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Aleema Ali, 18, from Bradford
Itching my long, black hair, walking through the front steps, I was finally home. Returning from boarding school on 22 December 2016, I was excited to spent time with my family over the Christmas period.
My mum Tihra, 42, dad, Zulfiqar, 47, eldest sister, Bushra, 23, and younger sister, Anayah, eight, were beaming at the sight of me.
At just 12, it was lovely to be back with them all again.
Only, there was a secret I had been hiding from them all ever since I’d got back.
I tried my best to keep it to myself, but the itching had gotten the better of me.
‘I’ve got headlice,’ I admitted, embarrassed.
‘Oh, Aleema,’ my mum moaned, pulling my hair at the root to take a look for herself.
My hair had been taken over by the pesky little