Ulesfia (benzyl alcohol topical) is an anti-parasite medication.
Ulesfia is used to treat head lice in people between the ages of 6 months and 60 years old.
Ulesfia is for treating head lice only. It will not treat lice on other body areas.
Ulesfia may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide.
Important information
Ulesfia is used to treat head lice in people between the ages of 6 months and 60 years old. This medicine will not treat lice on other body areas.
Do not use this medication on a child or infant younger than 6 months old.
If Ulesfia gets in your eyes or on your skin, rinse with water. Call your doctor at once if you have severe stinging, itching, or irritation of the eyes or skin after rinsing.
Avoid head to head contact with others. Avoid sharing hair brushes, combs, hair accessories, hats, scarves, and pillows. Lice infections are highly contagious.
Before using Ulesfia
You should not use Ulesfia if you are allergic to benzyl alcohol.
To make sure Ulesfia is safe for you, tell your doctor if you have any conditions that make your skin sensitive.
FDA pregnancy category B. Ulesfia is not expected to harm an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant during treatment.
It is not known whether benzyl alcohol passes into breast milk. However, this medicine contains a preservative that may be harmful to a newborn. Tell your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.
Do not use this medication on a child or infant younger than 6 months old. Ulesfia contains an ingredient that can cause serious side effects or death in very young infants or premature babies. Do not allow an older child to use Ulesfia without supervision of an adult.
How should I use Ulesfia?
Use Ulesfia exactly as recommended by your health care professional. Follow all directions on the label. Do not use this medicine in larger or smaller amounts or for longer than recommended.
Do not take Ulesfia by mouth. It is for use only on the hair and scalp. When treating a child, an adult should apply the medicine.
Do not wet your hair or scalp before applying Ulesfia.
Use a towel to cover your face and eyes while applying Ulesfia. Keep your eyes tightly closed during application.
Apply enough lotion to completely soak your scalp and hair, including behind your ears and the back of your neck. Massage in thoroughly. You may need to use more than one bottle of Ulesfia for longer hair.
Wash your hands with soap and water after applying the medicine.
Leave the lotion on for 10 minutes, keeping your eyes closed and covered during this time. Then rinse out thoroughly with warm water.
You may shampoo your hair at any time after using Ulesfia.
After rinsing, use a fine-tooth nit comb to remove lice eggs from the hair. Rinse the nit comb often during use. Place removed nits into a sealed plastic bag and throw it into the trash to prevent re-infestation.
Ulesfia will not get rid of lice eggs so you must use a second application of this medicine 7 days after the first use.
For the most complete treatment of head lice and to prevent reinfection, you must treat your environment at the same time you treat your scalp. Wash all clothing, hats, bed clothes, bed linens, and towels in hot water and dry in high heat. Dry-clean any non-washable clothing. Hair brushes, combs, and hair accessories should be soaked in hot water. Check everyone in your household for lice 1 week after finishing treatment.
Store Ulesfia at room temperature away from moisture and heat. Do not freeze.
What happens if I miss a dose?
Wait at least 7 days before using a second application.
What happens if I overdose?
Seek emergency medical attention or call the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222 if anyone has accidentally swallowed this medication.
What should I avoid?
Avoid getting this medicine in your eyes, mouth, or vagina.
To prevent spreading lice, avoid head to head contact with others until your lice infection has cleared up. Avoid sharing hair brushes, combs, hair accessories, hats, scarves, and pillows. Lice infections are highly contagious.
Ulesfia side effects
Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction to Ulesfia: hives; difficult breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.
If the medicine gets in your eyes or on your skin, rinse with water. Call your doctor at once if you have severe stinging, itching, or irritation of the eyes or skin after rinsing.
Common Ulesfia side effects may include mild pain, itching, irritation, redness, or numbness of your scalp.
This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
See also: Side effects (in more detail)
What other drugs will affect Ulesfia?
It is not likely that other drugs you take orally or inject will have an effect on topically applied benzyl alcohol. But many drugs can interact with each other. Tell each of your health care providers about all medicines you use, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products.
