PHOENIX, AZ — Teenagers take a lot of selfies, just to be silly and have fun. But the selfie craze is directly related to an increase in the number of lice cases doctors in Phoenix, Arizona have reported.
Lice are parasites that attach themselves to human hair and feed on human blood.
Phoenix pediatrician Dr. Sara Kertz said there’s a common misconception that lice can hop from one head to another.
“They can’t, but when two heads are together they can easily crawl from one strand of hair to the next,” Dr. Kertz said. “They don’t jump, so it really is head-to-head contact. So for sure, taking selfies and they are looking at a picture after with your friend, it is definitely high risk.”
While doctors are not suggesting everyone stop taking selfies, they advise using more caution when touching heads for that perfect selfie pose.
