Permethrin Creme Rinse 1% W/W
Leaflet
Permethrin Creme Rinse 1% w/w
Please read all of this leaflet carefully before you start to use your medicine. It contains important information. This medicine is available without a prescription for you to treat head lice and nits (the eggs of a head lice) without a doctor's help. You’ll need to use it carefully to get the maximum benefit from it.
• Keep this leaflet in a safe place as you may need to read it again.
• Ask your pharmacist if you are not sure of anything or want to know more
• You must see your doctor or pharmacist if your symptoms get worse or do not improve after 2 days.
In this leaflet
• What Permethrin Creme Rinse 1% w/w does
• Before you use Permethrin Creme Rinse 1% w/w
• How to use you medicine
• What might happen while you are using Permethrin Creme Rinse 1% w/w
• Looking after Permethrin Creme Rinse 1% w/w
What is in your medicine?
• The active ingredient is permethrin 1% w/w
• The other ingredients are Purified water, isopropyl alcohol, polyethylene 4 lauryl ether, propylene glycol, stearalkonium chloride, lauryl alcohol, polyquarternium 24, carbomer and triethanolamine.
Makers of Permethrin Creme Rinse 1% w/w
• Manufacturers: Reedco Inc, HCO 4 Box 4013, Humacao, Puerto Rico
• Product licence holder: GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare (UK) Trading Limited, Brentford, Middlesex TW8 9GS.
What Permetbrin Creme Rinse 1% w/w does
Permethrin Creme Rinse 1% w/w contains permethrin which is an insecticide used to kill head lice and nits (the eggs of head lice). Each bottle of Permethrin Creme Rinse 1% w/w contains either 50ml, 60ml, l00ml or 200ml
Before you use Permethrin Creme Rinse 1% w/w
Don't start using Permethrin Creme Rinse 1% w/w if:
• You are allergic to medicines containing permethrin, pyrethroids or pyrethrins, chrysanthemums or any of the other ingredients listed under 'What is in your medicine?'
• You are going to treat a child who is under 6 months without speaking to your doctor first.
Ask your pharmacist for advice before you start to use your medicine if:
• You are pregnant, may become pregnant or breast feeding.
This product may be used as normal in asthmatics.
However, if you are concerned, or have any questions speak to your pharmacist.
How to use your medicine
Permethrin Creme Rinse 1% w/w is a shampoo for external use only.
It should only be used by adults and children over 6 months unless your doctor tells you otherwise.
One bottle of Permethrin Creme Rinse 1% w/w is usually enough to treat one person with shoulder length hair of average thickness: a little more may be required is the person's hair is especially long or thick, but it is unlikely that more than 100ml will be required for any course of treatment.
If one member of the family need treatment, it is important to check the rest of the family for head lice.
Only use this medicine on those who are infected.
Do not use hair mousses, gels, sprays or conditioners immediately before or after the treatment as these may reduce the effectiveness of Permethrin Creme Rinse 1% w/w
1. wash your hair with your normal shampoo (a shampoo without conditioner in it), rinse with water and rub your hair with a towel so that your hair is damp rather than wet.
2. Shake the bottle well.
3. Apply the Creme Rinse to the damp hair. Make sure that the Creme Rinse completely covers the hair and the scalp, especially the areas behind the ears and the back of your head to the top of your neck. The head should look as though it is well coated with the Creme Rinse. If you have shoulder length hair, one 50ml bottle should be enough, but if your hair is longer or thicker, you may need to use more.
4. If the Creme Rinse comes into contact with your eyes, it may irritate them.
Rinse with plenty of water. If the irritation continues, seek medical advice as soon as possible.
5. Leave on for 10 minutes.
6. Rinse your hair thoroughly with water and dry it in your normal way.
7. If you want to, you can comb the hair with a nit comb while your hair is still damp. This will help to remove the dead lice and nits
One course of treatment is usually enough to kill the lice and the nits. Your head may itch for up to 24 hours after using Permethrin Creme Rinse 1% w/w as it can take this long for the lice to die completely. There is no need to wait until the lice are completely dead before you can wash your hair as normal.
