Head lice: clean vs dirty hair

[Pietr S]

In the UK we are constantly told that head lice are not attracted to dirty hair. For example:

A head lice infestation is not the result of dirty hair or poor hygiene. Head lice can affect all types of hair irrespective of its condition and length.

from the government/NHS website here.

At my kids primary school there has been what seems like a never-ending infestation in the last few months among the pupils and I have been constantly treating my daughter to eradicate them, both with sprays/lotions and thorough combing.

We just came to Thailand a couple of weeks ago and my wife, who has been living here, insists that I have not been looking after my daughter properly and in particular not washing her hair frequently enough, because "head lice only infest dirty hair. Everybody in Thailand knows that".

So, is there really a different opinion about this between health professionals in the UK and Thailand ? Are the types of head lice in the 2 countries different ?

If my wife is mistaken I would really appreciate it if someone can provide a link to a page, preferably from an official source, in Thai language, that I can show to my wife.

Thanks

[GirlDrinkDrunk]

<deleted>, my kid got it twice when she started (private) school and she was washed very morning and every evening.

lice like hair. period. they like blood more, and that is located under both clan and dirty hair

they are picked up much more quickly in clean hair, so colonies do not get a chance to become too established and are consequently more easy to remove as there are fewer eggs to remove.

[Pietr S]

Thanks, but do you know any reference in Thai language to back it up ? I have heaps and heaps in English, but until she reads something official from a Thai source then I'm the villain.

[Sheryl]

There undioubtedly are some but one would need to be able to read thai to find them. If you know the Thai word of lice, try a search on the Bumrungrad and Samitivej websites.

[katana]

Here's one pdf on head lice aimed at parents. Took a quick look. One section says how they're spread, but no mention of dirty hair being a vector as far as I can see.

http://www.schools.nsw.edu.au/media/downloads/languagesupport/headlice/infosheet/thai.pdf

[I Like Thai]

Maybe she is politely asking you to cut her hair short. Do you keep it long ?

[Pietr S]

Thanks all. So far I have found these:

http://thaipharmacies.org/knowledge/disease/167-pediculosis-capitis.html
http://www.schools.nsw.edu.au/media/downloads/languagesupport/headlice/infosheet/thai.pdf

http://www.suriyothai.ac.th/node/1196

http://www.ns.mahidol.ac.th/english/th/departments/PN/TH/article/%E0%B9%80%E0%B8%A1%E0%B8%B7%E0%B9%88%E0%B8%AD%E0%B8%A5%E0%B8%B9%E0%B8%81%E0%B8%9B%E0%B9%88%E0%B8%A7%E0%B8%A2/%E0%B9%80%E0%B8%AB%E0%B8%B2.pdf

But none seem to say anything about clean/dirty hear, except the mahidol.ac.th one which seems to say (bottom paragraph first page) that they like dirty hair

[Pietr S]

Yes, her hair is long, but her mum wants it that way.

Current status. She is now having her hair washed 3 times a day. Seems to have become some kind of entertainment for the extended family and neighbours. Presently she is in the middle of a huddle of 4 women (my wife, her 2 sister and their mum) who are trying to rid her of these lice. Another 10 or so women (mostly neighbours) are jostling for position trying to see what's going on. All I can make out is the occasional "aaiyaaah" and "oy"....laced with a lot of "farang sukopuk" and glances towards me with that condescending down-and-up look.

[Pietr S]

I have found two more Thai language references:

http://sci.bsru.ac.th/dept/mt/menuhead/picnew/louse.pdf

http://www.med.cmu.ac.th/dept/parasite/public/Lice.htm

Amazingly both (at least according to google translate) of these say that that washing hair regularly and maintaining personal hygiene stops the spread of lice.

I am yet to find a single Thai language reference that agrees with what we are told in the UK.

[GirlDrinkDrunk]

Yes, her hair is long, but her mum wants it that way.

Current status. She is now having her hair washed 3 times a day. Seems to have become some kind of entertainment for the extended family and neighbours. Presently she is in the middle of a huddle of 4 women (my wife, her 2 sister and their mum) who are trying to rid her of these lice. Another 10 or so women (mostly neighbours) are jostling for position trying to see what's going on. All I can make out is the occasional "aaiyaaah" and "oy"....laced with a lot of "farang sukopuk" and glances towards me with that condescending down-and-up look.

they love popping them between thumb and index finger. but then so do i.

[bina]

personal hygiene as in : combing hair... of course in any country poor people are seen as dirty therefore dirt=lice. rich people may have better access to easier ways of washing hair and combing it out afterwards: if u wash your hair everyday, then u also comb it out every day. if u dont wash your hair every day (i.e. dirty hair) u are probably not combing out your hair as well.

which i have to say, is probably true. its jsut easier to comb out nits and lice in the shower or bath or when hair is wet... trust me, in israel its rampant... even in the army the girls get lice cause they tend to be physically closer to each otehr and there for the lice go back and forth.

also any girls (and its mostly girls cause they mostly take care of the younger siblings) that work with kids get lice here.

i had lice (from here) when in thailand, cause it was such a pain to comb out my (then) long thick hair every day when using an issan bucket shower to shampoo in and no one to comb my hair out.

so the long and short of it is: thais associate dirty hair with lice cause if u dont wash your hair, you obviouly are not combing it out...

keeping hair in braids, oiling hair (olive oil is used here, with limited success, mixed with rosemary oil), and combing are best.

[Bodrules]

It is true that there is no link between the overall state of the hair, however, there is a growing level of resistance to insecticides in the little blighter's, my sister swears by tea tree oil for sealing with nits, as she's used it to treat my niece who seems to be a magnet for the things.

Great, now I am starting to feel all itchy, dam_n psychosomatic reactions

Edited August 9, 2013 by Bodrules

[Pietr S]

In the UK we are told that good hygiene does not prevent head lice. Of course, it's obvious that good general hygiene will help to eradicate them. From a couple of links I've been given:

Getting head lice is not related to cleanliness of the person or his environment

(from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention here)
and

A head lice infestation is not the result of dirty hair or poor hygiene

(from the UK National Health Service website here)

It is precisely this, that I am looking to find from an official source in Thailand.

FWIW, in the UK I wash my daughter's hair 3 times per week. I don't know whether that counts as "often" or not.