Head lice, or nits, have become immune to traditional, over-the-counter treatments, a new study has found.
The research, conducted in the US, revealed that 98 per cent of head lice have developed a resistance to pyrethrins and permethrins – the active ingredients in most remedies available in pharmacies.
The new, mutated “super lice” are set to create headaches for families around the world.
Authors of the report, based at Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital in Indianapolis, suggest parents of children affected by the stubborn head lice talk to their doctor about alternative treatments.
“This newly published data supports what we’ve been seeing in our offices and clinics: an increase in treatment-resistant super lice,” said the study’s lead author Dr Chris Belcher.
“It’s important that parents contact a clinician if they suspect their child has head lice.
“There are effective, non-pyrethrin, non-pyrethroid-based prescription agents that can be used if treatment with over-the-counter products such as Nix has been unsuccessful.”
The study was conducted between July 2013 and May 2015 in 48 US states.
What are head lice?
Head lice are tiny, wingless parasitic insects that live on human heads, drawing blood from the scalp and clinging to strands of hair.
They can crawl from one head to another.
Though they do not spread infections, they are incredibly difficult to get rid of and procreate at a rapid rate.
Lice lay eggs on their home scalp, which hatch within about a week.
Once hatched, they can often be hard to spot as they are yellow or brown – the color of many hair types.
The most clear indication of a child having lice is that they scratch their head.
