People with head lice are often wrongly accused of not taking good care of their hair. One consolation for people with head lice is that the lice are not necessarily attracted by dirty hair or scalp, as head lice actually prefer clean heads to dirty ones.

Dirty or greasy hair makes it harder for lice to lay their eggs and crawl around on the head. An alternative way of preventing head lice is to make the lice believe that your hair is dirty. Hair gel is a good way of doing this, as it makes it just as difficult for lice to nest as sebum, without the hair having to be dirty. You can also mix a few drops of tea tree oil into the gel, as head lice detest the odour.

More facts about head lice
Head lice are more common in long hair than in short hair.
Girls are more frequently infested with head lice than boys.
Head lice spread through head-to-head contact, which is why they are common in nurseries.
The head does not always itch when infested with head lice; if you suspect this, you must examine the head carefully.
Head lice only survive for a short time outside the head, so it is more important to treat the head than the home.
Head lice can become resistant to insecticides.
One product alone often does not kill all eggs and lice.