Where do lice come from?

by Bev
(Joliet, IL)

Where do lice come from in the first place?

I understand that lice are human parasites. My question is, how does the first one appear?

What causes lice to become known to us?

Without "catching" lice from another person, where does the first one come from and how does that happen?

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Hi Bev,

I assume you are asking where lice come from when they appear on our person, rather than where did they initially originated in the beginning (Creation). :)


Lice do not suddenly appear on a person without them being in contact with someone else who has had them and passed them on.


You may not realize that you've been close enough to someone with head lice to have them jump onto you, but if you've got lice, you had to be in the vicinity of a person who was carrying them.


Children are the usual carriers of lice because they are generally in much more close contact with each other than adults.


For example, little girls will have their heads together while playing. Boys may grab a friend's ball cap and put it on their head. Kids are quite happy to share combs and brushes without a second thought.


These are just some of the simple points of contact that allow lice to jump from place to place spreading the little critters around. Of course, just giving another person a hug gives the lice a chance to make their "move."


You usually don't realize that you've acquired some visitors until your head starts itching. By then, they've already started to take up residence on your head and begin to multiply.


If this happens to you, I feel the best solution is to simply cover the entire head (and all hair) with olive oil, wrap it in a towel and leave it on overnight. Wash it out in the morning with a clarifying shampoo (or good dish soap).


Do this every 4 days for 2 weeks and you should eliminate the problem entirely. You will suffocate the lice without having to apply toxic chemicals to your head that often don't kill the lice anyway.


Blessings,
Angie