Permethrin
Permethrin is a topical antiparasitic cream used to treat scabies and lice, sold here as 30g packs under the names Acticin, Elimite and Permethrin.
Permethrin
Permethrin
30g
Permethrin is a topical treatment for scabies and head lice, sold here as a 30g tube applied to the skin or scalp and left on for a set time.
What permethrin cream is for
Scabies means tiny mites have burrowed into the top layer of skin, where they lay their eggs. The itch is intense and usually worse at night. Permethrin is a topical antiparasitic from the pyrethroid family, compounds that act on the nervous system of insects and mites, and it kills the mites behind scabies and lice.
How to apply it
Start with skin that is clean, dry and cool, not still warm from a hot bath. Adults cover everything from the jaw down: between the fingers and toes, under the nails, the soles of the feet and the genital area. The cream vanishes as you rub it in, so there is no point adding more to make it visible. Keep it away from the eyes, mouth and other moist areas, and do not apply it to broken skin. Leave it on for 8 to 12 hours, then wash it off thoroughly. If you wash your hands during those first 8 hours, put the cream back on them. Keep the tube closed and store it somewhere cool.
After the mites are gone
Picture the third week after treatment. The mites are dead, but the skin still itches. That is normal, and it does not mean the cream failed. Anyone who shares your bed or home usually treats on the same day, because scabies passes easily between them. Bedding, towels and clothes worn in the days before treatment go through a hot wash and a hot tumble dry.
Side effects
Stinging, burning, itching, tingling or redness where the cream went on are the usual complaints, and they fade once it is washed off. A known allergy to chrysanthemums or to other pyrethroid insecticides rules permethrin out. A spreading rash, swelling of the face or throat, or difficulty breathing is a severe allergic reaction and needs urgent treatment.
Which permethrin listing to choose
All three products are topical permethrin in 30g packs. Acticin comes as a cream for scabies. Elimite and the plain Permethrin tubes are also 30g, and both are sold for scabies and lice. All three sit in the shop's antiparasitics section.
Sources
- Permethrin Topical: MedlinePlus Drug Information — MedlinePlus
- Permethrin 5% w/w Cream - Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC) - (emc) | 6540 — electronic medicines compendium (emc)
Can I order Permethrin online in Hong Kong?
Permethrin can be ordered online with delivery to Hong Kong. The page carries generic Acticin cream at 30g and generic Elimite tubes at 30g, alongside Permethrin tubes at 30g. An order can be cancelled within 24 hours if it has not been dispatched, and support answers around the clock in English and Cantonese.
How much does Permethrin cost?
Each of the three permethrin products has its own price per pack, shown on its page in HKD or your selected currency; larger packs usually cost less per unit.
Do I need a prescription to order Permethrin?
PockDose does not ask you to upload a prescription when you order permethrin. See the ordering FAQ for details.
What are the other names for permethrin?
Nix, Elimite and Acticin are brand names of permethrin, which is also sold as Lyclear and Permite. Here, permethrin can be bought online as generic Elimite, generic Acticin and permethrin tubes. These are generics, not the original brand.
Should I treat my whole body or just the itchy patches?
The whole body, from the jaw down in adults. Mites can sit on skin that does not itch yet, so treating only the rash leaves them behind to start again. Pay extra attention to the webbing between the fingers, the wrists, the waist and the genitals, where scabies mites tend to gather.
What if I wash my hands during treatment?
Put the cream back on them. Soap and water lift it off the skin, and hands get washed more than anything else, so a gap there can let mites survive the treatment. Wait until the full 8 to 12 hours are up before washing the cream off properly.
How many 30g tubes do I need?
One tube covers a single full-body treatment for an adult. If several people in the house are treating on the same day, each of them needs their own tube, so order one per person rather than planning to share.
Do the people I live with need treating too?
Close contacts are usually treated on the same day, even when they have no itch. Scabies moves through skin-to-skin contact and shared bedding, so treating one person on their own often ends with it coming back. Partners who share a bed are the most likely to pass it on.
Is Acticin the same as Elimite?
Both are brand names for permethrin cream, and both come in 30g packs here. Acticin is offered for scabies, Elimite for scabies and lice. The medicine inside is the same, so the pack you prefer is the practical way to pick between them.