"Super" Lice, Simply Treated

Some Of The Bugs Seem Drug-Resistant, But Home Remedies Work, Doctor Says

(CBS)  Some forms of lice, dubbed "super lice," appear to have developed resistance to medications in recent years, but the bugs can still be treated effectively and relatively easily, according to one pediatrician.

Dr. Daniel Rauch, of New York University, told Early Show co-anchor Harry Smith Thursday there "really is such a thing as a super louse, or lice, that are resistant to medication. The answer to that, though, is that we really don't need to treat them with ... medications. There are simpler methods of getting rid of lice.

"The best way to find (lice) is to carefully inspect the scalp. It's hard to find the active adult lice, because they sense the moving of the hair and they run away. They don't want to be found. What you need to do is inspect the scalp and hair close to the scalp, and look for the eggs."

Rauch says that, while unappealing, lice aren't actually harmful.

Still, people want to get rid of them, and the best way is "to smother" them, Rauch says. "You don't anything that's an insecticide or pesticide like some of the over-the-counter products that there really is an incidence of resistance to. Some of the lice eat that for breakfast and spit it out, and it's not very good."

One solution? Mayonnaise! "The benefit of this," Rauch says, is that "it does work. The downside is it's not particularly appetizing and has to stay on the head for probably two, three, or four hours. This is tough to do if you have a little child at home, and that's where some of the other products are much more beneficial -- something like Lice M.D., which has to be applied for ten minutes, and then you can start combing effectively.

"Then, some people believe in just conditioning the hair, very vigorously and effectively under hot water and then again, what's most important or equally as important as the product you use is -- combing effectively."

Olive oil left on for at least two hours can also do the trick, Rauch pointed out.

He added that the perceived resistance may simply be a matter of treatments not being applied properly -- not leaving them on long enough, or combing thoroughly enough.

[concerned012]

Again to kasok2 and keavey it is because you are extremely diligent in removing all of the nits. (To which you are to be commended.) The olive oil plays no role in it.

[concerned012]

I am appalled at the advice that was given to get rid of lice. If CBS is going to provide health advice to people they need to make sure it is accurate. This article was definitely irresponsible. I googled Dr. Rauch and went to the website of NYU and clicked on diseases the website does not say anything about mayonnaise and olive oil.
Here is the website from Dr. Rauch''s place of employment about how to deal with head lice:

http://www.med.nyu.edu/patientcare/library/article.html?ChunkIID=11818

To the person keavey above who states he has his own lice removal business and olive oil works, I went to your website and the reason it works is because YOU REMOVE ALL THE NITS THE OLIVE OIL HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If anyone want more accurate information on how to deal with head lice go to Dr. Pollack''s site, your local department of health site should have something, or the CDC. Even NYU (Dr. Rauch%u2019s place of employment) has accurate information. It is a shame that Dr. Rauch does not. PLEASE PLEASE DO NOT FOLLOW THE ADVICE THAT WAS PRESENTED ON THIS STATION BY DR. RAUCH.

As for me I will never watch the early show again. If I wanted sensationalism I would have watched the Jerry Springer show.

[mom3331]

Richard J. Pollack the Harvard School of Public Health researcher is a member of the technology advisory board of ParaPRO, which is developing a compound for treating head lice.

[mom3331]

I''ve already received a flood of inquiries about Dr. Rauch''s 3 minutes and 1 second of fame on CBS this morning (http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/09/11/earlyshow/health/main4439625.shtml). I just viewed the interview and presentation he made, and am left completely baffled and a bit horrified. How, on Earth, could a news station consider this to be newsworthy, and did they do anything in terms of due diligence to check the facts, the basis for the claims, and the expertise of the interviewee?
Whereas I agree that some (perhaps many) lice are resistant to one or more kinds of insecticides, no louse is resistant to all kinds that are available. I am hopeful that new classes of pediculicides will soon be approved by FDA and on the market in the foreseeable future. I think it terribly irresponsible to use a term such as ''super louse'''' Rauch then endorsed the use of mayonnaise and olive oil as reasonable means of killing lice. On what basis has he arrived at this conclusion? None that I can surmise.
Further, I consider CBS'' "The Early Show" to be more entertainment (for some) than news. If they do such a poor job relating information that I think I know something about, then I wonder about the validity of all those other subjects that round out the hours on the show.
Best to all,
Richard J. Pollack, Ph.D.Laboratory of Public Health EntomologyHarvard School of Public Health665 Huntington Ave.Boston, MA 02115 USA

[hodg5]

To prevent head lice, put 3 to 4 drops of 100% Tea Tree Oil in your Shampoo bottle and shake it when first opened. We have been lice free for over 3 years and it''s currently going around school and our neighborhood.

[desertrose30]

Olive oil really works. I have tried that treatment on my nieces and I also comb thier hair with it on and the lice are easier to remove. I use a shower cap and leave it on for 2-3 hours. I also use tea tree oil in the shampoo to prvent recontamination. 10 drops for every 8oz. of shampoo. It''s worked for me.

[jamster31]

They''re good for breakfast too. Just fry them up and you have lice crispies, just add milk.

[gr8lakesgrrl]

***, now my head itches!