A Cosmetically Acceptable Dye Product to Improve Detection of Head Louse Eggs and Nits
Removing head louse eggshells and nits after a successful pediculicide treatment is often made more difficult because it is not easy to see them all amongst the hairs. Therefore, a treatment that makes louse eggs more visible potentially makes the task of removal easier and reduces the risk that chi...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2020-03-01
|
| Series: | Cosmetics |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9284/7/1/19 |
| _version_ | 1818304906461708288 |
|---|---|
| author | Elizabeth R Brunton Mark N Burgess Ian P Whelan Ian F Burgess |
| author_facet | Elizabeth R Brunton Mark N Burgess Ian P Whelan Ian F Burgess |
| author_sort | Elizabeth R Brunton |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Removing head louse eggshells and nits after a successful pediculicide treatment is often made more difficult because it is not easy to see them all amongst the hairs. Therefore, a treatment that makes louse eggs more visible potentially makes the task of removal easier and reduces the risk that children would be sent home from school or over-treated. This project involved the development of a hair treatment gel concept that was easy to apply, wash out, and that stained louse eggs and nits but without staining the hair and skin. A series of food-grade dyes were evaluated for their ability to stain the eggshells, and various copolymer-based rheology modifiers were tested for dye compatibility and stability. Several dyes were rejected because either they failed to stain louse eggshells or else stained skin too easily. Two dyes, Patent Blue and Ponceau 4R, were eventually selected for different product developments, one specifically for post-treatment nit removal and the other for pre-treatment diagnosis. In clinical field studies, both were found to make the treated eggshells contrast sufficiently with the hair to enable identification of persistent nits. Use of a nit stain product can enable easier detection of louse eggs and nits, thus facilitating the removal process and reducing the risk that persistent eggshells could be mistaken for signs of a continuing infestation. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-13T06:18:08Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-5a5747cfda4b49309fc9cb6c5e9aaedb |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2079-9284 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-13T06:18:08Z |
| publishDate | 2020-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Cosmetics |
| spelling | doaj.art-5a5747cfda4b49309fc9cb6c5e9aaedb2022-12-21T23:56:54ZengMDPI AGCosmetics2079-92842020-03-01711910.3390/cosmetics7010019cosmetics7010019A Cosmetically Acceptable Dye Product to Improve Detection of Head Louse Eggs and NitsElizabeth R Brunton0Mark N Burgess1Ian P Whelan2Ian F Burgess3EctoMedica Limited, Cambridge CB25 9AU, UKInsect Research & Development Limited, Cambridge CB25 9AU, UKEctoMedica Limited, Cambridge CB25 9AU, UKEctoMedica Limited, Cambridge CB25 9AU, UKRemoving head louse eggshells and nits after a successful pediculicide treatment is often made more difficult because it is not easy to see them all amongst the hairs. Therefore, a treatment that makes louse eggs more visible potentially makes the task of removal easier and reduces the risk that children would be sent home from school or over-treated. This project involved the development of a hair treatment gel concept that was easy to apply, wash out, and that stained louse eggs and nits but without staining the hair and skin. A series of food-grade dyes were evaluated for their ability to stain the eggshells, and various copolymer-based rheology modifiers were tested for dye compatibility and stability. Several dyes were rejected because either they failed to stain louse eggshells or else stained skin too easily. Two dyes, Patent Blue and Ponceau 4R, were eventually selected for different product developments, one specifically for post-treatment nit removal and the other for pre-treatment diagnosis. In clinical field studies, both were found to make the treated eggshells contrast sufficiently with the hair to enable identification of persistent nits. Use of a nit stain product can enable easier detection of louse eggs and nits, thus facilitating the removal process and reducing the risk that persistent eggshells could be mistaken for signs of a continuing infestation.https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9284/7/1/19combingpolymeric hair gelfood dyehair carenit removaldiagnosis“no-nit” policy |
| spellingShingle | Elizabeth R Brunton Mark N Burgess Ian P Whelan Ian F Burgess A Cosmetically Acceptable Dye Product to Improve Detection of Head Louse Eggs and Nits Cosmetics combing polymeric hair gel food dye hair care nit removal diagnosis “no-nit” policy |
| title | A Cosmetically Acceptable Dye Product to Improve Detection of Head Louse Eggs and Nits |
| title_full | A Cosmetically Acceptable Dye Product to Improve Detection of Head Louse Eggs and Nits |
| title_fullStr | A Cosmetically Acceptable Dye Product to Improve Detection of Head Louse Eggs and Nits |
| title_full_unstemmed | A Cosmetically Acceptable Dye Product to Improve Detection of Head Louse Eggs and Nits |
| title_short | A Cosmetically Acceptable Dye Product to Improve Detection of Head Louse Eggs and Nits |
| title_sort | cosmetically acceptable dye product to improve detection of head louse eggs and nits |
| topic | combing polymeric hair gel food dye hair care nit removal diagnosis “no-nit” policy |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9284/7/1/19 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT elizabethrbrunton acosmeticallyacceptabledyeproducttoimprovedetectionofheadlouseeggsandnits AT marknburgess acosmeticallyacceptabledyeproducttoimprovedetectionofheadlouseeggsandnits AT ianpwhelan acosmeticallyacceptabledyeproducttoimprovedetectionofheadlouseeggsandnits AT ianfburgess acosmeticallyacceptabledyeproducttoimprovedetectionofheadlouseeggsandnits AT elizabethrbrunton cosmeticallyacceptabledyeproducttoimprovedetectionofheadlouseeggsandnits AT marknburgess cosmeticallyacceptabledyeproducttoimprovedetectionofheadlouseeggsandnits AT ianpwhelan cosmeticallyacceptabledyeproducttoimprovedetectionofheadlouseeggsandnits AT ianfburgess cosmeticallyacceptabledyeproducttoimprovedetectionofheadlouseeggsandnits |