Can Bed Bugs Live in Your Hair?

There could be only one thing worse than finding lice in your hair: Finding bed bugs. Luckily, it’s not a typical waking nightmare for most people, even those suffering through bed bug infestations.

While bed bugs do enjoy the taste of mammalian blood, they tend to shy away from skin that is covered. However, it is possible to find a stray bed bug hanging around your scalp. So, can bed bugs take up residence in your hair?

Let’s find out!

Can Bed Bugs Live in Your Hair?

Bed bugs can inhabit your bed, your sheets, and your pillows. The cold, enclosed spaces where humans often frequent tend to be their favorite places. But does this include your luscious locks?

Not really. Bed bugs crave exposed skin. Flesh that is covered by clothing or hair is far less likely to be bitten by bed bugs. A bed bug might bite you on your scalp, of course, but it is unlikely.

Fleas, on the other hand, love to live in a hairy environment. It shelters them, gives them a place to hide, and the hairs act as little anchors for the fleas to cling onto. And while fleas and bed bugs may be roughly the same size, and live off warm-blooded animals and humans, they do not have the same environmental habits.

Can Bed Bugs Live in Your Hair and Stay?

While an errant bed bug may end up caught in your morning frizz, it’s unlikely that they’ll stay there.
Bed bugs don’t like to be noticed, they don’t want to be hot, and they need bare skin to feed. Your hairdo is likely to catch lots of sunshine if you go outside, which will create a bright, warm environment that bed bugs do not tolerate.

Can Bed Bugs Live in Your Hair like Lice?

Bed bugs cannot live in your hair like lice or fleas. They may occasionally attempt to hide in your hair, but a hot shower will easily drown them out.
In contrast, lice depend on your hair for protection and nutrients. While they don’t necessarily chow down on your hair, they do feed from your scalp. Both head lice and pubic lice rely on healthy strands of hair to remain hidden and active.

Can Bed Bugs Live in Your Pubic Hair?

While dealing with a bed bug infestation, you may encounter a bed bug or two in your pubic hair. While this is unsettling, it isn’t necessarily a cause for alarm.
If you like to sleep naked, or while wearing loose underwear, it is possible that a bed bug wandered over to an exposed bit of skin near your genitals and began to feed.

But bed bugs do not live in hair, especially pubic hair. The moist, warm environment is not suitable for long-term habitation.
If you notice any bed bugs in your hair or pubic region, take a hot shower immediately. The water may dry out your skin, but the heat will kill the bed bugs!