[Dana]

Why do white people have lice, but black people don't? Does it have to do with the oils in their hair?

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Name : Dana, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Jewish, Age : 20, City : Chicago, State : IL Country : United States, Occupation : student, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Upper middle class, 

[Tracey]

I've been told that the reason we don't get lice is that lice can't grip our hair because of the oil. I went to high school with a girl who was of the Indian (from India) culture, and her family used olive oil (sparingly, of course) in their hair. My guess is that they didn't get lice, either. Whatever the reason, I'm glad we don't have to deal with it.

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Name : Tracey, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Age : 29, City : Pittsburgh, State : PA Country : United States, Social class : Middle class, 

[Ebony25538]

Lice cannot live in or lay eggs in our hair.

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Name : Ebony25538, Gender : F, Race : Black/African American, City : Utrecht, State : NA Country : Netherlands, 

[Clotilde31975]

I read a long time ago that sebum (oil secreted by the scalp) can drip down straight hairs easily, while it can't drip down tightly coiled African hairs. This is also why many blacks need to constantly add moisture or oil to their hair. The sebum attracts lice.

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Name : Clotilde31975, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Christian, Age : 36, City : New Orleans, State : LA Country : United States, Occupation : College Professor, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Upper class, 

[Nicole20042]

Blacks put oils, grease, etc. in our hair. Our hair is naturally dry, so we must do this for maintenance. Whites, on the other hand, rarely put anything in their hair oily, right?

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Name : Nicole20042, Gender : F, Race : Black/African American, Age : 19, City : Washington, State : DC Country : United States, Occupation : Student, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Lower class, 

[Wayne C.]

I don't know, but I hope someone who does answers you. I'm curious, too. I was in my late teens before I even heard of lice, so I know it's not prevalent in the black community. What I HAD heard of (from a pretty young age) was ringworm. Is ringworm common in the white community?

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Name : Wayne C., Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Baptist, Age : 41, City : Parsippany, State : NJ Country : United States, Occupation : Marketing, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, 

[Kristan Hall]

The best way to get rid of lice is to treat your hair with some kind of oil, be it baby oil, corn oil, olive oil... The oil smothers the lice, making it impossible for them to breathe. If a black person does not use oil-based products in his or her hair, he or she can get lice, too.

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Name : Kristan Hall, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Methodist, Age : 32, City : Lampasas, State : TX Country : United States, Occupation : writer, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Lower class, 

[Aaron]

I have always thought it was because of the thickness of black people's hair and not the oils in it.

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Name : Aaron, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Baptist, Age : 31, City : Palo Alto, State : CA Country : United States, Occupation : Customer Service Rep, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[Paul-O]

Blacks can, and sometimes do, get lice - unfortunately.

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Name : Paul-O, Gender : M, Race : Black/African American, Age : 43, City : Fargo, State : ND Country : United States, 

[Marron-Bella22136]

I read somewhere that the reason whites get more lice than blacks do is because of the shape of the hair shart. The book said that whites tend to hair a circular shape to the hair shaft, and blacks have a more square shape to the hair shaft. The circular shaft is easier for the lice to attach to, I think. Also, it has nothing to do with the oil, whites tend to, naturally, have more oil in their hair than blacks.

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Name : Marron-Bella22136, Gender : F, Race : Black/African American, Age : 23, City : Anniston, State : AL Country : United States, Occupation : Clericak, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Lower class, 

[Ptah30308]

Lice or louse, is an insect related to the mite that lives and lays eggs in the hair of animals. So if a race or peoples seamingly leans towards this category, one must wonder...

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Name : Ptah30308, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Age : 23, City : Brooklyn, State : NY Country : United States, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Lower class, 

[Wendy B]

Hi, I am a preschool teacher and I can tell you that ringworm is common in children whatever the race. Especially when they play in sandboxes outdoors. Now head lice is different...in 4 years I have only had one black child with head lice compared to numerous white children in the same classrooms. BUT....her mother did not put any oils or anything that black people usually treat their hair with in this childs hair, she had very very dry, braided hair and she did get head lice. I feel that after 4 yrs of working with children of all different races that my observations should carry a lot of weight in answering this question.

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Name : Wendy B, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Baptist, Age : 30, City : OKC, State : OK Country : United States, Occupation : preschool teacher, Education level : High School Diploma, Social class : Lower middle class, 

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