Question about people trying on hats

[mom22bless]

I've seen tons of people trying on those silly hats and taking pictures and it got me thinking......

Isn't that a little unsanitary? I worked at a place that sold hats and the rule was that if you tried it on, you bought it. You never know if people are going to have scalp/skin issues, or little "friends" traveling with them.

[crzyeeyoreangel]

I am glad that I am not the only one who thinks about this. I am paranoid about this kind of stuff.

[KJ Luvs Pluto]

I don't wear hats but my husband is always wanting me try them on but this is one of the reasons that I don't even want to try them on. I have a friend who is a school teacher and she got lice from one of her students and the time, energy and money it took to get rid of them was amazing. So, trying on hats - no I don't think so.

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

I'm paranoid about that too.

I always find myself thinking what if they have lice. Blech.

[PJAY]

I've seen tons of people trying on those silly hats and taking pictures and it got me thinking......

Isn't that a little unsanitary? I worked at a place that sold hats and the rule was that if you tried it on, you bought it. You never know if people are going to have scalp/skin issues, or little "friends" traveling with them.

Ditto what everyone else said. During our last visit, I noticed the same thing and remarked to DW that I would NEVER buy one of those hats and I couldn't understand the picture thing. :confused3

[HeidiPA]

Yep - disgusting with a capital D!
My best friend is always talking about a little girl in her daughter's class who has lice and it's just so .... yuck!
Do not try on hats - that's JUST WRONG! :sad2:

[MichelleVW]

We're apparently gross because we do it. Plus I've also bought hats from Disney and I won't buy a hat unless I try it on first to see if I like it.

On the no trying on hats unless you buy it rule, what if you get it home and it doesn't fit?? No way would I buy a hat without trying it on first...

I guess I just live dangerously!

[tchrrx]

And now my head itches....

[LovePug]

You could go crazy thinking about things like this. How do you know if the clothes you buy in your every day life weren't tried on before you try them on (you meaning collectively, not you specifically)? One word...scabies! Now that I've freaked you out....:lmao: (if you don't know what they are, DO NOT look them up).

Seriously, though, I do think about this stuff and actually have to make myself just STOP because I'll go nuts. Blech!

[ncmickeyluvr]

I was just thinking the same things. How is this worse than trying on clothes? I'm not NEARLY as grossed out by someone's head in my hat as I am about someone else's butt in my jeans!:crazy2:

[POB14]

I was just thinking the same things. How is this worse than trying on clothes? I'm not NEARLY as grossed out by someone's head in my hat as I am about someone else's butt in my jeans!:crazy2:

Now THAT is a tag waiting to happen! :lmao:

As to the actual topic, NPR has reported (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6556831):

"The commonly held belief, which is folklore, is that lice are shared through things like combs and brushes and hats and helmets," [lice expert Richard] Pollack [of Harvard's School of Public Health] says.

Some authorities believe these personal items can help transmit head lice from one person to another. But Pollack explains the bugs cannot fly or jump. And studies show that once the lice are off the scalp, they die within hours.

[SpectroMax]

If lice from mickey ears is at the top, or even on the list for that matter, of things that you worry about, you are either an extremely worriesome or very fortunate person. I buy hats all of the time, I always try them on and if someone told me I just bought a hat for trying it on they would have to pull my wallet from my cold dead hands to recieve their compensation.

Honestly, when I was a kid there was an outbreak of lice at our school and my sister came home with some 'friends.' My mom freaked out, we moved out of the house for a week and threw away all of mine and my sisters linnens. So it can happen.

However, it is probably safe to assume that anyone who is well-off enough to travel to WDW would freak out over lice themselves and eradicate the problem before releasing the little varmits all over the emporium.

Also, every guy I know buys hats, but I've never heard of anyone getting lice from it. I would put this on the list right below bird flu, meteorite to the head, and rabbid squirl attack of things that concern me.

[cuucuu4karaoke]

and if it were up to me, all the rides would have those little paper toilet seat covers on them too :lmao:

ok i'm just being silly now

[mom22bless]

I'm not paranoid...I was just curious is all.

[mjkacmom]

If lice from mickey ears is at the top, or even on the list for that matter, of things that you worry about, you are either an extremely worriesome or very fortunate person. I buy hats all of the time, I always try them on and if someone told me I just bought a hat for trying it on they would have to pull my wallet from my cold dead hands to recieve their compensation.

Honestly, when I was a kid there was an outbreak of lice at our school and my sister came home with some 'friends.' My mom freaked out, we moved out of the house for a week and threw away all of mine and my sisters linnens. So it can happen.

However, it is probably safe to assume that anyone who is well-off enough to travel to WDW would freak out over lice themselves and eradicate the problem before releasing the little varmits all over the emporium.

