Permethrin
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.
- Category
- Antiparasitics · Skin Care
- Active ingredient
- Permethrin
- Route
- Topical
- Form
- Cream, Lotion
- Strengths
- 30g
You will receive a quality generic, depending on stock.
Shipped in a discreet, unmarked envelope.
Details
- Therapeutic Class
- Pediculicide/Scabicide
- Pharmacological Class
- Pyrethroid
- Minor Side Effects
- Burning, tingling, itching
- Moderate Side Effects
- Redness, skin irritation
- Dosage Forms
- Cream, Lotion
- Administration Route
- Topical
- Originator
- GSK
- Onset Time
- Immediate
- Storage Instructions
- Keep in a cool area.
- Age Restrictions
- Check label for paediatric use.
What you will receive
Permethrin is a generic medicine sold under the name of its active ingredient, Permethrin.
- The manufacturer depends on what is in stock when your order ships.
- It contains the same active ingredient, at the same strength, as the brand-name versions.
FAQ
What pack sizes does Permethrin come in?
Permethrin comes as 30g tubes. You can order 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6 tubes. Larger packs cost less per tube.
How is Permethrin delivered to Hong Kong?
Permethrin tubes can go by tracked courier, which takes 5 to 9 business days and includes online tracking. Every parcel arrives in plain, unbranded packaging with nothing outside about the contents. If a parcel does not arrive within the delivery window, it is sent again free.
What is another name for permethrin?
Brand names for permethrin include Nix, Elimite, Acticin, Lyclear and Permite. Permethrin tubes are a pure generic permethrin product and are not any of those brands. Here, permethrin can also be bought online as generic Elimite and generic Acticin.
How long does permethrin take to work?
The killing happens during contact: 8 to 14 hours for the scabies cream, 10 minutes for the head lice lotion. The itch of scabies can take longer to settle and often eases over the following days and weeks, so a lingering itch on its own is not a sign that the mites survived.
How do I know which permethrin to use for scabies or lice?
The two jobs need different contact times rather than different strengths: the cream for scabies stays on the skin for 8 to 14 hours, while the lotion for head lice is rinsed out after about ten minutes. This listing is a 30g tube, and the instructions packed with it set the timing.
Does permethrin kill nits?
It kills the live lice, which is what stops the itch and the spread. Nits are the eggs glued to the hair, and many of them are already empty shells by the time you treat. A fine-tooth lice comb takes out what is left, and live lice a week later mean treating again.
Can I put permethrin on my face or genitals?
The scabies cream covers everything from the neck down, including the skin around the genitals, but nothing goes inside the vagina, and it stays away from the eyes, nose, ears, mouth, eyebrows and eyelashes. Babies and people over 65 also treat the scalp, hairline, temples and forehead.
Can I drink alcohol with permethrin?
Yes. Permethrin is applied to the skin rather than swallowed, and alcohol has no known effect on it. What matters is contact time on the skin, not what you drink while the cream or lotion is doing its work.
About Permethrin
What permethrin is for
Scabies and head lice both come down to a parasite living on the skin, and permethrin kills both. Scabies is caused by tiny mites that burrow into the top layer of skin and set off an itch that is often worse at night. Head lice are small insects that live among the hairs and feed on the scalp. Permethrin is applied to skin or scalp, never swallowed, and it works on the parasite's own nerve cells, paralysing the mite or louse until it dies.
Treating scabies with the cream
Spread the cream thinly from the neck down to the soles of the feet, working it into the folds of the skin: between the fingers and toes, around the waist and buttocks. Babies and people over 65 also treat the scalp, hairline, temples and forehead. Leave it on for 8 to 14 hours, overnight being the simplest way, then wash it off in the bath or shower. An adult may need the whole tube. One treatment usually clears it, and itching afterwards does not mean it failed; if live mites are still there two weeks later, repeat it.
Treating head lice with the lotion
Wash the hair with a plain shampoo, rinse, and towel it until just damp. Leave out conditioner, and any shampoo that contains conditioner, or the treatment works less well. Shake the bottle, then apply behind the ears and at the back of the neck and cover the whole scalp and hair, keeping the eyes shut and shielded with a towel. After ten minutes, rinse over a sink rather than in the shower, comb out the tangles and wash your hands. Hats, towels, pillowcases, sheets and combs used lately need a hot wash. Live lice still present a week later mean repeating the whole process.
Side effects, and what to keep it away from
Burning, redness or itching where it went on is common and fades. A rare allergic reaction shows as swelling of the face, throat or tongue or trouble breathing, and needs urgent treatment. Permethrin is for skin and hair only: eyes, nose, ears, mouth and vagina stay clear, as do eyebrows and eyelashes, and an eye that gets some is rinsed with water at once. An allergy to permethrin or pyrethrins rules it out.
The other permethrin listings
Acticin is the same ingredient sold as a 30g cream for scabies, and Elimite as a 30g tube for scabies and lice. All three contain permethrin; the brand name and the form are what differ. The permethrin page walks through the ingredient and every listing.
Sources
- Permethrin Topical: MedlinePlus Drug Information — MedlinePlus
- Permethrin 5% w/w Cream - Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC) - (emc) | 6540 — electronic medicines compendium (emc)