Wigging Out: How Your Halloween Costume Does More Harm Than Good
We know what you’re thinking; how can a simple costume bring you any harm? After all, what’s so dangerous about your newly purchased witch’s hat or that Thor helmet you can’t wait to wear? And honestly, what harm could your Grim Reaper mask or your Batman costume bring you? These are among some of the most low-effort costumes you could’ve gotten your hands on. Surely they’re safe to wear?
The answer to that is both yes and no.
Halloween Costumes: A Health Hazard?
Let’s back up for a minute here. When you go to a costume shop, you don’t just grab the first thing you see and bring it home. No, for you to be able to pull off your Halloween look, you need to make sure the costume you buy is the perfect fit. So what do you do? You try on the hats, helmets, wigs, and other clothing and accessories to see how the different elements go together. The thing is, so did the dozens of other customers who were in there before you. This means that if somebody with a lice infestation tried on the same Grim Reaper mask that you did, the lice might have crawled from their head onto the costume. When you try it on, the head lice will make its way to your scalp turning a simple shopping trip into a head-scratching nightmare. This is one of the easiest ways for lice to spread and with the busy holiday season, the chances of a lice outbreak are even higher than they would be otherwise. Even if you only tried on a wig for a few seconds, it’s enough for head lice to crawl its way through. This makes your brand new costume a health hazard. If you don’t take proper measures, you might just spend October 31st scratching your scalp while in your getup. Worse still, you’ll be putting others at risk of getting head lice too.Make Halloween Safe Again
You don’t have to give up on all the Halloween fun! Head lice can easily be avoided if you take the necessary steps. Try to limit the number of hair accessories, headgear, and costumes you buy. Halloween is the perfect time for you to channel your creativity and come up with a cool DIY costume. If, however, you can’t make your own costume and need to buy one, here’s what you should do:- Wear a swimming cap when trying out costumes
- Wipe any masks or head accessories with a disinfectant after purchasing them
- Toss your costume in the dryer for 30 minutes both before and after wearing it and keep it in a sealed bag for at least 24 hours
- Avoid sharing costumes with others
