A New Cure for Head Lice

Heating and Drying Treats Pediculosis Without Chemicals or Drugs

Mar 31, 2009 Rosemary Drisdelle

Biologist Dale Clayton discovered that lice can't survive hot dry conditions and subsequently invented a new safe and effective treatment for head louse infestations.

Millions of people worldwide, mostly children, become infested with head lice every year. They try to comb the parasites out with nit combs, poison them with insecticidal shampoos, and shave their heads when other methods fail. A new approach that uses hot air may prove to be the best treatment for head lice (pediculosis) to date.

Hot Air for Head Lice

It's been known for a long time that lice are fussy about temperature: body lice, Pediculus humanus corporis, live in clothing rather than directly on human skin where they find it too hot. Similarly, head lice, Pediculus humanus capitis have specific requirements for temperature and humidity, which they find amidst the hair on the scalp. Dale Clayton, a biologist who does research using lice, discovered that lice subjected to heat and dry air die within minutes—his discovery led to a new treatment for head lice using only hot dry air.

Clayton’s invention, named the LouseBuster™ aims hot air (about 58 - 59°C, a little cooler than a standard hair dryer) at the parasites, and allows the user to direct the heat near hair roots, where there are typically lots of lice and nits (eggs). Controlled studies have shown that the treatment, which takes about half an hour, kills 98% of nits and 80% of hatched lice (Goates et al, 2006). In almost every case, the infection is cured, suggesting that any lice that survive the heat are rendered incapable of reproducing.

Why Do We Need a New Cure for Head Lice?

The standard treatments for pediculosis often don’t work and some of them are dangerous:

  • The most common insecticidal shampoos contain either pyrethroids or lindane, both of which have known toxicity for humans, particularly children.
  • Insecticidal shampoos don’t kill nits and require a second treatment to kill parasites that hatch after the first treatment.
  • Lice have developed resistance to insecticidal shampoos and survive despite repeated application.
  • Removing lice and nits with a louse comb requires time and patience. Often, a few parasites escape the comb.
  • Treatment takes days, keeping children out of school and adults absent from work.

In contrast, treatment with hot dry air is safe, comfortable for the patient, and immediately effective. Clayton thinks it's unlikely that lice will develop resistance.

Where to Find the LouseBuster™

The LouseBuster™, approved by the Food and Drug Administration in the United States, looks like a hand-held mini vacuum with an oversize comb on the end of a hose. Produced and marketed by Larada Sciences, it’s expected to be available by late 2009. It won’t become a household item however; the unit is expensive and requires some training. It will likely be purchased by medical clinics, schools, and possibly professional hair stylists.

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Sources

“An effective non-chemical treatment for head lice: A lot of hot air.” Goates, B.M., J.S. Atkin, K.G. Wilding, K.J. Birch, M.R. Cottam, S.E. Bush and D.H. Clayton. 2006. Pediatrics. 118:1962-1970.

CASPeR (Center for Alternate Strategies of Parasite Removal). Clayton Lab Projects.

“U Professor Develops product to Fight Lice.” The Daily Utah Chronicle. July 19, 2008. dailyutahchronicle.com

The copyright of the article A New Cure for Head Lice in Microbiology is owned by Rosemary Drisdelle. Permission to republish A New Cure for Head Lice in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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Hunting Lice By Candlelight, Andries Both c. 1630 Hunting Lice By Candlelight
 
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