The LouseBuster eradicates Head Lice without chemicals

The 80 percent kill rate was high enough to prevent remaining lice from breeding – possibly due to stress or sterilization – so "virtually all subjects were cured of head lice when examined one week following treatment with the LouseBuster," the scientists write.

Children and their parents reported none of the treatments had adverse effects. Kids reported less discomfort from the LouseBuster than from any other method.

Clayton estimates it cost $500,000 to develop and test the LouseBuster, with funding from the Utah Centers of Excellence program, University of Utah, Primary Children’s Medical Center Foundation and the National Pediculosis Association. Although head lice do not produce an illness per se, they are physically and psychologically unpleasant for the child and an exasperating problem for parents and school authorities.

Treatments have been chemical shampoos, louse combs and home remedies. Annual U.S. sales of anti-louse shampoos exceed $160 million, yet the shampoos are not very effective at killing nits, requiring repeat treatment. Many parents dislike using insecticide shampoos on children, and lice rapidly are evolving resistance to chemicals.

Louse combs are used to remove the eggs or nits, an effective procedure, but one that requires many hours over several days. "Most parents do not have the time or patience to comb out all the lice and eggs," Clayton and colleagues write.

Some parents resort to home remedies such as bug spray, mayonnaise or kerosene. "These remedies can harm the child and there is little hard evidence that they are effective," the researchers say.