ScienceDaily (Feb. 25, 2010) — A new non-neurotoxic treatment for head lice has been found to have an average of 91.2% treatment success rate after one week, and to be safe in humans from six months of age and up. This is the finding of a study recently published in Pediatric Dermatology.
Benzyl Alcohol Lotion 5% (known as UlesfiaTM) works by suffocating lice, a method which has been attempted by treating with household items such as mayonnaise, olive oil and petroleum jelly. Studies have shown that overnight treatments with these home remedies may initially appear to kill lice, but later a "resurrection effect" occurs after rinsing, because lice can resist asphyxiation. This is accomplished by the louse's ability to presumably close its spiracles, the external entry points to the breathing apparatus, when submerged. Unlike commonly used asphyxiant remedies, scanning electron microscopy appears to indicate that benzyl alcohol lotion effectively asphyxiates lice by "stunning" the spiracles open, allowing the lotion, comprised of mineral oil and other inactive ingredients, to infiltrate the "honeycomb" respiratory apparatus and kill lice.
"Existing over-the-counter head lice treatments contain neurotoxic pesticides as active ingredients, resulting in potential toxicity and other problems, including lengthy applications, odor, ineffective treatment. Resistance has also become a problem now that lice have had such prolonged exposure to these products," said study author Terri L Meinking, PhD, of Global Health Associates of Miami, USA. "This leaves practitioners, parents and patients hoping for a safe, non-neurotoxic cure."
"Existing over-the-counter head lice treatments contain neurotoxic pesticides as active ingredients" means that they damage nerves, including the brain. What kind of society do we have that we think that healthy brains are less important than being free of head lice?