Aust lice expert sceptical about delousing machine

The LouseBuster, a TGA-approved machine that dries out head lice with a combination of heat and air pressure, is 94.8% effective in killing lice and their eggs, according to research from the University of Utah co-authored by the device’s inventor.

It works on the principle that louse eggs fail to hatch in vitro after exposure to hot air at 55 degrees, and a major selling point is that unlike insecticide-based shampoos there is no resistance problem.

The device requires an operator to provide a half-hour treatment and comb dead lice out of the hair.

The treatment is currently available in NSW, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia.

Natalie Kemps, a licensed operator based in Mandurah, WA, said she has been treating four families per week “and so far they are really happy with the results”. 

However, with home visits at $70 an hour in Mandurah and clinic visits in Sydney starting at $75, lice expert