9/24/2014

How many studies will we need before we see pyrethrin/permethrin as ineffective with head lice?

These are the related pesticides in products such as Nix and R&C.  I don't know how many studies we will need before our health professionals stop recommending these products but here's another one. It basically says that almost all North American lice have developed a genetic resistance to this pesticide.  Please, please, please don't waste your money on it. The effectiveness quoted in the pamphlets of these products was true when they first came out in the 1980s but our overuse of these products have made them almost useless now.  The last line of this study's abstract says, "Alternative approaches to treatment of head lice infestations are critically needed." Enough said.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Although I am kind of a hippie... Organic gardener and organic foodie...I tried Nix in a panic when first faced with lice. It did seem to kill live lice. Absolutely no live ones following treatment. But, so happy to have happened upon this blog because I am now combing, combing, combing to make sure we get every nit. Feeling like the Nix gave us a head start, but we'd have got to the finish line without it too. Probably would go Nix-free next time. Still, I am perplexed by studies showing that lice are so Nix resistant when it sure did seem to help in our case.

Ieiiu Fiscal Policy said...

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