Combo of Listerine and heat removed lice from child’s hair
Q: I tried everything to get rid of lice in my daughter’s long hair — Nix, olive oil, tea tree oil, mayonnaise and combing the hair every night. I washed her sheets and jackets nearly every day. Still, after three months, I kept finding nits in her hair.
Finally, I read about Listerine. Following instructions, I soaked her hair in amber Listerine for 30 minutes. Then we rinsed it, combed through it and used the blow dryer. Here’s the last step: a hot hairstyling iron on each section. A week later, we went through this process again. I checked her hair over the next few weeks and found nothing. I personally believe it was the combination of Listerine and the heat from the straightening iron.
A: We suspect you are right. We’ve heard from many readers who have successfully used Listerine against lice. One expert suggested that the high alcohol content of the mouthwash, in combination with some of the essential oils, may asphyxiate the lice. In addition to washing sheets and jackets, you were also running them through the dryer. Lice die at 135 degrees. Hair irons like the one you used can get as hot as 450 degrees. Very likely, that also contributed to you getting the lice out of your daughter’s hair.
Q: Ichthammol ointment is great for splinters. It beats using a sterile needle to get the splinter out.
A: Your comment inspired us to look up ichthammol ointment, which has been used to treat skin problems since the 19th century (International Journal of Dermatology, June 21, 2010). This black goo is derived from oil shale rich in sulfur. The ointment also contains emollients such as lanolin and petroleum jelly.
Icthammol is often called a “drawing” salve, which may explain why it is helpful for removing splinters. Although it may sometimes be referred to as black ointment, it should not be confused with black salve. The Food and Drug Administration warns that black salves may contain dangerously corrosive ingredients.
Q: My endocrinologist put me on testosterone because my hormone levels were very low.
When I moved two years ago, my new doctor said I shouldn’t take it.
I recently moved again and got a new doctor. He ran a full workup on me before putting me back on testosterone. My testosterone was again very low, and I suffered from fatigue. My PSA (prostate-specific antigen) was good so there was no worry about prostate cancer. My blood work showed no signs of liver or kidney damage. In addition, my EKG and echocardiogram were normal, suggesting my heart is in good shape. I feel so much better on testosterone. Should I be worried about continuing on this hormone?
A: The Food and Drug Administration frowns upon doctors prescribing testosterone to men with low levels of this hormone due to aging. Unless someone has hypogonadism brought on by chemotherapy, infection or another serious medical condition, the FDA discourages its use. The agency has long worried that men taking testosterone might be at higher risk for cardiovascular complications.
A new study, however, is reassuring. Investigators analyzed data from 35 randomized controlled trials (The Lancet Healthy Longevity, June 2022).
The researchers did not find any indication that men taking testosterone were more likely to have heart attacks or strokes in the short to medium term. As long as you are under medical supervision, boosting low testosterone levels may be safe.