ARTICLE An Effective Nonchemical Treatment for Head Lice:

Financial Disclosure: Dr Clayton, Mr Atkin, and Mr Wilding have US and international patents pending for methods of using heat to treat head lice. OBJECTIVES.Head lice (Pediculus humanus capitis) are a major irritant to children and their parents around the world. Each year millions of children are infested with head lice, a condition known as pediculosis, which is responsible for tens of millions of lost school days. Head lice have evolved resistance to many of the currently used pediculicides; therefore, an effective new treatment for head lice is needed. In this study we examined the effectiveness of several methods that use hot air to kill head lice and their eggs. METHODS.We tested 6 different treatment methods on a total of 169 infested indi-viduals. Each method delivers hot air to the scalp in a different way. We evaluated how well these methods kill lice and their eggs in situ. We also performed follow-up inspections to evaluate whether the sixth, most successful, method can cure head louse infestations. RESULTS.All 6 methods resulted in high egg mortality (88%), but they showe