Saving Face: Dealing with the Lice Stigma

When it comes to lice infestations, they bring with them a host of unappealing experiences. There’s the basic revulsion of having a family of critters living on your scalp, the incessant itching, the time-consuming task of getting rid of them, and maybe worst of all, the social stigma.

Lice are highly prevalent all over the world—most people will have at least experienced an infestation once, and children in schools are the most likely to get them. So why is there such a stigma surrounding it?

A Cloud of Misinformation

Most people who tend to perpetuate this stigma against lice tend to be grossly misinformed about them. There is a widespread belief that lice occur due to poor hygiene, and only to those from certain lower class socio-economic backgrounds.

While this is a generally incorrect assumption, it serves to instill a deep sense of shame in those who have been afflicted with the condition. Due to this, there is a veil of secrecy surrounding the entire experience, making it less likely for people to speak out when they have an infestation.

This not only causes significant emotional and psychological turmoil for those who contract head lice, but also hinders the process of eliminating an infestation from a community. If people aren’t willing to speak about it, then it’s less likely that they’re going to go out of their way to seek the right help to treat the issue.

Fighting the Stigma

Dealing with the stigma against lice can be tough, but it isn’t impossible. In order to get people informed, it’s important to speak up about the issue. Without getting their facts straight, people will just continue to shame and blame for no good reason.

When it comes to dealing with the internal feeling of shame and guilt, it’s important to realize that head lice infestations are a very common, normal condition. They can occur to anyone in any place at any time.

If you’re the parent of a child who is suffering from head lice, then it’s important to start an open dialogue to communicate with them in order to ensure that their concerns are addressed. Children with head lice are targets of animosity in particular at school, so extra effort is needed to ensure that they are not bogged down by the emotional impact of the stigma against lice.

If you or your child is suffering from lice, then a professional lice removal service like Lice Busters USA can help. We are your resource for one of the best lice treatment Coral Gables, Miami, Winter Park, and other cities in Florida.

Locate your nearest center and book an appointment with us!