Head lice is contagious and is passed on in several ways. The three main routes through which head lice is passed on are:
- Your head coming in contact with the head of someone with head lice
- Sharing personal hair care items with someone with head lice (headbands, combs, etc.)
- Using a fabric item after a person with head lice (bedding, pillows, etc.)
Lice have also been found to live on inanimate objects for a short period of time (headphones, has, etc.) If you wear one of these items after someone with lice does, you are at risk for having lice yourself.
Body lice can be passed on by sharing clothes with someone who has body lice. Pubic lice is transmitted through sexual contact.
Among all of these ways for getting lice, the biggest is head-to-head contact, which is mostly seen with young children. Young children (specifically those in preschool and elementary school) are at the highest risk for getting head lice due to their tendency to remain close together. This also increases the risk for those who live and work with small children.