Everyone is at risk. If you have contact with an infected person, you can get them. Head lice spread more easily among young people because they share their belongings more often than adults and play close together.
It’s not true that people get head lice because they do not have clean hair. Lice love clean hair because they can move more freely on the hair. Head lice are very contagious. No matter how many times you or your child takes a shower or washes his or her hair, it’s still possible to get head lice from head-to-head contact with someone who is already infested with lice. You can also get head lice if you share hats, towels, pillows, combs or brushes with someone who has head lice.