Side Effects Of Chemical Head Lice

Treatments
Author: Paula Tooney

For decades we have been using chemical head lice treatments to get rid of these parasites.
Whether in the form of shampoos, lotions or sprays, lice products are pesticides and can have
dangerous side effects. First it is important to know what head lice really are and why you
should treat them, then you should know the side effects of the different head lice products
sold so that you can make an informed decision on which products you'll want to use,
traditional chemical treatments or home remedies made with natural products.

About head lice and why you should treat pediculosis

Head lice have a life cycle that lasts between 20 and 30 days. After a maturation period of
about 2 weeks, the fertilized female louse ponds about 6 to 8 eggs, called nits, per day. Nits
appear as small gray and bright oval bodies that stick to the hair close to the scalp of the host.
They will take between 4 and 10 days before they hatch. Afterwards, the young lice, called
nymphs, have 24 hours to feed on human blood.

Lice inject their saliva filled with anticoagulants responsible for facilitating the outflow of
blood from the host they parasitize. It is to their saliva that the host reacts. This immune
response is usually but not always accompanied by itching symptoms and excoriations
(scratch marks). It is essential that you treat head lice right away, as there is a risk of infection
associated: the person with pediculosis (head lice) may, by dint of scratching, contract skin
lesions or impetigo.

Moreover, there is a high risk of contagion because the louse passes easily from one person to
another. A child may contaminate the whole class. In addition, the louse is a vector of typhus,
but fortunately this disease has no longer been identified in most western countries.

Traditional chemical treatments and their side-effects

The main active ingredients which are components of anti-lice products are malathion,
permethrin, lindane, and piperonil butoxide.

Malathion as a treatment for head lice is used in low doses (0.5% preparations). Preparations
include Derbac-M, Prioderm, and Quellada-M. It is claimed to effectively kill both the eggs
and the adult lice, but in fact has been shown in several studies to be only partially effective
on adult lice, and even less on nits. This is assumed to be caused by the lice having developed
resistance against malathion. Malathion itself is of low toxicity; however, absorption or
ingestion into the human body results in its metabolism to malaoxon, which is substantially
more toxic.

Permethrin is a common synthetic chemical that belongs to pyrethroids and is widely used as
an insecticide and insect repellent. It is not known to rapidly harm most mammals or birds,
but is highly toxic to cats. It generally has a low human toxicity and is poorly absorbed by
skin. OTC (over the counter) treatment for head lice is usually permethrin with 1%
concentration. Permethrin is classified as a likely human carcinogen. Excessive exposure to
permethrin can cause nausea, headache, muscle weakness, salivation, shortness of breath and
seizures.

Lindane is a chemical that has been used both as an agricultural insecticide and as a
pharmaceutical treatment for lice. In humans, lindane affects the nervous system, liver and
kidneys, and may be a carcinogen. Its international trade is restricted and regulated and its
production and use has been banned in 2009 under the Stockholm Convention. A specific
exemption to that ban though allows it to be used as a second-line pharmaceutical treatment
for lice, and products containing lindane have been withdrawn from the market but are still in
our cabinets.

Piperonil butoxide (PBO) is a pesticide synergist, which means that it does not, by itself
have pesticidal properties. However, when added to insecticide mixtures such as pyrethrin, its
potency is increased considerably. It is suspected of being carcinogenic and teratogenic,
which means it can cause birth defects in newborns.

None of these substances are harmless to health, indeed, most of them are considered
carcinogens or likely to be for humans. In addition, side effects can result in symptoms
ranging from fatigue to coma or cardio-respiratory disorders in severe cases. This is why you
should be careful before using them against head lice. There are many alternative treatments
such as home remedies and herbal treatments that are safe and effective and that will rid you
of these pesky parasites

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/diseases-and-conditions-articles/side-effects-of-

chemical-head-lice-treatments-2124310.html

About the Author

Get more information and a free mini-course on natural head lice treatments and home
remedies: visit http://headlicecenter.com.