head lice from bedding?

Kanehanahou

Study up on permethrin - it's got less bad things than Indian water in it.

cyberhippie

Something I remember from my home economics class is that contrary to popularly held believes. These critters like a clean enviroment. Just before we go down the road of dirty India is infested with headlice. Having dreads you are probably lectured about hygene all the time so now you know
Myself I've spent a fair amount of time in India (around 5 years by now) staying in places from the Raddison to a mud hut in Pushkar and every conceivable type of accomodation you can imagine (including some real dives) and so far I've avoided getting head lice.
I don't use any of the measures others speak off so that says to me that the problem isn't a large one!
If your still worried ask any hotel for a clean pillow cover and they'll supply one.
And if the worst comes to the worst medicated shampoo to rid your hair of lice is available!!

mira4bai4

Kanehanahou,
When I started out with chemicals I began with delousing patients in a Psychopeadic Hospital with god knows what, then moved into agriculture and had lunch and smokos in the chemical barn, sitting on top of the Lindane barrel, working in the orchards around the spray misters full of Carbaryl 80, Malathion, Benlate or whatever. From there launched into horticulure with all of the 24-D's, Paraquats, Roundups, Amitrols, Pyrithroids, Permethrins and a larger range of cocktails that I care to think about and with delousing myself and so far scraping through by the skin of my teeth.

Nothing is safe be sure of this and while I don't really need to study up on this subject due to a complete absorption of such products, thankfully more from the technical side than physical, though I have had my period of sickness from the cocktails and fool hardy manner of care and handling, my statement about the nature of Permethrin is pretty accurate as the fact sheet shows pretty well I think. So while I am ageing my earlier knowledge of toxicity levels and the Acute Lethal Dose is still pretty spot on. And note the comment that "Permethrin's mode of action is similar to that of the organochlorine insectide DDT." Maybe this product will be banned in the near future also.

camelgirl

Just finished reading about rabies on another thread. Now that's something to worry about.

Head lice, not to worry. Never fatal Never met anyone who had them in India but lots of little kids of rich white people in the USA get it. As someone said earlier, they are transmitted person to person, sharing a hat, etc.

I have also stayed at some very creepy, unsanitary places in India and never had a problem. I do now carry a bed net for mosies ( malaria, dengue) www.longroad.com (skeeter defeater) which I do spray with permethrin before I leave home. Excellent product, highly recommend it. Not to be used on your body.

Cutting off a body part is not an option,. cutting one's hair is always an option (unless one has no hair). Don't let hair be an obstacle to enjoying India

jennifericous

its not just hair to me, my dreadlocks are part of me and my identity now. i love them. cutting them is not an option for me.
i bought a sleeping sheet. and im bringing a pillow case, problem solved!

Alan D

We've never had head lice in India (three years - about ten trips to India), though our kids did once or twice when they were at school here in UK.

I think they are only spread by having close contact and that it's unlikely you'll get them from bedding. Bedbugs we've only encountered once.

__________________
What a long strange trip it's been!

iwanttogoback

as a mother who has dealt with lice on a number of occasions, you cannot get them from anything other than close head contact with an infested person. and, even then, according to some strange article i recently read, the little chaps can only transfer when the hairs are at specific angles to each other.
who on earth does this research and how the hell do they come up with the idea in the first place.
i mean, do you wake up one morning and think, gosh but i'd like to spend the next three years studying lice?
BTW, i took an inflatable pillow which would not only solve the problem (which i don't think there is) of contact with bedlinen but also, and much more importantly, was a great supplement to the thin, hard bricks that some establishments put in the pillow region of the bed.

phobal

I haven't, and I stayed at some pretty sketchy places, heh. Bring something to cover the pillow, I just used a t-shirt, that seemed to work. I wouldn't FREAK out over it.

LaContessa

I've only ever come across head lice in my daughters hair, and that is here in the UK. Never got them, or heard of anyone else who got them in India. Not that it's impossible... Don't worry about it. Be more concerned about skeetos and bed-bugs.

IF, in the event you do get them I'm sure you'd be able to buy some lice killing preparation somewhere.

jennifericous

im not FREAKed out. lol. i was just wondering if you could get head lice from bedding in india, or anywhere for that matter. it was mostly the LP that scared me about that, they kept going on about bed bugs! i have had head lice before from working with children, but i had normal hair then and it was quit easy to rinse out, but the shampoo and mousse they have for head lice probably wouldn't be so easy to apply and rinse with dreads. but im not worried, i dont think il get lice. i slept on a mattress with my boyfriend who got eaten alive by bed bugs or some creatures, and i didnt so much as get one. i never get bitten my midges or mossies. i guess my blood just dont taste so good! lol

LaContessa

I think you should look at one of the web sites about head lice that I looked at when my girl got them. I just googled "head lice" and got loads of information. Mind you much of it is about treatments.

I've just had another quick look and it seems you can pick up the eggs (which last upto 3 days) from bedding and hats etc.

So as you are concerned about even the remotest possibility of them getting into your locks - which I totally understand as I had short locks prior to my first trip to India and had them cut off before I went - I reckon if I were you I'd take one of those insect repellent soaked pillow cases with me.... just in case.....