Dimethicone, which is a silicone oil, is often preferred due to the low risk of side effects. Pyrethroids such as permethrin have been commonly used; however, they have become less effective due to increasing pesticide resistance. There is little evidence for alternative medicines.Head-lice infestations are common, especially in children. In Europe, they infect between 1 and 20% of different groups of people. In the United States, between 6 and 12 million children are infected a year. They occur more often in girls than boys. It has been suggested that historically, head lice infection were beneficial, as they protected against the more dangerous body louse. Infestations may cause stigmatization of the infected individual. Epidemiology
Reliable data describing the usual incidence of infestation in the general public, in the average school community, or during specific times of the year are lacking. The number of cases of human louse infestations (or pediculosis) has increased worldwide since the mid-1960s, reaching hundreds of millions annually. It is estimated between 1 and 20% of specific groups in Europe are infected.Despite improvements in medical treatment and prevention of human diseases during the 20th century, head louse infestation remains stubbornly prevalent. In 1997, 80% of American elementary schools reported at least one outbreak of lice. Lice infestation during that same period was more prevalent than chickenpox.About 6–12 million children between the ages of 3 and 11 are treated annually for head lice in the United States alone.
Clothes, towels, bedding, combs, and brushes, which came in contact with the infested individual, can be disinfected either by leaving them outside for at least two days or by washing them at 60 °C (140 °F) for 30 minutes. This is because adult lice can survive only one to two days without a blood meal and are highly dependent on human body warmth. Treatment
There are a number of treatments effective for head lice. These methods include combs, shaving, medical creams, and hot air. Medical creams usually require two treatments a week apart. Head lice are not justification to keep children home from school as the risk of spread is low. Mechanical measures
Wet combing (mechanical removal of lice through combing wet hair) can be used as treatment measure for those who are too young for pediculicide treatment, which is intended for 6 years of age or older. Wet combing a few times a day for a few weeks may also get rid of the infestation in half of people. This requires the use of a special lice comb with extra fine teeth. This is the recommended method for infants and women who are pregnant. Shaving the head can also effectively treat lice. Another treatment is the use of heated air applied by a hair dryer. This can be of special use in the early stages of an infestation, since it has very high mortality for eggs. Medications
There are many medications which can kill lice.