Ivermectin (Stromectol) is available by prescription as a tablet taken by mouth. The oral drug effectively treats lice with two doses, eight days apart. This drug is typically used when other treatments haven't been effective. Children must weigh at least 33 pounds (15 kilograms) to take oral ivermectin.
Pediculicides, particularly ivermectin lotion, are the strongest measures to get rid of a lice infestation.
Malathion (Ovide).
This very strong lotion paralyzes and kills lice and some lice eggs. It's approved for use in kids aged 6 years and older. If you still see lice moving 7-9 days later, you'll need a second treatment.
Tea Tree Oil. Though many people are sensitive to tea tree oil, it has been shown to be effective at killing lice. One study showed a 100% mortality rate after 30 minutes of treatment. A tea tree oil-scented spray or shampoo may be useful in preventing reinfestation.
How to Treat Super Lice. If you have active lice, you should start by using pyrethrin shampoo or other over-the-counter lice treatments. Make sure to carefully comb your hair with a nit comb every night, and wash and dry linens, clothing, hats, and scarves. Repeat the treatment after 7 days.
Monisha et al. (2018) showed in a cohort study on the efficiency of 0.1% permethrin shampoo in comparison with 0.5% Ivermectine lotion in head lice infestation after treatment with topical permethrin and 0.1% Ivermectine lotion 0.5%, the presence of active nits were significantly reduced in the Ivermectine group (33).
Coconut, tea tree oil, lavender, eucalyptus, rosemary, lemon grass, and peppermint are scents popularly believed to repel lice. Using any coconut scented shampoo and conditioner is an easy way to increase your defense. At 1% concentration, tea tree oil killed 100% of head lice after 30 minutes.
Medicated lotions and sprays
These kill head lice in all types of hair, and you can buy them from pharmacies, supermarkets or online. Head lice should die within a day. Some lotions and sprays come with a comb to remove dead lice and eggs. Some treatments need to be repeated after a week to kill any newly hatched lice.
Head lice are common in children between the ages of 3 and 11 years old. These pests are more prevalent in Caucasian children. They are more frequently found in girls than boys. Head lice live in all types of hair, whether it's curly, straight, dyed or natural.
Malathion Ovide Lotion is a prescription-strength lotion that comes highly recommended by experts for treating lice. It's suitable for treating live adult lice and their eggs, known as nits. Malathion is applied directly to the scalp and dry hair.
Currently, DoD relies on permethrin to treat uniforms to repel and control body lice on soldiers, detainees, and DCs. Permethrin-treated clothing has been shown to offer protection against body louse infestations, even after over 20 wash cycles (10).
Removing Nits
After each medicine treatment, use the comb-out method every 2 to 3 days for 2 to 3 weeks to remove nits and eggs. Wet your child's hair. Use a fine-tooth comb (lice or nit comb) and comb through your child's hair in small sections. After each comb-through, wipe the comb on a wet paper towel.
If you do not comb out all the remaining nits, they will hatch and restart the cycle in 7-10 days from that point. That's why we recommend 3 treatments over a 12-day period of time. This stops the life cycle of lice. These are nits at different stages and a louse.
Lice eggs are so small you would never know if they hatched or not. The only way to prevent them from hatching would be to remove them with a good metal nit comb, or your fingernails.
Lice dislike the smell of many things, but the thing they hate most is peppermint. So, before you send your kid off to hang out with other kids, spray them with a peppermint spray. It's the same concept as using a mosquito or bug spray in the summer months, except the scent is less offensive.
From the #1 Pediatrician & Pharmacist recommended brand comes Nix® Lice Prevention Daily Leave-In Spray! Use year round, during lice outbreaks or to protect the whole family when a member has lice.
Evidence of lice can often be found above or behind the ear, but they will not enter your ear—even if your ears are hairy. Itching inside your ears during a lice infestation is a sign of an allergic reaction. 5 Lice also cannot get into your brain through your ear or by burrowing through your skull.
Superlice are head lice that have genetically mutated to become resistant to the active ingredients in some traditional lice treatment products. Superlice do not look any different from regular lice. They can only be identified by their resistance to traditional lice treatments.
Ivermectin 0.5% topical lotion is used to treat head lice infestations. Ivermectin 1% topical cream is used to treat lesions of rosacea. Rosacea is a skin disease that causes redness and pimples on your nose, cheeks, chin, and forehead. This medicine is available over-the-counter.