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Permethrin

Permethrin is a topical scabicide listed as Acticin, a 30 g cream used to treat scabies in adults and children aged two months and older.

Acticin

Scabies

30g

Permethrin cream for scabies. A second application is usually needed to kill mites that hatch from eggs that survived the first treatment.

From$13.70/ tubeView

Key points

  • Itching may persist for up to four weeks after treatment, usually from an allergic reaction to dead mites under the skin rather than treatment failure.
  • Cream-soaked clothing, dressings or bedding can be easily ignited by a naked flame, so keep away from fire during treatment.
  • Acticin contains 0.45 g of benzyl alcohol per tube, which may cause allergic reactions in sensitive individuals.

How does permethrin work?

Permethrin belongs to the Antiparasitics class of scabicides and pediculicides. It disrupts the nerve membranes of mites and lice, causing them to over-fire, lose coordination and become paralysed. Only about 0.5% of the applied dose passes through the skin during the first 48 hours, so systemic effects are minimal. For Scabies, a second application may be needed no sooner than seven days after the first if lesions have not healed or new ones appear.

Further reading