Luxurious but Lousy: Illicit Lice ‘Hair Therapy’ On Offer in Dubai

Dubai’s beauty salons have begun to offer customers an unusual service in which lice are applied to the head, claiming that the practices is in fact a form of "traditional medicine" which promotes new hair growth.

According to the Emirates' official media agency Emaratalyoum, unlicentious Dubai has taken to a new fad involving the application of lice to the scalp.

According to those offering the beauty treatment, lice, when biting scalp, stimulate the bloodstream, which ultimately increases hair growth.
The price of one louse is 14 dirham (4 dollars). For one session, about 10 to 15 lice are required.

Dubai's government announced that these salon services are unacceptable, and that organizations involved in the application of lice to the heads of customers, will be required to pay a penalty for each client totaling 2,000 dirhams (550 dollars).

The Ministry of Health warned those wishing to use the so-called "traditional medicine" that lice cause various skin diseases and can easily spread to other family members.

However, some women who tried out the new “hair therapy”, faced the opposite effect. They began to lose hair at a high speed as lice feed on their blood, damaging the scalp.

Earlier, in March 2016, the shops of Kuwait started to sell small packages of lice, which locals can buy for independent use.

One can only guess at which the next Middle Eastern state will be to catch on to this “new beauty trend.”