Also, every guy I know buys hats, but I've never heard of anyone getting lice from it. I would put this on the list right below bird flu, meteorite to the head, and rabbid squirl attack of things that concern me.

Most of the people who spread lice have no idea that they have them. Unless you are checking on a daily basis, well, you could have them. Dd's entire 2nd grade had them last year, as well as many other students.

[earthfaries]

Yeah it's gross but we still do it:laughing:

[Kblue]

It could be considered gross, but what is life without a little adventure? lol. Plus that is one of my favorite things to do at Disneyworld. :goodvibes And, *knock on wood*, I have never gotten lice or anything.

[LovePug]

and if someone told me I just bought a hat for trying it on they would have to pull my wallet from my cold dead hands to recieve their compensation.



:lmao:

[melancholywings]

The bedspreads gross me out more than the hats. I make my family peel them off the beds.:laundy:

[Saffyer]

Thanks, I had wanted to buy a Santa Mickey hat but now will think twice! Jut Kidding. They should supply people with hair nets or something, like shoe stores do with those little stocking ped-things! :lmao:

[arminnie]

They should supply people with hair nets or something, like shoe stores do with those little stocking ped-things! :lmao:

and if it were up to me, all the rides would have those little paper toilet seat covers on them too.Perfect solution - just carry some of those seat covers in your purse (they make a travel kit or else steal some from a bathroom) and put one on your head before trying on a hat.:lmao:

[lucas]

Perfect solution - just carry some of those seat covers in your purse (they make a travel kit or else steal some from a bathroom) and put one on your head before trying on a hat.:lmao:

:rotfl:

[Samantha/NC]

we are the family putting on the sombreo's (sp?) in Mexico and taking a group shot, oh yeah we were also the family last thanksgiving posing with Christmas hats on our heads-made cute Christmas Cards!

I too am more grossed out about....the beds, and the showers/bathtubs
Samantha

[Mr. & Mrs. Smith]

You are much more likely to catch something by touching a handrail getting on POTC than trying on a hat.

I too like to live dangerously.

[a1tinkfans]

I have to agree, it is gross and unsanitary.
BUT, I did it and forced my dh and ds too! What great pictures we have from years back, lol!!!

[eagillinois]

I guess we are gross also! When we went in 06, my 11 and 12 YO DDs tried on hats in every land in World Showcase and we took pictures. It was a great way to get them excited about each land and they were so focused on our hat picture mission that they didnt want to buy everything in the stores! We added props also like steins in Germany. We really enjoy looking back at those photos and remembering our trip.

[Disneyvirg]

And now my head itches....

I was just scrolling down scratching my head when I came across your message!

I'm the same way - I never try on hats in stores. According to my mom, my older brother got lice as a little kid after trying on a coat with a hood at a store. Blech! :scared1:

[maxiesmom]

How are you supposed to buy not knowing how it looks on you? :confused3 And isn't that why stores put the mirrors there, so you can try them on and see how you look?

People try on clothes all the time. Even swimsuits, with only that little liner (and hopefully your undies) between you and the clothing. Why is that not gross, but trying on hats is?

I guess I don't see the big deal.

[delmar411]

not to be a Debbie Downer but my oldest got lice at WDW. Took us 9mths and nearly scalping her bald to get rid of them. She passed them to her little sister as well who had curly hair down to her butt. :headache: I had to chop off 8inches of hair and burn them out of the hair with a flat iron after 6mths of her infestation and chemical after chemical on her head.

We no longer get too close to the hats at WDW and if we want to buy one we get a brand new one from the way back or ask a clerk for a new one from the stock room. I also keep their hair up as much as possible when we are going to be in crowded situation or when there are theater type seats.

Lice can live much longer than a few hours after leaving the scalp and because of ppl using so many OTC treatments there are now super lice that are completely resistant to OTC treatments.

~and I know where/when DD got them as I check their heads regularly since lice are so rampant in the schools here~

so try them on at your own risk, just don't dismiss that it is a very real possibility. I'd say mostly at crowded times of year when lots of school age kids will be at WDW. (think spring break)

[Mr. & Mrs. Smith]

not to be a Debbie Downer but my oldest got lice at WDW. Took us 9mths and nearly scalping her bald to get rid of them. She passed them to her little sister as well who had curly hair down to her butt. :headache: I had to chop off 8inches of hair and burn them out of the hair with a flat iron after 6mths of her infestation and chemical after chemical on her head.

Wow. I have never heard of it taking 9 months to get rid of lice!! My DMom was a first grade school teacher for her whole career and dealt with this frequently with kids. They are gross but it usually involved a pretty simple, routine treatment. Can I ask if your doctor gave you indication what the issue was with your DDs? I feel so bad for those 2 little girls.

