New “Sahara Desert” Drug Cures Head Lice
28 Aug 2007
Why am I scratching my head? It’s because I’m writing about head lice and even the thought of having this crawly beast, “Pediculosis capitis”, in my hair triggers this reaction. It also makes me understand the traumatic, emotional and embarrassed reaction of parents (and child) when they’re told, “Sarah (or Johnnie) has head lice.” Now that school has started, over a million parents in this country will hear this news. Fortunately, a new “Sahara Desert” treatment rids families of this common pest.
One child in 10 will contact lice by grade six and many myths surround this parasite. Lice do not transmit communicable diseases. They can’t jump or fly as they don’t have wings. Short hair does not protect children from lice. Never blame your pooch for the infection as he or she is totally innocent. And when you hear the news your child has lice don’t assume you’re living in filth as this critter strikes both rich and poor.
An adult louse can live up to 30 days. During this time it will deposit about 90 eggs. After incubating for seven to 10 days nits hatch and later mature into adult lice the size of a sesame seed with three pairs of legs. They live on blood. On rare occasions lice can extract large amounts of blood causing anemia.
Head lice are spread by close physical contact, primarily head-to-head. The sharing hats and combs also plays a role. And once children are infected lice can quickly spread to the entire family.
Not all children with lice have symptoms. But normally there’s itching, which may be so intense that scratching the scalp causes bacterial infection.
Diagnosis depends on finding lice with either a magnifying glass or louse comb. And if lice are spotted few parents waste time running to their local pharmacy. The time honoured treatment has been the use of pesticides, but there is concern about the use of this medication.
Dr. James Bergman, pediatric dermatologist, University of British Columbia, says studies show these crawly creatures over the years have developed increasing resistance to pesticides and have become “super lice”.
It also seems illogical to wash children’s hair with pesticides when environmentalists tell us not to use pesticides even on our lawns. But until now parents have had little choice but to use this method that destroys the louse’s nervous system.
Health Canada has now approved a new medication, “Resultz”, that contains isopropyl myristate 50 percent, for children four years of age and older. This ingredient has been used for years in low concentrations in cosmetic and dermatological products such as baby creams, bath oils and shaving lotions.
Resultz uses a different tack in destroying lice. It’s the “Sahara Desert” approach, namely death by dehydration. This medication dissolves the wax that covers the louse’s skeleton and it quickly dries up and dies.
In a report published this month in the Journal of Cutaneous Medicine and Surgery it states that Resultz’s mechanical action resulted in a 96.5 percent cure. Moreover, the clinical trials showed there were no safety issues. And due to its mechanical action it’s unlikely lice will develop resistance to this medication.
Only those affected have to be treated. But it’s vital to examine everyone in the household for possible infection.
The treatment is simple. After covering the eyes with a towel Resultz is massaged into the scalp, especially the sides and nape of the neck. It must remain in place for 10 minutes before rinsing with warm water.
This first application is followed by a second seven days later. This eliminates any eggs that were not killed by the initial treatment. The amount of Resultz used depends on the length of the hair.
Dr. Ian Landells Assistant Professor Dermatology, Memorial University, Newfoundland, like many other doctors, is concerned about the increasing degree of immunity that lice are showing traditional drugs. He suspects that this new therapy will be used by many dermatologists, pediatricians, and general practitioners as the new “gold-standard” of treatment.
I’m happy to alert parents of this new, nontoxic and efficient treatment for Pediculosis capitis. But I’m equally happy to finish this column so I can stop scratching my head.
