How can head lice be treated?
Head lice are small, wingless insects that live, breed and feed on the human scalp. They do not carry or transmit disease. They have been around for thousands of years and, given the chance, will move from head to head without discrimination.
Treatment for Head Lice
pyrethrin (found in R+Câ shampoo/conditioner)
permethrin (Nixâ or Kwellada-Pâ)
lindane (Hexitâ or PMS-Lindane shampoo).
Apply head lice medication according to label instructions (do not bathe before treatment), using a towel to protect the eyes;
Have the person bathe and put on clean clothing after treatment; and
Repeat treatment in seven to 10 days.
If, eight to 12 hours after treatment, no dead lice are found and lice seem as active as before, the medicine may not be working. See your health-care provider for a different medication and follow their treatment for head lice.
Nit (head lice egg) combs, often found in lice medicine packages should be used to remove nits and lice from the hair shaft. Many flea combs made for cats and dogs are also effective.
The insecticides can be strong chemicals and may cause side-effects such as scalp irritation. Only use them if you are sure there is a head lice infestation.Check every member of your household if you or your child has a confirmed infestation. Because of the risk of side-effects and head lice becoming resistant to insecticides, don’t treat the whole family as a preventive measure.
Permethrin 1% cream rinse (Nix), is a topical pediculocide and ovicide for the treatment of head lice and eggs. It is applied to the scalp and hair and left on for 10 minutes before it is rinsed off with water. Synergized pyrethrins (A-200 Pyrinate, Pyrinyl and Rid) are over-the-counter products that are applied undiluted until the infested areas are entirely wet. After 10 minutes, the areas are washed thoroughly with warm water and soap, and then dried.
The treatment of head lice is now complicated by the emergence of resistance to pediculicides. Most clinical trials were done before resistance emerged and reviews of these trials do not give clear guidelines to the clinician. In these circumstances, the choice of treatment will depend on local patterns of resistance, and where treatment has failed, recourse to testing for resistance is perhaps the best way forward.
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