[PrincessBetsy]

Perfect solution - just carry some of those seat covers in your purse (they make a travel kit or else steal some from a bathroom) and put one on your head before trying on a hat.:lmao:

Wonderful solution! :rotfl2:

[delmar411]

Wow. I have never heard of it taking 9 months to get rid of lice!! My DMom was a first grade school teacher for her whole career and dealt with this frequently with kids. They are gross but it usually involved a pretty simple, routine treatment. Can I ask if your doctor gave you indication what the issue was with your DDs? I feel so bad for those 2 little girls.

I was either missing just one egg and 1 egg can turn into hundreds very quickly or they were passing it back and forth. And then when I sent my oldest off to her dad's for 6wks, she didn't want him to get mad at her and didn't tell him how much her head was itching. When she came home I had to cut out almost all her hair the lice were so bad. I love her to pieces but I didn't even want to get near her the lice were so bad and so HUGE! *gag*
That was the final straw with me. I was going to shave her bald and buy her a wig (I was seriously that freaked out) but finally came to my senses after she agreed to be calm and let me cut out as much hair as possible without ppl being able to see her scalp. (TG she has thick hair and lice like the bottom layers but you could see it in some spots....shhh that's our little secret!)

We used every single OTC treatment and followed all the directions. Our only remaining option was an RX treatment which I was going to do if that last time didn't work. Thankfully burning them out worked for my youngest as there isn't enough hours in the day to pick those nits out and still take care of my other children. (and picking needed to be done during daylight hours)

Lice is a terrible thing to catch and it can either be a breeze to get rid of or an on going nightmare. Ours unfortunately was the nightmare version. My older DD went from having hair halfway down her back to hair just below her chin too because of this. It's grown back beautifully and the cut bits are finally long enough that they no longer stand straight up.

We also use product in their hair everyday now. Lice like clean hair so we try to keep it less lice friendly. We also use coconut oil and one other (really stinky) oil in their girls shampoo to help keep them away.

[Mr. & Mrs. Smith]

We used every single OTC treatment and followed all the directions. Our only remaining option was an RX treatment which I was going to do if that last time didn't work. Thankfully burning them out worked for my youngest as there isn't enough hours in the day to pick those nits out and still take care of my other children. (and picking needed to be done during daylight hours).

I'm not sure why you would go through all that. Why not just go to the doctor and get a treatment from the beginning? You must have gone at some point in 9 months, right? What did the doc say?

[lizondro7]

My apologies to everyone...but this has to be the silliest thread I have ever read.....:rotfl2:

[SpectroMax]

My apologies to everyone...but this has to be the silliest thread I have ever read.....:rotfl2:

I'm with you. This thread along with the crock pot thread are awesome examples of people having WAY too strong convictions over trivial junk!!!:confused3

[delmar411]

I'm not sure why you would go through all that. Why not just go to the doctor and get a treatment from the beginning? You must have gone at some point in 9 months, right? What did the doc say?

LOL! It's not that black and white, they are 'gone' and then they are back. If you ever have the misfortune to get these horrible suckers in your kiddos hair, you will understand. And I hope you never have the chance to understand! :goodvibes (although if you ever do the flat iron worked miracles on burning them out and didn't put anymore chemicals on their heads)

and no I never needed to bring them into the dr for lice. I spoke to them on the phone. It's a problem they do not want you bringing into their offices and waiting rooms. ;) They will call in an RX as a very last resort.

[Mr. & Mrs. Smith]

and no I never needed to bring them into the dr for lice. I spoke to them on the phone. It's a problem they do not want you bringing into their offices and waiting rooms. ;) They will call in an RX as a very last resort.

To me, the last resort would have come before the 9 month mark and before I ripped out and burned hair. :scared1: Again, sorry your kids had to go through this. I think this is an extreme example though as there are many, many kids who get lice each year, have them treated, and resume their childhoods. So, this story is not enough for me to swear off trying on hats at WDW or anywhere else.

[SpectroMax]

I don't know why but I cant stop reading this ridiculous thread!popcorn::

I'm gonna start a thread about getting crabs from trying on pants at department stores.:rotfl2:

[Mr. & Mrs. Smith]

I'm gonna start a thread about getting crabs from trying on pants at department stores.:rotfl2:

:lmao: :rotfl: :laughing:

I would totally read that!

[maxiesmom]

I don't know why but I cant stop reading this ridiculous thread!popcorn::

I'm gonna start a thread about getting crabs from trying on pants at department stores.:rotfl2:

:rotfl2:

Honestly, I think everything I touch at a store anywhere probably has germs on it. You never know if the person who touched those Mickey ears before you washed after using the restroom, or just picked their nose. Unless you pull something out of the packaging yourself, whatever you buy is not sterile. I wouldn't assume hats to be germ or bug free either.