Medical treatment for head lice

Head lice can be treated with home remedies, but if that doesn’t work in your favor, you can adopt medication for it and get rid of the lice. There are a set of medical products that are ideal for treatment of head lice. Having lice in your hair or your child’s hair can be a painful affair; the lice also spread very easily as they live in clothing and the hair. Most of the over-the-counter products include shampoos, lotions, and crme’s that are applied and then washed off. If the going gets too hard, your doctor might also prescribe tablets for the effective treatment of head lice.

Let us first look at over-the-counter medication for treatment of head lice.

  • Permethrin crme rinse: Permethrin crme rinse like Nix can help you with an effective treatment for your head lice. It is usually the first standard medication your pharmacist will offer you with. This crme has the potency to kill lice and eggs for two or more weeks after it has been washed off from your scalp. Apply the crme, let is stay for an hour or more and wash your hair with water. You could also see the product for perfect directions of use.
  • Shampoos: You can choose from a wide range of shampoos containing pyrethrin and piperonyl butoxide. The recommended shampoo is called Rid, and is available at most drug stores. Apply this shampoo to your hair when you are showering, let it stay for about ten minutes and then rinse it off thoroughly. The next round for this shampoo is ideally nine days after the first round, to help eradicate the newly hatched lice.

There are many other over-the-counter products for the treatment of head lice, but you must consult your doctor before using them as all of them do not have good evidence to show. They might have more side effects and risks than their original treatment.

Here are some prescribed medications for the treatment of your head lice:

  • Benzyl alcohol: Benzyl alcohol can be an effective way to get rid of the head lice. The ideal way to use it is to apply it on your head, let it stay for 10 minutes and then rinse it off.
  • Malathion lotion: You might have to apply this lotion in two sessions to completely eradicate the lice. Apply it on your hair, leave it for 8 to 12 hours and then rinse it off thoroughly for best results.
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