SLAMBOARD

WARNING: Blog posts describing lice infestation can lead to psychosomatic itching of the scalp.

Picture me in one of those newsboy caps as I announce that HATS ARE BACK IN STYLE!!!

I was trying on used hats in a shop in Northern Tunisia last week and I was amazed at the selection. There were berets from France, caps from Ireland, fedoras from Italy as well as all manner of unnameable hats from goodness knows where.

Ok, I didn’t actually put very many of them on my head because I am scared of picking up a case of head lice (or worse). I read a thread in a hat forum that was started by a guy who caught ringworm from a pith helmet. Someone speaking with the voice of experience said that sealing hats in airtight bags for two weeks will kill lice. They went on to say that the transfer of lice from one host to another could involve two people trying on the same hat (new or used) within a few hours of each other.

If I had unthinkingly tried on every hat in the store and by chance picked up a few critters, at least I already know how to get rid of super lice. When our kids were sent home from school with super lice a few years ago, we tried the over the counter insecticidal shampoos. The lice were resistant, which means that they won the first battle. We regrouped and researched. Our plan of attack was based on a medical study carried out in the United Kingdom. We executed the plan with precision and we won the war against super lice.