Dealing with the Head Lice Epidemic

Head lice treatments: What to look for

It’s no secret that head lice are a major problem across the world, particularly in schools. Lice have been around for thousands of years, and it’s likely that they won’t disappear any time soon. And while it may not be possible to completely eradicate them, there are ways to better manage the spread.

Finding a treatment that works

With so many head lice treatments on the market, it’s hard to know what to look for when it comes to quick and effective products.

To make matters worse, it’s feared that head lice may build resistance to some products when they’re used over long periods of time, deeming them ineffective.

Thankfully, there are certain treatments that head lice can’t build resistance to, particularly those that use a physical means to kill the lice. One particular product that can kill both lice and nits (eggs) without building resistance is LicenerTM Single Treatment.

As the name suggests, Licener kills lice and nits in a single treatment. This shampoo contains neem extract, which has been shown to be highly effective against all stages of head lice1. It works by suffocating the lice and nits, which means they cannot build resistance to the product.

When applied, the shampoo enters the small aeropyles (or ‘breathing holes’) at the top of each egg. It blocks the oxygen flow into the eggs, causing carbon dioxide to build up and making the lice inside suffocate and die. It also immobilises and suffocates the lice inside while breaking down the protective shell of the eggs2.

What to look for in a treatment

To ensure the success of any treatment, it’s important to massage the product well into scalp, coating all hair and covering all lice and nits. That means the more hair a child has, the more product you will need to use. For Licener, it is recommended that 50 ml is used for short hair, while 100 ml (one bottle) is used for long hair.

In our time-poor society, the last thing we need is an outbreak of head lice to interrupt our busy schedules. So the easier the treatment is to use, the better. Look for fast-acting products that require no combing, such as Licener. Unlike many other treatments, Licener works in a single ten-minute treatment, and no combing is required to ensure its effectiveness.

The shampoo simply needs to be applied to dry hair, ensuring all hair is covered from the scalp to the tips, and left in for ten minutes. If a number of family members have head lice they should all be treated at the same time to prevent new infestations. The shampoo can then be rinsed out thoroughly using lukewarm water. With Licener, it is not necessary to wash the hair with a normal shampoo afterwards. While no combing is required to ensure the effectiveness of the treatment, the hair may still be combed after treatment to remove any dead lice or eggs that remain behind.

To avoid irritation, it also pays to use products that are gentle on the skin. Again, Licener is a safe option to use as it has been dermatologically tested and found to be gentle on normal skin types3. This treatment also has a neutral smell that doesn’t leave a nasty odour.

For the best results, it’s important that head lice are detected and treated at their earliest stage. To help keep nits at bay, it always pays to have a bottle of treatment on hand at all times.

Always read the label. Use only as directed.

Mayne Pharma International
ABN 88 007870 984

References
1. Abdel-Ghaffar F, Al-Quraishy S, Al-Rasheid KAS, & Mehlhorn H. (2011). Efficacy of a single treatment of head lice with a neem seed extract: an in vivo and in vitro study on nits and motile stages, Parisitol Res, DOI: 10.1007/s00436-011-2484-3
2. Mehlhorn H, Abdel-Ghaffar F, Al-Rasheid KAS, Schmidt J & Semmler M. (2011). Ovicidal effects of a neem seed extract preparation on eggs of body and head lice, Parasitol Res, DOI: 10.1007/s00436-011-2374-8.
3. Pittermann W, Lehmacher W, Kietzmann M, & Melhorn H (2008). Treatment against blood-sucking insects without skin irritation, SOFW-Journal, 134 (5), pp. 36–43.