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  4. Why does talking about head lice make your scalp itch?
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Why does talking about head lice make your scalp itch?

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Offline John Chapman (OP)

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Why does talking about head lice make your scalp itch?
« on: 18/03/2009 10:55:12 »
I have five kids (although some of them came as part of a package deal when I got together with my wife). Because of their age range, for a while we had kids at three different schools and so we were forever having trouble with nits. I remember one summer we had to treat the whole family four times.

If we had friends visit they would often ask what the chemical smell was and I would explain and, within minutes, they would start scratching. Honestly, it was like living within a Pavlovian experiment, and my wife and I would make bets on how long it would take visitors to start scratching.

But why should this happen?

After all, if you talk about the sky you don’t expect visitors to start seeing blue! If you talk about the sea at meal times your food doesn’t taste more salty! So why would talking about things crawling on you make you itch?

And has anyone experienced itching while reading this question?



Pass the tea tree oil, someone.
 
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Offline John Chapman (OP)

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Why does talking about head lice make your scalp itch?
« Reply #1 on: 18/03/2009 10:58:52 »
Here's one called Eric. He’s on his way to a party.

 [ Invalid Attachment ]
 
 
 
 
Here’s the party in full swing…..

 [ Invalid Attachment ]
 
 
 
 
And here’s some nit porn:

 [ Invalid Attachment ]
 
 
 
 
Anyone itchy now?

* head louse 1.gif (64.6 kB, 400x266 - viewed 53725 times.)

* head louse 2.gif (23.69 kB, 300x291 - viewed 34041 times.)

* head louse porn.gif (18.12 kB, 200x161 - viewed 10862 times.)
« Last Edit: 18/03/2009 11:12:04 by John Chapman »
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Why does talking about head lice make your scalp itch?
« Reply #2 on: 18/03/2009 16:34:30 »
It's a psychological thing, it has that effect only on those (scratch) who are vulnerable (scratch, scratch). I am not such a (scratch) person, so (scratch, scratch, scratch) it will not have any (scratch) such (scratch, scratch) effect on me!!! (scratch, scratch, scratch, scratch, scra........
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Online Bored chemist

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Why does talking about head lice make your scalp itch?
« Reply #3 on: 18/03/2009 20:11:29 »
"If we had friends visit they would often ask what the chemical smell was and I would explain and, within minutes, they would start scratching."
Did you check to see if they were scratching before you told them?
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