Head lice, tiny blood-sucking insects that lay eggs on the scalp and multiply quickly are making a surprising comeback in some schools, beauty salons, and communities across the country.
Reports of itching and scalp irritation among schoolchildren have increased in recent months, raising concern about the re-emergence of the parasite.
In interviews with The Mirror in Accra, on October 30, 2025, some beauticians attributed the return of lice to the growing number of women and children moving away from chemical relaxers to keeping natural hair, while some school authorities blamed it on poor hair care and hygiene.
At Bruce Academy in Adentan Frafraha, Accra school officials confirmed that although not widespread, three pupils recently reported severe itching and scalp irritation, which were later traced to lice infestation.
“We had to caution other pupils and parents about the incident and advised them to improve personal hygiene and keep their hair neat.
Since then, we’ve set new rules, female pupils cannot keep hairstyles beyond two weeks, and the boys must trim their hair regularly within that period,” the Headmaster, Mr Samuel Kofi Kusi, said.
A report from the Oriens Complex School at Adentan in Accra also revealed about six cases of lice infestation among pupils.
The school’s science teacher, Mr Nicholas Asante, said the affected pupils were asked to stay at home for some time due to how easily lice can spread.
When asked about the hair types of the affected pupils, he noted that all of them had virgin, unrelaxed hair.
Mr Asante explained that in the past, lice were mostly found among people with thick, bushy hair who often neglected personal hygiene.
“I was very surprised when one pupil’s parent called to report that her daughter had lice. I thought it was a thing of the past, but I guess it’s back. We all need to advocate better personal and hair hygiene, especially now that natural hair has become a popular trend,” he added.
Beauty salons raise alarm
Hairdressers in parts of Accra, including Madina, Botwe, Adabraka, and Oyibi, say they have started noticing isolated cases of head lice among clients.
Some explained that many women come to the salon for braiding or styling without properly washing or treating their hair.
“Sometimes you see lice eggs stuck in the hair when you start parting it. It’s not very common yet, but the cases are increasing. When that happens, we stop the service immediately and advise the client to treat the scalp before coming back,” said a hairstylist, Belinda Adjei, who works at Born Great Salon in Madina.
Miss Adjei recalled that one male client visited the salon with bruises on his scalp after scratching continuously.
“He complained of constant itchiness and things crawling on his head. We examined the hair and realised it was lice. He eventually had to shave his hair completely after treatment, even though he didn’t want to,” she said.
At Diza’s Beauty Empire at Adentan, the owner, Ms Hadiza Alhassan, shared similar concerns. She explained that many salon workers were not trained to identify lice and may unknowingly use the same combs, brushes, and towels on different clients, which increases the risk of spreading them.
“There are some Gen Z clients and workers who don’t even know what lice look like because they believe it was wiped out years ago, so recognising it has become a challenge,” she said.
Ms Alhassan advised that both salon and barber shop operators and clients should exercise extra care, especially now that natural hair has become the preferred texture.
“With the shift from relaxers and more people keeping natural hair, the chances of lice spreading are actually growing,” she cautioned.
Experts blame resistance and poor hygiene. According to a dermatologist, Dr Rosaline Osazuwaa of Itopecc Clinic, head lice were never truly extinct; they were only contained, which reduced reported cases over the years.
She explained that their resurgence is linked to poor hygiene practices, the popularity of natural hair, and the growing resistance of lice to common treatment products.
“Many medicated shampoos have been used for decades, and lice have adapted to them. With fewer people using chemical relaxers, which could sometimes kill lice, it’s important to maintain stronger personal hygiene standards,” she said.
Dr Osazuwaa added that lice thrive in warm, dark, and bushy areas such as the scalp, where they could easily go undetected.
She emphasised that lice could survive in all hair types once the conditions were right. Keeping braids, wigs, or weaves on for long periods without washing or treating the scalp provides an ideal environment for them to multiply.
She also noted that while lice do not transmit diseases, they cause severe itching, sleeplessness and embarrassment, especially with children who would suffer bullying and isolation.
“Children may lose focus in school because of the constant discomfort. It’s not life-threatening, but it affects confidence and learning,” she added.
A girl, The Mirror spoke to, who had suffered lice infestation months ago, said it took about two months before her friends were okay to play with her. “They even made songs about it and teased me,” she said.
Explaining how lice spreads, she noted that it was mainly through direct head-to-head contact or by sharing items such as combs, brushes, scarves, hats, or pillowcases. In schools, boarding facilities, and crowded homes, they can move quickly from one person to another.
She advised the public to treat lice infestations early to avoid contagion.
Treatment and prevention
The doctor noted that treatment and prevention usually involved the use of medicated shampoos containing permethrin or pyrethrin, or typically applying a chemical relaxer, followed by carefully combing the hair with a fine-tooth comb to remove eggs.
She added that bed sheets, pillowcases and clothing should be washed in hot water and dried in sunlight, while items that could not be washed should be disinfected and sealed in a plastic bag for at least two weeks to kill any remaining lice.
She cautioned against the use of unsafe home remedies such as kerosene, mosquito sprays or methylated spirit, which can burn the scalp.
“Some people still use old, harmful methods. It’s safer to stick to medically approved treatments,” she added.
