Did you recently find out that your mattress was infested by bed bugs? I know your heart probably leaped in your throat. You put your face in your hands and just sat. Utterly disturbed, your mind must have been in circles. However, the terror increased when you found out that these little pests may be in your hair too. You probably exclaimed, “YIKES!”. I am writing this post to help you answer all your queries about the unenviable relationship your hair and bed bugs might have.
The easiest way to know if you have bed bugs in your hair is to look for blood spots on your pillow. But other signs include: bites along your scalp line, sensation of insects crawling (especially when you’re not moving or white eggs on you hair. But don’t worry! You can easily take care of the problem. Keep reading to find out how and what to do so it doesn’t happen again.
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How to know if you have bed bugs in your hair?
I know you are reading this post because you are desperate to know if you have bed bugs in your hair. So, without any further ado, let’s answer your question. There are a few ways to tell if these little critters are hiding in your hair.
1: Bites along your scalp line
If you wake up in the morning, look in the mirror and see little red bites on your scalp line, that probably means that bed bugs have been bugging you throughout the night.
This is how bed bug bites look like. These pests don’t feed on hair, but they do suck your blood. That’s the reason behind the bites.
2: Sensation of insects crawling
Sometimes, you can feel these blood-suckers crawling on your scalp and navigating their way through your hair. That’s one way of telling if your hair is accommodating bed bugs.
3: Visible pests or white eggs
Do you see any of these little pests on your hair, or do you see some white eggs? Either way, it is a sign of an infestation of bed bugs.
4: Blood spots on pillow
A tell-tale sign of bed bugs in your hair is blood spots on your pillow cover. Your scalp doesn’t bleed randomly. Blood drops mean insects are biting on your scalp.
How did the bed bugs get into your hair?
There are a few possible ways that could have enabled bed bugs to crawl into your hair.
1: Infested bed
Bed bugs are known to live in mattresses, so they have access to humans at night. They suck your blood. I agree that’s disgusting. However, if your bed has a bed bug infestation, those can likely crawl up and reside in your hair as well.
Sometimes, beds at hotels can be infested. Your stay at a hotel can be the culprit for getting these critters in your hair.
2: Infested clothing
Bed bugs can easily travel in your clothes. Your clothes might be infested when you come back from a trip. When you wear those, these pests can climb up to be in your hair.
Wearing an infested scarf can be an easy way for bed bugs to gain access to your head.
3: Infested human
When you come to know that there are bed bugs in your hair, try to recall what you did in the recent past. Did you hug someone? Did you come in contact with someone who had been traveling lately? Those people could have been accommodating bed bugs, unknowingly.
In a nutshell, bed bugs can get to your hair if you come in contact with someone or something that was infested by these annoying pests.
4 tips to prevent bed bugs from getting into your hair
Yup, that’s right. Prevention is better than cure. Try to prevent a problem, so you don’t have to bear it. That’s the ideal scenario. Let’s look at ways that can help you keep bed bugs away from your hair.
Tip 1: Treat your house for bed bugs
It is very important to be proactive. Treat your house for pests and bed bugs, in particular. You don’t want them anywhere near you, let alone in your hair. The use of insecticides should be a routine.
Also, clean your house and bed thoroughly, so no bed bugs have a chance to get to you. This is part of the treatment.
Tip 2: Cover your hair when sleeping in hotels
Okay, so, you can manage the cleanliness in your house but not so much while staying at a hotel. You just are trusting the management there for it. That doesn’t mean you can’t take precautionary measures.
Always cover your hair while sleeping in a hotel room. God knows how many bed bugs that bed might have. You have to protect yourself.
Tip 3: Wash your clothes after travelling
Bed bugs might hitchhike through your clothes and end up in your home when you come back from a trip. You need to make sure to clean your luggage thoroughly. Wash all your clothes with warm water to kill any uninvited guests, a.k.a bed bugs.
Tip 4: Wash your hair regularly
No matter how many other preventive measures you take, regularly wash your hair. Using a good quality, effective shampoo can help you a lot.
Comb your hair properly, so if there are any of these stubborn parasites, they can be combed out. Don’t give them a chance to survive in your hair.
4 methods to eliminate bed bugs from your hair
It’s frustrating, unpleasant, and uncomfortable to have bed bugs in your hair. But don’t lose hope. This problem can be sorted out. You just need to opt for any of the following methods and welcome the bed-bug-free hair.
Let’s go through some of the tested and proven methods that can help you get rid of bed bugs in your hair.
Method 1: Treat your hair
This treatment can be done in multiple ways. One of them is to use lice killing shampoo. Those are designed to kill pests like bed bugs and dust mites too.
There is one product, in particular, that is a best seller. It is the RID Lice Treatment Complete Kit. It includes lice killing shampoo, lice, and egg comb-out spray, lice comb and lice, the bed bug, and dust mite home spray. Yup, it will help you in killing these nasty bed bugs that have trespassed and resided in your hair.
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You can also try mixing essential oils in your shampoo. Peppermint oil, cedar oil, and almond oil can repel and kill bed bugs.
Method 2: Use alcohol on hair
No, this doesn’t mean that you pour a beer on your head. Lol, Nope. This means mix some alcohol that is safe-to-use on the human body, in your shampoo.
This process might need repetition for it to show proper results.
WARNING
DRY HAIR
Repeatedly using alcohol on your hair can cause your hair to dry. You should take care of this. Mix alcohol with a moisturizing shampoo. Use proper conditioners and effective products to avoid any damage to hair.
Method 3: Treat hair with heat
Heat can kill bed bugs that try their best to survive in your hair. Sit in a sauna that has temperatures exceeding 117 degrees Fahrenheit. Shampoo your hair and wash them with hot water.
Be careful! You don’t want the water to be so hot that it harms you. Keep that in mind.
Using a steamer is also an option. It’s very important to read the instructions and follow them while using the steamer. Set the temperature levels that are safe for you, but not so much for the bed bugs.
Method 4: Suffocate the bed bugs
All you have to do in this method is to apply mineral oils or any effective oil to your hair and scalp. Then cover your hair in a shower cap and enjoy a good night’s sleep.
This will deprive the bed bugs of air, and the oil will be working hand in hand with the suffocation. In the morning, wash your hair with warm water and apply shampoo to get rid of the oil and bed bugs. Comb your hair so the dead bed bugs can be removed as well.
Did you know bed bugs could live in and on your walls as well? They are excellent climbers, after all. To learn more about it, give the following post a read.
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Conclusion
That pretty much covers everything you need to know about bed bugs getting in your hair. If you notice bites on your scalp, feel insects crawling, see bed bugs or their eggs in your hair or find blood spots on your pillow cover, ATTENTION!! You have bed bugs in your hair.
They can get in your hair through an infested item or a person who might be carrying these annoying pests in their head. Don’t be down, chin up. There are ways to eliminate bed bugs from your hair. These include hair treatment, use of alcohol, etc.
If you take appropriate preventive measures beforehand, no bed bugs will gain entry into your house. Hence, none will ever get in your hair. Treat your house with insecticides and keep your clothes clean.
We have a post that will thoroughly walk you through ways of eliminating bed bugs from your house completely. Check it out.