You can carry on swimming while you are using this product as the chlorine in swimming pools does not affect the Permethrin Creme Rinse 1% w/w.
It is possible that this treatment could affect penned, pre-rinsed, coloured or bleached hair. To avid this, it is advisable to test the product on a small area of the hair before applying it all over the head.
Nursing staff who routinely use Permethrin Creme Rinse 1% w/w may wish to wear gloves to avoid possible irritation to the hands.
What to do if you swallow some of the medicine.
If you, or someone else, accidentally swallow some of this medicine, tell your doctor as soon as possible.
What might happen while you are using Permethrin Creme Rinse 1% w/w
Side effects are not common with Permethrin Creme Rinse 1% w/w and when they occur they are usually mild and indistinguishable from the head lice infestation itself. You may notice that you have a rash on your scalp, or that your scalp is tingling or stinging. This may be due to the head lice themselves, and should go once you wash the product off. If it does not, or you notice that you have a different reaction, tell your doctor or pharmacist.
Looking after Permethrin Creme Rinse 1% w/w
Keep your medicine at room temperature (below 25 °C). Do not put it in the refrigerator or freezer. Keep the bottle in the carton.
Do not use after the ' use by date' given on the box and the bottle.
Remember to keep all medicines in a safe place where children cannot see or reach them.
FOR EXTERNAL USE ONLY
If you have any questions or are not sure about anything related to this medicine, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
This leaflet was revised July 2016
FURTHER INFORMATION
Deal with head lice effectively - understand them first.
Head lice have evolved as natural, though unwelcome, inhabitants of the human scalp. They are so well adapted that they can survive nowhere else.
Using Permethrin Creme Rinse 1% w/w, treatment and elimination can be remarkably quick and efficient. Head lice can be identified and tackled all the more effectively if first you know a little about the problem you are dealing with.
How do I recognise a head louse?
They are insects, no bigger than a match head. Flat backed and normally greyish-brown in colour, they can be found anywhere on the head. Most commonly, they are discovered behind the ears and at the back of the neck and that is where you should start looking.
Living for a bout one month, they derive their energy by biting the scalp and feeding on blood.
What about their eggs?
A female louse can lay as many as 270 to 300 pin-head sized eggs in her lifetime. The eggs are camouflaged against the flesh and can be difficult to see, cemented in position on individual hairs close to the roots. It all sounds a little alarming, but rest assured, they can be dealt with very effectively. When the head lice hatch seven to ten days later all that remains are the harmless egg cases or "nits" which by this time are pearly white and are much more obvious to see. An ordinary hair comb won't budge them, although a louse comb will be more effective. The young lice mature over around ten days and are then able to lay their own eggs.
How can I get head lice?
By head to head contact only. Contrary to popular belief head lice cannot fly, hop or jump. Nor are they carried by family pets.
Lice found anywhere else than on the human scalp (i.e. hats, brushes, car seats, chair backs etc.) may be safely disposed of as they are certainly dead or dying. Unable to reproduce, they'll cause no more problems.
Who can get head lice?
Anyone, however clean and careful they are. In fact, the head lice much prefer clean hair. Once acquired, head lice can be passed on quickly to close friend and members of the family.
How can I deal with them?
For effective elimination use Permethrin Creme Rinse 1% w/w, an established head louse treatment. Regular grooming with an ordinary louse comb is also important, since it damages the head lice and thus prevents further breeding.
What else should I know?
There is no guaranteed way to prevent head lice occurring but the following golden rules will help you keep on top of the problem.
Check your family's hair weekly.
This can be done using a special fine-toothed louse comb as follows:
• Wet the hair thoroughly and use an ordinary hair comb to separate the hair strands
• Holding the head over a sheet of white paper, take a lock of hair and use the louse comb to comb carefully from the roots towards the hair ends, making sure the correct side is towards the scalp.
• Repeat the procedure over the whole head, paying particular attention to the area behind the ears and in the nape of the neck.
• If lice are present, they will be dislodged from the hair and onto the paper. If you suspect the presence of head lice, treat immediately.
Let the school nurse and any other children's parents know that there may be an outbreak. Remember anyone can get head lice and there's nothing to be ashamed about.
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