Bed Bugs in Your Hair – Here’s How to Get Them Out

Gross! That’s the adjective we use for defining bed bugs. Despite being small parasites, bed bugs can beat the bear in terms of lifespan. These creepy creatures can live without food for 12-14 months which is a lot longer than bears. And, what makes them super scary is the fact that they are really good at hiding.

Bed bugs are annoying no matter where they take refuge. But they become more problematic when they get in your hair. Having bed bugs hiding near your bed is gross enough, so we can only imagine what happens when they find shelter in our hair.

In this post, I will walk you through the steps you can take to treat bug infestation in your hair. But first, I’d like to start with the possibility of bed bugs finding their way in your hair.

Is It Possible for Bed Bugs to Find Shelter in Your Hair?

I came across quite a few posts that say there’s no way bed bugs can enter your hair. And, while I do believe there is a slim chance of that happening, it is possible. As gross as it sounds, it is absolutely possible for these tiny and creepy creatures to reside in your hair.

Think about it – they need blood to survive and a hiding spot. What could be a better place than your scalp for bugs to survive and multiply?

You must note that bed bugs are not like nits, lice, and mites. They don’t have the bodies that can get attached to the hair follicles and stay in the hair for long. Even if these bugs make it to your scalp, there is a good chance they will come out in a short while.

One reason why bugs can’t take shelter in your hair is that they prefer a shelter in places with no movements. Still, there is a possibility the bugs can crawl into your scalp, especially if you have a serious bed bug infestation in your home.

Even if these bugs get in your hair when you are asleep, they will get off as soon as you toss and turn or move a little. Similarly, the bugs don’t lay eggs in your hair.

Common Symptoms of the Bed Bugs Infestation in Your Hair

As I mentioned before, bed bugs do not like to stay in your hair for longer periods. While it is safe and convenient for them to hide in your hair, they prefer places with little to no movements just so that they are never caught.

It’s hard to catch a bug in your hair unless you have the habit of combing your hair or washing it as soon as you wake up. So, you must rather look for the indirect signs, such as the bug bites. A bug bite is harder and more painful than lice.

If you look carefully, you will notice the small red spots, more like a bump, on your scalp. The area must be inflamed and a little itchy from the bite. These marks often appear in clusters near your hairline.

Itching, inflammation, and sharp pain are some common signs of a bug bite. It may also hurt a little when you apply a conditioner or shampoo to the affected area.

Best Treatments for Bed Bugs in Your Hair

These bloodsuckers build a community in your home and infest nearly every place that serves as a perfect hiding spot for parasites. They multiply themselves every 15-16 days. Now, the good news is that your hair is not a comfortable place for these nasty parasites to grow.

It is not an ideal habitation place, and that’s the reason they don’t suck the blood out of your scalp immediately. Most of us confuse the bite of a bed bug with the mosquito bite, as both are equally painful and irritating.

There is also the possibility that you will not suspect the presence of these bugs in your home until there is a full-blown infestation.

It might sound a bit overwhelming, but you need to get bed bugs out of your home or have them killed to avoid bug hair infestation. It is going to take time, probably months. Until then, here is what I’d recommend you do if you ever catch a bed bug in your hair.

Get the Right Shampoo

Earlier, I mentioned that the bed bug in your hair is a rare occurrence. But there is a possibility! That’s why you can find bed bugs shampoos in the medical stores. However, you don’t need to apply these shampoos. Any quality shampoo formulated for lice and nits, such as Fairy Tales Rosemary Shampoo, will do the trick.

You could also add rubbing alcohol in your regular shampoos, as it has been proven to be an effective treatment for bed bugs and lice.

Whichever shampoo you use, make sure you wash your hair regularly, preferably every 2 days. Keep the shampoo on your scalp for at least 15-20 minutes before rinsing your hair with lukewarm water. Removing bed bugs from your hair shouldn’t be a problem unless you have thick and long hair.

It may take a few days, but the regular application of a medical shampoo can help kill them easily. You could also try the DIY the special home-made oil of herbs for bed bugs.

Wash Your Hairpiece

The bugs can get in your hair with the hairpieces. If your house is infested with bed bugs, do not wear any hairpiece or garment without washing them. Send your clothes for dry cleaning and pack all your accessories in a plastic bag.

Try a Nit Comb

Most of us have used the fine-toothed combs during our school days. The lice and nits are way too stubborn to come out of your hair with a shampoo or the normal comb. A fine-toothed comb is designed for the tiny parasites that live in your scalp. And that being said, they can be used for getting the bugs out of your hair.

Combing the bug-plagued hair with something like the Nit-free Terminator Lice Comb would be a very safe and effective way to remove bed bugs, in addition to lice, nits, and other parasites from your scalp. Use it on wet hair for better results. Wash the comb after running it through your hair and repeat the process every day or after a shower.

Heat Treatment

A hot water shower with some scented candles near your bathtub sounds like a perfect recipe for a calm evening. I prefer hot showers after dinner, at midnight. It releases my stress, negativity, and anxiety. A hot shower also happens to be the best way to get the bed bugs on your body or hair killed.

Bed bugs cannot tolerate high temperatures. So, what could be a better way to treat bugs in your hair than a hot shower.

Once you are done taking a shower, throw your towel straight into the washing machine, and blow-dry your hair. Don’t forget to set the temperature of the dryer to the maximum. If you think you have bed bugs living in your scalp and you are having a hard time catching them, then a heat treatment is your best bet to get them killed.

You could also try other effective heat treatments for bed bugs, such as laying in the sauna with a temperature of 117 degrees to 122 degrees Fahrenheit. This is the perfect temperature for killing not only the bed bugs but the eggs they might have possibly laid in your scalp.

Pest Control

The main problem with bed bugs is that they multiply quickly. One bug will turn into thousands of bed bugs in no time. Before you realize it, they will be all over your house. That’s how they enter your hair.

The more bugs you have in your home, the higher the chances they will find their way in your scalp.

Having a pest control inspect your apartment and kill these bugs is the easiest way to treat them. Once you have them out of your home, it’s easy to remove them from your scalp. If it’s taking time, then go to a professional hair specialist or a dermatologist. They might offer some solutions.

Bottom Line

Even the thought of bed bugs living in your scalp and making a meal out of it is daunting. I have seen people use herbs on their bodies and scalps to fight bug infestation. There is no denying that bed bugs are hard to deal with, whether they are in your furniture, clothes, or hair.

However, it’s important to note that bed bugs cannot harm your hair in any serious way. Even if you catch a bug crawling over your scalp, there is a good chance it will get out of your hair in no time.

If you are still not sure whether your hair is free of bugs or not, the above tips will help. Just giving your scalp a good wash with hot water will be enough to kill the bugs.