A study published in New England Journal of Medicine, this Thursday has concluded that an oral pill is more effective in reducing the head lice than a lotion. The study specifically examined ivermectin, which is an ant parasitic drug in comparison with Malathion, a lotion containing insecticide.

To test the effectiveness of the two, the researchers involved 812 people from 7 different parts of the world. It was observed that all these people had head lice even after the application of Malathion on their scalps. After that they all were given two doses ivermectin to be taken, side by side using the lotion.

On a remarkable note, 95% of them were found lice free after two weeks.

As per the calculations, ivermectin is found to be 10% more effective than Malathion.

Ivermectin functions by disabling the louse nerves from communicating.

"If you still have one or two lice you'll be reinfested one or two weeks later", said Dr. Olivier Chosidow, Head of Dermatology at Henri Mondor Hospital in Creteil.

But he also said that ivermectin should not be kept as the only option for reducing head lice because the lice-killing can be resistant to ivermectin, as well.

"This gives us another tool in the arsenal", said Timothy Gibb, an Extension Entomologist with Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind.