Just hot air: the device that kills super lice

Head lice are becoming more resistant to lice-treatment products and as a result, these “Super Lice” are becoming more difficult to kill, according to Larada Sciences.

Clinical studies of the FDA-cleared AirAllé device showed it to be a highly effective method of killing lice in a single, hour-long treatment.

In particular, it killed 99.2% of lice eggs, which was important because many lice-treatment products don’t kill eggs and require multiple treatments and extensive combing to remove the eggs, according to the company.

The method of killing lice by dehydrating them is the reason why the AirAllé device can continue to be effective, even though the lice have evolved a resistance to permethrin-based treatment products.

Registered nurse, Melissa Parker with Lice Clinics of America in West Hartford, said: “Really what it is, is controlled heated air. Our device delivers controlled heated in a specific pattern on the head.

“And what it does is it rapidly dehydrates the egg therefore killing them and it’s over 99% effective to kill the eggs.

“Instead of actually sucking the lice or eggs up, it’s blowing out the controlled heated air to dehydrate the egg and the lice. We don’t use chemicals.”

Dale Clayton, an evolutionary parasitologist who invented the AirAllé device, said: “There’s no evidence that lice can evolve resistance to desiccation through heated air.”

Claire Roberts, CEO of Larada Sciences, said: “We see a treatment success rate of nearly 100% in our lice clinics.”

Roberts said that Larada Sciences is preparing to release a campaign in conjunction with back-to-school time, when lice outbreaks spike, as well as for Lice Awareness Month in September.