Lice Treatment: Is New Solution on the Way to Being Scratching the Itch?

Head lice—the mere mention of them makes your head start crawling! These are little creatures that for hundreds of years have caused lots of trouble, embarrassment and inconvenience to millions of people all over the globe. Yet year after year, through all the medical and sanitary improvements measured, lice are still with us chiefly among school children. However, are we gradually expanding our scratching way up to the perfect solution with today’s new modalities of treatment and prevention? Now, let’s look at how lice treatment has evolved, and what potential advancements hold the promise of bringing about the desired improvement.

A Persistent Problem

Head lice scientifically named pediculus Humanus Capitis are small insects that have no wings and primarily feed on the human scalp. They are spread mainly through direct head-to-head transmission and are considered endemic in most school-going children and daycare centres. The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report that approximately 6-12 million cases happen annually to children between the ages of 3 and 11 in the United States only.

Though lice do not transmit disease, they are associated with severe pruritus, bacterial/ fungal infections due to scratching and considerable social embarrassment. In prior years, eradicating head lice required mechanical labouring of picking the parasites off or the use of even combs as well as herbal treatments that spanned from the possible (such as vinegar washes) to the ridiculous (as seen in kerosene washes). Great advancements have been made in chemical treatments but even these treatments were of no avail in solving the problem.

Why? To understand this, we have to go back to the lice, specifically the type of lice that set up home on your head. Lately, Institute researchers have reported that lice have become resistant to many of the OTC products being used, thus making these solutions less useful. It has led to this increasing resistance and therefore advancement leading to the development of new lice treatment options.

The Evolution of Lice Treatments

In the past, head lice treatments were rigorous and entailed rigorous treatment procedures for dangerous processes. Thus, first of all, our forefathers used various concoctions and remedies like vinegar rinse, olive oil, and the now completely dangerous kerosene. In recent years, with the introduction of modern medicine chemical solutions like pyrethrin-based shampoos came into use. These products have been effective in paralyzing and killing lice till now, however, the increased resistance of lice to these chemicals has reduced their utility.

Prescription treatments have since come out as a result of this resistance. There are new drugs for treating lice – ivermectin, sold under the brand name Sklice, and Spinosad under the brand Natroba, they act in different ways, effectively killing even resistant lice. These treatments are very effective, but most of them are expensive and need a physician’s prescription.

On the same note, natural products have been embraced by families which would not want their children to be treated with chemicals. Some of the oils that are usually used to treat lice include tea tree, neem, and eucalyptus where their effectiveness to repel or kill the lice is wanting. People like these methods because they are nonaggressive, even if they take more time and energy than the traditional ones.

What’s New in Lice Treatments?

Some notable advancements in the last few years include Head Lice Premise Spray; an alcohol-free formula to treat head lice RC – Lice Meister; which is a licenced head lice removal tool; and a technique that prelates minimal use of substances to control head lice. Here’s what’s making waves:

Silicone-Based Formulas

Most insecticides used for head lice are non-silicone based and while some kill lice by disproportionate and direct action on their exoskeletons, such as dimethicone work by smothering the lice. These treatments are just as effective with lice and their nits, and since they are not neurotoxic, the lice cannot develop resistance. Also, they are believed to be safer for young children and people with sensitive skin.

Combination Therapies

New combing regimens that include using special shampoos or oils are emerging, for several treatments. All these also try to target both live lice and nits in efforts that seek to decrease reinfestation rates. Some of these combination kits have also instructional materials for families to avoid future epidemics.

Preventative Solutions

It’s always better to prevent rather than to cure and it ringtones perfectly for lice. For instance, lice-repelling sprays, many of which are made of natural substances such as citronella or eucalyptus are becoming a trend among parents. Likewise, information crusades in schools are emphasizing raising public awareness as well as avoiding discrimination that is normally associated with head lice.

Are We Itching Closer to Perfection?

However, making lice treatment perfect is still a goal that is very hard to achieve. The flexibility which is inherent to lice is perhaps the biggest challenge. These parasites are as fast in developing resistance as super lice were in the past to every method that we have come up with. But new methods which sounded promising at a given point may become less effective after some time, therefore, there is a need to keep on developing new methods. Cost and availability are also other relevant factors that negatively affect the use of appropriate medication. Allopathic prescription treatments and clinic-based services are very effective but unaffordable to low-income families. In this case, many parents are forced to go back to the older models as they are cheaper to implement.

Finally, embarrassment remains another social need owing to the stigmas attached to, lice infestations. Most families are either embarrassed or ashamed and this hampers treatment or discourages discussion. To eliminate such stigma, it is important so that children and their families can get the needed care and support required.

Conclusion

Humans are infested with lice, but these are not monopolies for nightmares. Parents hope they never find themselves having to deal with the first lice infestation of their children, just as healthcare providers will only need to find the latest guidelines for treatment. While treatments with a positive outlook are being developed, everybody could get a little closer to having itchy scalps and useless worries.