Next time you and your friends put your heads together to take a selfie, remember that you might not just be sharing memories: you could be spreading lice, too.
California “lice expert” Marcy McQuillan knows you love taking pics with your friends, and she says that sure, it’s all fun and games — until someone has to boil their hair off.
Yes, although usually lice is just the scourge of very young children (why I couldn’t tell you. Do children rub their heads together instead of shaking hands?), McQuillan has seen an increase in incidents with teenagers and she thinks it’s that dang social media.
Says the nitpicker, “Selfies are fun, but the consequences are real.”
McQuillan explained to Sfist ,
I’ve seen a huge increase of lice in teens this year. Typically it’s younger children I treat, because they’re at higher risk for head-to-head contact. But now, teens are sticking their heads together every day to take cell phone pics. Every teen I’ve treated, I ask about selfies, and they admit that they are taking them every day…I think parents need to be aware, and teenagers need to be aware too.
Poor teens. You try and take one picture with your friends at a Ja Rule concert (listen, I don’t know who the kids are listening to) and the next thing you know a strange woman is picking nits out of your hair and lecturing you on your web presence.
But hey, don’t let those little grubs get you down! Put a shower cap on your head, grab your phone, and take a nice picture with your delouser. I know you’re itching to.
(via Gizmodo, image via Jenser (Clasix-Design)
- Why do selfies get such a bad rap?
- Most elaborate selfie ever
- No big deal, just maggots in your brain
