A customer fave! Head lice is truly just a nuisance as it doesn’t make you sick- aside from mentally ill with stress!

Parents and caregivers are always asking WHY lice exists. I get it- it really seems to serve no purpose whatsoever. In regard to their place on our planet, they truly don’t contribute in a positive way such as serving a clear “beneficial” role in the wider ecosystem like pollinating plants or being prey for other animals. Their primary goal is to survive and reproduce on their hosts. Like many parasites they have evolved right alongside us all along the way adapting to live on our scalps and survive by feeding on our blood. They have a very dependant and specialized relationship with humans. Lice, while a hardy parasite, cannot survive off of a human host nor can they survive on any other living organism. They only like us!

Now that I’m done with the scientific side of things, many years ago when my business was new, I stumbled upon this quote that really moved me and that I feel parents and caregivers find solace in today as I still have it hanging on my wall in my clinic:

“Lice are not gross. They are simply a highly adaptable species with a fondness for humans. Their purpose on the planet? To keep us humble, of course, and to remind us to slow down and take a good look at our kids”. – Beth Berry