Nits succumb to 'shrink-wrap' lotion

A new method of killing head lice by suffocating them with a lotion that dries on the scalp like shrink-wrap appears to work as well as many conventional medicines, says its inventor.

In a paper published by the American Academy of Pediatrics, California dermatologist Dale Pearlman said that with his method, nits - lice eggs - did not need to be combed out of the hair first, and resistance to drug treatments was not an issue.

In two tests involving 133 children, the treatment eradicated lice in 95 to 97 per cent of cases, he said.

The lotion was placed wet on the scalp then dried with a hair dryer to "shrink-wrap" the lice and cut off their source of oxygen.

The treatment "effectively treats head lice without neurotoxins, nit removal or extensive house cleaning", he said in the report published in Pediatrics, the academy's monthly journal.

"These results are comparable or superior to the results previously reported for treatments with permethrin, pyrethrin and malathion."

Dr Pearlman said he was looking for pharmaceutical industry backing and regulatory approval for his preparation, which was available only to his patients.

Head lice infestations are commonly treated with insecticidal preparations.

Dr Pearlman said lice had become resistant to nonprescription remedies. Prescription preparations using either malathion or lindane had better cure rates than nonprescription products, but some parents and doctors had concerns about their safety.

He said his lotion should be left in place for at least eight hours.

"After it dried on the scalp, the lotion was not visible, and the hair could be styled as usual."

Dr Pearlman said the lotion contained stearyl alcohol, propylene glycol, sodium lauryl sulfate, cetyl alcohol, water and other ingredients "generally recognised as safe" by the US Food and Drug Administration.


- REUTERS