Dangers of Over the Counter Lice Treatments

When your child comes home with lice, your first instinct might be to run to the nearest drug store for a remedy. It’s understandable. You’re a bit panicked and that sounds like the fastest solution. We’d like to stop you in your tracks, though. Not only are over the counter (OTC) pesticide products ineffective, they’re also hazardous to your child’s health. Choosing a chemical-free head lice treatment is the wisest choice for your family. Here’s why.

OTC Lice Treatments Are Less Effective

Pesticide-type products have dominated the US lice treatment market for decades. Permethrin is a synthetically made pyrethroid that was once quite effective at killing lice. But scientific research has found that head lice have adapted over the years and developed a resistance to such chemicals. The efficacy rating of permethrin is now an underwhelming 20-30% in recent clinical studies, as chemical-resistant super lice spread across the country.

Chemical OTC Treatments Proven to Be Hazardous to Your Health

If the low rate of effectiveness isn’t enough to give you pause, the health hazards surely will be. Permethrin and lindane are the chemicals found most commonly in lice treatments, and both of them are proven to be toxic.

Permethrin is a neurotoxin that is found in many insecticides, including Raid. It is potentially carcinogenic and can cause the following alarming side effects:

Wheezing or coughing
Shortness of breath/difficulty breathing
Runny or stuffy nose
Skin irritation burning
Scalp irritation or burning
May affect the reproductive system
Nervous system symptoms such as excitability and convulsions
Allergic reaction

Lindane is a dangerous chemical that attacks the nervous system and is known to cause cancer. What makes it even more troubling is that it is easily absorbed through the scalp when used to treat lice. In 2015, the World Health Organization reclassified lindane from being a “possible carcinogenic” to “known to cause human cancer.” This is the WHO’s highest category of concern. Lindane can cause serious side effects such as:

Stinging, burning and itching of the skin
Rashes
Dizziness
Drowsiness
Vomiting
Seizures
Uncontrollable bodily shaking
Allergic reaction

Chemical-Free Head Lice Treatment

It’s clear to see that over the counter pesticides are simply too dangerous to use on your family. And when there are nontoxic treatment options available that are also more effective, it’s a no-brainer. Lice combing and herbal remedies are safe options, but the most effective weapon against lice is actually using heated air.

The professional AirAllé lice device was specifically designed to dehydrate lice and their eggs with warm air. It is FDA-cleared and has been proven to be safe and effective at killing lice and their eggs—with a 99.2% rate of efficacy.

Fresh Heads Lice Treatment Centers are proud to provide solely chemical-free head lice treatments to our clients. The AirAllé treatment is our signature treatment at all of our locations. It’s fast, easy and so effective that it’s backed by our 45-day retreatment policy. If your child comes home with lice, make Fresh Heads your treatment of choice.

Sources:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/health/news/11810582/Super-head-lice-warning-as-scientists-discover-almost-all-species-are-resistant-to-treatments.html
http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/head-lice-most-used-treatments-no-longer-very-effective-scientists-say-1.2776917
http://www.anapsid.org/pyrethroids.html
http://www.rxlist.com/lindane-lotion-side-effects-drug-center.htm