Hot Air Spells Death for Head Lice

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"We think it has a delayed effect on the lice it doesn't kill," Clayton said. "When you go back a week later, there's nothing there."

The air produced by the LouseBuster is hot -- much warmer than a typical hair dryer. Also unlike a hair dryer, it has a special handpiece designed to expose the roots of the hair.

The device apparently works by drying out the lice and their eggs, not by heating them, Clayton said.

The cost of the device is unknown, although Clayton estimated it should be in the hundreds of dollars, not the thousands, making it affordable for school districts. He predicted it could be on the market within a year or two, and added that the time required for treatment could eventually shrink to 15 minutes.

Dr. Craig Burkhart, a dermatologist at the Medical University of Ohio who studies lice, doubted that the device will be a success, however.

"The problem with the treatment is that it takes a half an hour at least to destroy the lice and the contraption is somewhat expensive and very cumbersome," he said.

What to do? "As with all bugs, insecticides remain the treatment of choice," Burkhart said.

More information

There's more on head lice at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (www.cdc.gov ).