Why Don’t Dads get Head Lice?

Why don’t dads get head lice? Why don’t dads get head lice? Dads do get head lice, however not as often as moms. A mother with one infested child has a 54% chance of having lice herself. A mother with two infested children has an 87% chance of having it. Dads have a 10% chance of having head lice regardless of how many of his children are infested. Clients often wonder why this is true. Dads are around their children and exposed to head lice as well. So, why do dads get head lice less frequently?

Moms are usually the primary care givers for the children and typically have longer hair which poses a higher risk of making contact with an infested child’s hair. By the time that one member of the household is contagious and passing the lice to other members of the family, they are typically symptomatic and the infestation is discovered. The moms that we treat normally have mild (non-contagious) cases and would not pass head lice to the dad.

There are exceptions to every rule and occasionally dads get head lice too. Although the chances are slim that dad had head lice, when a case of head lice is identified on one member of the family, the entire family needs to be checked. If a dad has long hair, their chances of getting head lice increases and are in line with the mother’s chance of getting head lice. Visit us at headlicespecialist.com or call 678-240-0042 for more information on head lice.