Poison Lice Treatments

There are two main types of lice poisons used in the U.S. to kill lice. The first, permethrin, is a poison used in Nix and Rid lice treatments. This poison can have side effects, and the use of this poison should be seriously considered before use. The possible side effects include nose bleeds, premature gray hair, asthma attacks and it may even contribute to cancer. The EPA has classified permethrin as a possible carcinogen.  People who have reactions to permethrin lice treatments are sometimes prescribed a lindane poison to use instead. Lindane is an extremely dangerous poison that is only available by prescription because o the many possible side effects. It is considered a lice treatment of last resort by many.  The information that is sent home with patients who are prescribed a lindane lice treatment are warned that the treatment can cause death, even if the treatment is used as prescribed. In addition, patients are warned to use it only one time in their lives and never to use it again because of the risk of severe health problems, seizures and other possible side effects.  KillingHeadLice.com does not recommend that a lindane treatment be used at any time. There are simply too many other treatments that are non-toxic and more effective than lindane.  Some parents have tried other pesticides to treat their children's lice infestation, including roach poison and lawn pesticides. These can be extremely dangerous to children, even if very little is used. The best way to treat lice is by combining combing with other non-toxic treatments in order to kill lice and remove the eggs before they hatch.  Before considering a product like Rid or Nix, have a backup plan in mind to kill the lice that remain after the treatment. Repeated use of the poisons may not result in more dead lice. The remaining lice are alive because they are immune to the poisons, so a repeated use will only expose the child to more toxic substances.