jskowron
29th November 2011, 05:55 AM
So, the kids had some little critters crawling around in their hair. My wife went to the drugstore and brought home some treatment gel marketed under the Tec Labs brand. Simple enough stuff- coat the hair scalp with the stuff, cover with a "lunch lady" type plastic cap, and rinse off in an hour or so, and comb out the dead lice. We did the treatment, and sure enough an hour or so later, nothing but dead (or at least not moving) lice, and two days later, no live adult lice and no more itching.
Looking at the product box today, I notice the word "homeopathic" on the box! This cues me to look at the active ingredient, to find that it is "Natrum Muriaticum 1x." In other words, salt water! Now, i don't feel like I've been scammed, 'cause the stuff worked (to be more accurate, the absence of live adult lice and itching appeared to be contiguous to our applying the treatment), and also because I did not purchase the product thinking I was getting something homeopathic (in fact, that word on the label would have made me pass on the product).
This does not, however, seem like an attempt by the manufacturer to swindle the public with an ineffective "homepathic" solution that is basically, water. Rather, it seems to me like an attempt to swindle the proponents of woo into buying something that actually works, but is not "real" homeopathy (how about that for an oxymoron). A solution of 1 part table salt to 10 parts tap water, mixed with some gel and licorice smelling stuff (as well as something to provide a tingly sensation so you think more is going on than actually is) seems to be an effective means of dehydrating adult lice and making the nits easier to remove. This is distinguishing from and actual homeopathic remedy, which would (a) consist of actual lice diluted with water to the point of being indistinguishable from water; and (b) be ineffective.
This seems to be the next logical step in the great alternative medicine swindle- market actual remedies that work, but call them homeopathic.
I avoided infestation myself by employing an ages old, natural "treatment"- baldness!
Looking at the product box today, I notice the word "homeopathic" on the box! This cues me to look at the active ingredient, to find that it is "Natrum Muriaticum 1x." In other words, salt water! Now, i don't feel like I've been scammed, 'cause the stuff worked (to be more accurate, the absence of live adult lice and itching appeared to be contiguous to our applying the treatment), and also because I did not purchase the product thinking I was getting something homeopathic (in fact, that word on the label would have made me pass on the product).
This does not, however, seem like an attempt by the manufacturer to swindle the public with an ineffective "homepathic" solution that is basically, water. Rather, it seems to me like an attempt to swindle the proponents of woo into buying something that actually works, but is not "real" homeopathy (how about that for an oxymoron). A solution of 1 part table salt to 10 parts tap water, mixed with some gel and licorice smelling stuff (as well as something to provide a tingly sensation so you think more is going on than actually is) seems to be an effective means of dehydrating adult lice and making the nits easier to remove. This is distinguishing from and actual homeopathic remedy, which would (a) consist of actual lice diluted with water to the point of being indistinguishable from water; and (b) be ineffective.
This seems to be the next logical step in the great alternative medicine swindle- market actual remedies that work, but call them homeopathic.
I avoided infestation myself by employing an ages old, natural "treatment"- baldness!