That Selfie Looks Great, but Was it Worth Head Lice?

When you take a great selfie with a friend, it’s exciting. You both look fantastic, so the next step is to share it with your friends on social media and wait for the compliments to pour in. While you’re sharing that selfie, however, your friend may have shared a little something extra with you – head lice.

It would seem that selfies are helping nasty head lice to find new homes due to the action of leaning in to get the perfect shot. The Chicago Tribune reported on it, quoting “lice expert” Marcy McQuillan as saying “Selfies are fun, but the consequences are real.”

While head lice is most prevalent among younger children, teens are becoming lunch for these blood-suckers more and more, but is it really due to selfies? Not everyone is buying it. Shirley Gordon of the Head Lice Treatment and Prevention Project says, “It’s theoretically possible. It’s normally close personal contact, not the few seconds it takes to take a selfie.”

Either way, it may make you think twice before leaning in too close to your friends.