Head lice. They seem like such a silly nuisance but when it comes down to it, they can actually cause quite the problem. For ages, parents have been trying to deal with their children getting lice, causing the child to miss days of school and costing a bundle in lice shampoos and special combs. Now, a device like a hair-dryer called the “Lousebuster” has been created that is actually said to kill 98% of eggs (nits), and 80% of hatched lice. The device works like a hair dryer but blows twice as much air, at a slightly lower temperature. It also has a comb-like attachment on the end to pull the hair from the scalp and expose the roots of the hair, (where the nits attach). Dale Clayton, PhD, the co-author of a study done on the device thinks that the lice and nits are dying because the “Lousebuster” is drying them out, and the force of the wind is removing the lice from the host, causing them to die off. Why isn’t a regular blow-dryer just as effective? Clayton found that even though a regular blow-dryer kills 98% of eggs as well, it only kills 55% of the lice, compared to the 80% of the “Lousebuster.” Although the primary defence against lice would be quick recognition and manual removal, Clayton recommends that the device could be sold to clinics and school where people can be trained to use it. “Lousebuster:” coming to a location near you!