long hair..it's warm and they can hide in it. With shorter hair, it's easier to fight an infestation.

 

[jasminestar]

Oh man... this thread is making my head itch. :/
My grandmother tells me she had lice once, when she was a little girl. My great-grandma killed them with kerosene.

 

[hillytmj]

I'm thinking that the chemicals in a relaxer or the heat from a pressing comb would kill lice. My mom used to tell me that when I was growing up.

 

[SweetCaramel1]

i'm not gonna read the thread because i don't want to be grossed out. yes, black people can get lice but its not as common for two reasons.

1 - the curl pattern of air hair makes it hard for them to latch on
2 - they don't like the oil in our hair

yes hillytmj, i don't think there are too many lice that can survive lye, lol. i don't know any black person that has had them before. but dh had an outbreak at his school when he was a kid and a black boy had them. so it is possible just not common.

 

[Mleah]

I've heard that a hot comb (on a stove burner) is just as effective a that fine tooth comb.

 

[wavezncurlz]

My dd's class had an outbreak this year. I'd just twisted her hair up with some butters so I could check the parts. I didn't see anything and she didn't complain of itchies. I was so scared though.

 

[levette]

I hate to bump this thread but one of the classrooms where I work at has had an episode of head lice. Now I am paranoid and have been wearing my hair up off my neck. A teacher just got head lice which has put me on high alert.

 

[DDTexlaxed]

I never had it because I refused to share my comb or brush with anyone. My mom made sure to grease my hair with sulfur 8 and brush my hair up in a bun.