'Dry air' device kills head lice

A hairdryer-like device can rid children of head lice by exterminating the eggs and lice, work shows.

Test results published in Pediatrics journal show one 30-minute treatment with the device is enough to eradicate infestations by drying the invaders.



The LouseBuster is being developed commercially by a University of Utah spin-off company Larada Sciences.

Patents are pending but the developers hope their non-chemical product will be on the market within two years.

The LouseBuster's co-inventor, Dr Dale Clayton, explained that the device worked by drying the nits and lice out, not by heating them.

He urged parents not to try to do the same at home with a hairdryer.