Lice Aren't Nice

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What are Pediculicides?

Chemical treatments for head lice contain potent pesticides and insecticides known as pediculicides. These pediculicides have been known to cause immune suppression, seizures, vomiting, diarrhea, convulsions, circulatory collapse behavioral changes, neuromuscular damage, chronic skin eruptions, liver damage, asthma, respiratory failure, stillbirths, birth defects, cancer and even death. Unfortunately, the uninformed parent using treatments containing pesticides may tend to use more, leave them on for longer periods of time or even apply them too often, increasing the risk.

Not only are these products dangerous to health, head lice are developing a resistance to pediculicides as evidenced by the articles below.
·Harvard study finds some lice resistant to common chemical treatment - read the newspaper article
·The Harvard Study on head lice published in the Journal of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine - read the actual study
·Parents are fighting back - read about the class action suit against manufacturers of chemical lice products NIX, RID, CLEAR and A-200
·Lice Infestations on the Rise, an article from the Richmond-Times Dispatch. A great description of lice, how traditional treatments aren't working anymore and the class action suit against the makers of insecticidal, anti-lice products. "Evidence seems to be mounting that a strain of super lice may be taking hold that can survive repeated chemical assaults."
··Head Lice Are Resistant to Common Drug Treatments - "...in January 12, 1998 ... [Time Magazine reported] that lice infestation in America has risen to the epidemic level of 10 to 12 million a year. Today--except for the common cold--head lice infestation is considered the most common communicable childhood disease."

With Shampoos Suspect, How Can Parents Fight Head Lice?

Lindane is the most commonly prescribed pesticide used for treating head lice. Lindane is a moderately toxic compound in EPA toxicity class II. Labels for products containing it must bear the signal word WARNING, meaning a teaspoon to an ounce can be fatal to the "average person." The production or manufacture of Lindane is prohibited in the United States.

Lindane is not only a nerve poison but also a known carcinogen (cancer causing agent). Lindane has also been reported to have reproductive and endocrine-disrupting effects. Lindane is absorbed quickly through the skin.

The American Head Lice Information & Resource Center and the National Pediculosis Association discourage the use of lindane for anyone. Lindane may be removed from the market because of its high toxicity and serious side effects. It was among the chemicals found in the toxic soup at Love Canal...
-Quoted from The American Head Lice Information & Resource Center
For more information on Lindane, including supporting legislation to ban Lindane, see the following articles. (articles will open in new browser window)
·Prohibition on Use of Lindane to Treat Head Lice and Scabies
··FDA Action Shows Grave Dangers Of Lindane Lice Treatment, Says National Pediculosis Association
·GOVERNMENT TO BAN LINDANE? EU Report Slams Dangerous Insecticide. European governments: their findings and reactions.

Malathion is a toxic compound in EPA toxicity class III. Labels for products containing it must carry the signal word CAUTION, meaning an ounce to a pint can be fatal to an adult male of 175 pounds. 

Malathion is an organophosphate which can cause headaches, pain, weakness, numbness in extremities, dizziness, asthma, and death due to respiratory failure and seizures. Malathion has been shown in animal testing and from use experience to affect the central nervous system, immune system, adrenal glands, liver, and blood.

Malathion is available as a prescription-only lice remedy called Ovide which was recently relaunched after having been discontinued in the early 1990s. The malathion contained in a single Ovide treatment can be up to 30 times the recognized safe one-time dose for a young child. Yet according to the product's label, no tests have been done to measure how much of the malathion is absorbed through the scalp, nor is it known whether Ovide is safe for children under 6.
Based on animal tests, the Food and Drug Administration estimates that skin absorption is low enough to make the product safe for older children, says Martin Okun of the agency's Division of Dermatology and Dental Drug Products. If more than 50,000 prescriptions a year are written for children 6 and under, the agency will consider asking the manufacturer to do additional tests, Okun said.

Pyrethrums and Pyrethroids come from the chrysanthemum flower. Though naturally derived, pyrethrins are still pesticides which have recently been banned from agricultural use in food production. The concern is that pyrethrins can cause pneumonia, muscle paralysis, death due to respiratory failure, vomiting, and asthma. (But you can still get it in head lice treatments such as Nix™). Pyrethroids are the synthetic chemical counterparts (as contained in RID™) that have the same effects.
PERMETHRIN: Permethrin is a broad-spectrum synthetic pyrethroid insecticide. As above, can cause pneumonia, vomiting, and asthma, muscle paralysis, death due to respiratory failure.

Carbaryl is a General Use Pesticide (GUP) that is often found in chemical head lice treatments, the formulations of which vary widely in toxicity to the nervous and respiratory systems resulting in nausea, stomach cramps, diarrhea, and excessive salivation. Other symptoms at high doses include sweating, blurring of vision, coordination problems, and convulsions.

It is very important to "treat" your entire family and to make sure you wash all linens and clothing in hot water.

The 5/2010 NYT article suggests using Cetaphil.  Based on the following ingredient list I would not suggest this as it contain too many chemical compounds known to be skin irritants and petroleum based products.

Cetaphil Ingredients:Purified Water, PEG-200 Hydrogenated Glyceryl Plalmate, PEG-7 Glycerol Cocoate, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Acrylates/Steareth-20 Methacrylate Copolymer, Glycerin, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Butylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Masking Fragrance, Panthenol, PEG-60, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Disodium ETDA, Methylparaben

Another option is mayonnaise.  Apply thickly and massage into hair and scalp. Cover with a plastic cap and allow to remain overnight for best results.  Wash thoroughly with a truly natural shampoo such as is available from KettleCare.com.  You may add some rosemary and lavender essential oil to the unscented shampoo, no more than 2 drops of each for about 1/2 cup of shampoo.

My advice is to make your own mayonnaise so that you avoid the soy or canola oils in most commercial brands, and risk of exposure to these too-often GMO oils often contaminated with benzene or hexane.

We also suggest using Bio Green Clean

A natural tip for lice - - as an alternate option to anti lice shampoos, vinegar is the ideal solution, because it does not damage hair; a warm vinegar pack on wet hair for about half an hour solves the problem of lice, because acetic acid dissolves chitin through which lice stick nit to the hair. SOURCE