Hair experts claim that taking selfies has not just infested the social media, but scalps as well.
Lice-expert Mary McQuillan says that group selfies, where teenagers pose together for the camera, hugely contribute in giving young people head-lice.
McQuillan, who runs two lice-treatment centers named Nitless Noggins in California, told sfist: "I’ve seen a huge increase of lice in teens this year. Typically it’s younger children I treat, because they’re at higher risk for head-to-head contact. But now, teens are sticking their heads together every day to take cell phone pictures."
McQuillan added that contrary to the general norm, she is “getting more of the high school and college kids than middle schoolers."
"Every teen I've treated, I ask about selfies, and they admit that they are taking them every day...I think parents need to be aware, and teenagers need to be aware too. Selfies are fun, but the consequences are real,” she said.
However, not everyone agrees.
“This is a marketing ploy, pure and simple,” Dr. Richard J. Pollack, who teaches at the Harvard School of Public Health and runs a pest identification business called IdentifyUS, told NBC News.
“Wherever these louse salons open a new branch, there always seems to be an epidemic. It’s good for business,” he said, adding that the idea of this being a widespread problem was “ridiculous.”
