Is Coal Tar The Solution To Head Lice?
Parents are often driven to distraction trying to decide how to get rid of head lice and nits. However, there is an off the shelf solution to this problem in the form of coal tar shampoos.
Coal tar is a liquid by-product of the distillation process that turns coal into coke. It has long been used in products used in the treatment of skin complaints such as dandruff and psoriasis. It also kills head lice when used as a shampoo.
Not all coal tar shampoos are equal when it comes to head lice. To effectively kill head lice you need to use an extra strength coal tar shampoo. Denorex is a well known brand in America but make sure you use the therapeutic version, the one labeled just extra strength doesn't contain any coal tar.
To kill head lice simply use the coal tar shampoo as normal but the lather on for 15 to 30 minutes. Then rinse through thoroughly. Make sure you use a nit comb afterwards to comb through the wet hair. If your child hair is prone to tangling when wet, use a brush first to help remove the tangles or try and find an extra strength coal tar shampoo with conditioner added. Do this for three consecutive days. Then use twice a week after that with daily combing until the head lice have completely gone.
Some parents claim that by using the shampoo once a week their children seem less prone to being reinfected by head lice. Others use the shampoo whenever they receive a head lice letter from school even if their children don't already have an infestation.
But is coal tar safe to use as a head lice remover? In high concentrations (over 5%) coal tar is a known carcinogen. Therapeutic strength Denorex has only a concentration of 2.5%. However you can no longer buy it at pharmacists in the UK (though you can still order it from the USA) and in America the Therapeutic version of Denorex now carries a warning about the carcinogenic properties of coal tar.
But the risk is very small risk. The National Psoriasis Foundation claims coal tar is a "valuable, safe and inexpensive treatment option" and coal tar products have been used for a very long time. There is feeling that the benefits outweigh the small risks involved. All of the over the counter head lice shampoos come with a health risk attached. Coal tar is no different but coal tar is an effective way to kill head lice and should have negligible risk with only the occasional use.