Permethrin how does it work

Permethrin cream is available on prescription, or you can buy it without a prescription at a pharmacy. It is easy to apply and normally works well if used properly. To make sure this is the right treatment for you, before you start using permethrin cream it is important that your doctor or pharmacist knows:. Along with their useful effects, most medicines can cause unwanted side-effects although not everyone experiences them. The table below contains some of the most common ones associated with permethrin.

You will find a full list in the manufacturer's information leaflet supplied with the cream. The unwanted effects often improve as your body adjusts to the new medicine but speak with your doctor or pharmacist if any of the following continue or become troublesome. Important : there is a risk of fire when creams and ointments are absorbed by fabrics such as clothing or bedsheets , making them flammable. A spark or flame can easily ignite the fabric. The risk is highest when large amounts of paraffin-based products are applied and absorb into fabrics.

However there is also a risk when non-paraffin products are used. Be aware of this fire hazard when repeatedly using large amounts of any skin product. Do not smoke or go near naked flames. If you experience any other symptoms which you think may be due to the cream, please speak with your doctor or pharmacist for further advice.

Make sure that the person supplying this medicine knows about any other medicines that you are taking or using. Other research has found that knock downs might reduce biting rates in a specific geographical area. And what about ticks? But a recent study by researchers at the CDC found that a variety of different types of treated clothing was able to incapacitate several species of ticks or cause them to fall off the fabric.

Other research has used human test subjects, however. For example, a study in North Carolina forest, park, and wildlife agency workers had the workers track the number of tick bites they received while using clothes professionally treated with permethrin.

During the tick season mid-March through September , workers who wore treated clothing reported fewer tick bites—0. Manufacturers of permethrin spray for clothing note that because the spray is meant only for fabric and not for skin, for full protection people also need to use an insect repellent on their exposed skin. The most important thing to remember when spraying your clothing with permethrin is that you must follow the label on the product. Because permethrin is a pesticide, the Environmental Protection Agency regulates its use.

The CDC notes that permethrin and related chemical compounds can cause serious health problems in people exposed to high doses. If you follow the directions on the label, however, the dose of permethrin you receive by wearing treated clothing is considered safe, even for pregnant women. Higher concentrations of permethrin are used in medications for treating both head lice and scabies.

Spray only your clothing. Spray while the clothes are off your body. Hang them on hangers outside, and spray them down while they hang. Spray enough, but not too much. Mather says he often sees people making the mistake of giving their clothes a quick spritz of permethrin. But it takes a slightly heavier hand for full protection.

Mather says you should spray enough for your clothes to become damp they should look a little darker in color. The product labels can help give you a good idea of how much to use. Let the clothes dry completely. Before you wear them, they should be totally dry. Scientists applied permethrin to soil and then planted sugar beets, wheat, lettuce and cotton in the soil. Scientists found trace amounts of the permethrin residue in the edible parts of the plants at 30 and days after planting.

Trace amounts of permethrin have been found in foods including bananas, collard greens, squash and watermelon. Permethrin is highly toxic to fish and other animals that live in either salt water or fresh water. Permethrin is low in toxicity to birds, but some aerosol products made with permethrin may also contain other ingredients that can harm birds if they inhale it.

Permethrin is highly toxic to bees and other beneficial insects. NPIC provides objective, science-based answers to questions about pesticides. Please cite as: Toynton, K.

NPIC fact sheets are designed to answer questions that are commonly asked by the general public about pesticides that are regulated by the U.

Environmental Protection Agency U. This document is intended to be educational in nature and helpful to consumers for making decisions about pesticide use. NPIC provides objective, science-based information about pesticides and pesticide-related topics to enable people to make informed decisions.

Environmental Protection Agency cooperative agreement X The information in this publication does not in any way replace or supersede the restrictions, precautions, directions, or other information on the pesticide label or any other regulatory requirements, nor does it necessarily reflect the position of the U.

Permethrin General Fact Sheet. What is permethrin? What are some products that contain permethrin? How does permethrin work?

How might I be exposed to permethrin? What are some signs and symptoms from a brief exposure to permethrin? What happens to permethrin when it enters the body? Is permethrin likely to contribute to the development of cancer? The permethrin formulation and process designed by our researchers specifically for creating Insect Shield products is quite different from permethrin-based technologies employed in other industries.

While the direct application of permethrin can be a beneficial treatment in eliminating lice and scabies , which infest and lodge directly in the skin and hair, it is not the most common or effective use. Instead, permethrin bonded to a stable carrier, such as textiles and clothing, creates a constant, prolonged effectiveness since the permethrin remains integrated with the fabric.

It does not require reapplication and is invisible, odorless, and convenient. The more Insect Shield present, the greater the protection. It retains effectiveness through 70 washings, the expected lifetime of the garment. Or 25 launderings for Insect Shield gear. The benefit of wearing permethrin-treated clothing in conjunction with a topical repellent cannot be overstated.