Lousy hairdryer

Head lice can now be blown away in half an hour by a new blow dryer-like device its inventors call the "LouseBuster," university researchers report.

The device, which kills bugs and eggs by drying them out, might one day offer an alternative to the powerful delousing shampoos currently necessary for dealing with this widespread problem.

The LouseBuster results were reported in the November issue of the journal Pediatrics by University of Utah researchers who said the device eliminates infestations by preventing reproduction.

The study, involving 169 children in the Salt Lake area, showed the LouseBuster killed 80 per cent of hatched lice and 98 per cent of eggs on infested children.