Pharmacy Guide
Patient leaflets and SmPCs, drug interaction checker, official dosages and NHS pharmacy opening hours — all in one place.
Pharmacy Guide
Patient leaflets and SmPCs, drug interaction checker, official dosages and NHS pharmacy opening hours — all in one place.
Hedrin 4% cutaneous solution
⚠ This medicine appears to have been discontinued
The electronic medicines compendium (emc) no longer publishes a Summary of Product Characteristics for this product, which usually means it is no longer marketed in the UK. The patient leaflet below is kept for reference, but the product may not be available.
If you were prescribed this medicine, other products containing Dimeticone may still be available. Do not stop your treatment — ask your pharmacist or GP what to use instead.
How to take it
Hedrin® Hedrin® is suitable for adults and children aged 6 months and over. Please note: If a member of the family has live head lice, check the other family members and treat all other cases of live head lice which are discovered, at the same time. Hedrin® is for external use only.
Directions
- Apply sufficient lotion evenly over DRY hair ensuring that the scalp is fully covered.
- Work into the hair spreading the liquid evenly from the roots to tips. Allow the hair to dry naturally.
- Leave on the hair for at least 8 hours or overnight.
- Wash the hair with normal shampoo, rinse thoroughly with water and dry. Duration of treatment
- It is important that Hedrin® Lotion is applied again after seven days to deal with any lice which may hatch in that time. Failure to repeat the treatment may result in the return of a louse infestation.
4 Possible side effects Important side effects If you experience any of the following, stop using Hedrin® immediately (shampoo off) and talk to a doctor or pharmacist.
- Allergic reactions such as rash, swelling or weals on the skin.
- Breathing difficulties Other side effects When using Hedrin® on broken skin, slight irritation may occur. Sometimes application may cause flaking of the scalp, itching, irritation around the eyes and hair loss. If you notice any of these or other side effects, stop using the product and talk to a doctor or pharmacist. Reporting of side effects If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor, pharmacist or nurse. This includes any possible side effects not listed in this leaflet. You can also report
Possible side effects
directly via the Yellow Card Scheme at: www.mhra.gov.uk/yellowcard. By reporting side effects you can help provide more information on the safety of this medicine.
5 Storing Hedrin®
- Keep out of the sight and reach of children.
- This product does not require any other special storage conditions.
- Do not use after the expiry date shown on the pack.
- Care should be taken if Hedrin® is spilled as it may cause a slip hazard.
6 Further information What Hedrin® Lotion contains The active substance is Dimeticone 4% w/w. Dimeticone is not a chemical poison. It works by a physical process which effectively covers and drowns the louse. The other ingredients are Cyclomethicone 5. Cyclomethicone 5 is a carrier ingredient which evaporates after application leaving the active ingredient to kill the lice. What Hedrin® looks like It is a clear colourless solution. Hedrin® is available in 50ml packs. Marketing Authorisation Holder and Manufacturer Thornton & Ross Ltd., Huddersfield, HD7 5QH, UK. Date of preparation of the package leaflet This leaflet was prepared in August 2019 Hedrin® is a registered Trade Mark of Thornton & Ross Ltd.
About head lice
- Head lice vary in size according to their age. From the size of a printed full stop…. ….to the size of a sesame seed Head lice can be difficult to spot because they can match their colour to that of the environment.
- Lice live close to the scalp where they feed on blood and this can cause the scalp to itch.
- Head lice cannot jump, fly or swim and can only be acquired by direct head to head contact. This is why lice are commonly found on the heads of children and those in close contact with children and why it is important to check the heads of all the family members when head lice are found.
- Head lice only live on humans and have no preference for clean or dirty hair.
- The female louse will lay between 3 and 5 eggs per day and these hatch after 7 days. This is why it is important to repeat this treatment after 7 days to ensure that any lice which have hatched after the first treatment are killed.
- Once the louse has hatched, the empty case (known as a nit) will remain glued to the hair shaft. Nits are completely harmless and can be removed with the fingers or a fine toothed comb.
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Hedrin
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Frequently asked questions about Hedrin 4% cutaneous solution
How do I take Hedrin 4% cutaneous solution?
Hedrin 4% cutaneous solution comes as solution. Always follow the dose your doctor or pharmacist has given you, and read the leaflet that comes with the medicine.
What is the active substance in Hedrin 4% cutaneous solution?
The active substance in Hedrin 4% cutaneous solution is dimeticone.
Are there equivalent medicines to Hedrin 4% cutaneous solution?
Medicines with the same active substance, strength and form include: Hedrin 4% cutaneous solution (P). They are interchangeable only if your prescriber or pharmacist says so.
Where does this information come from?
This leaflet reproduces the patient information leaflet approved for Hedrin 4% cutaneous solution, as published on the electronic medicines compendium (emc). The version printed inside your medicine’s packaging is the one that applies to you.
Can I get Hedrin 4% cutaneous solution without a prescription?
Whether a medicine is available over the counter or on prescription only depends on its licence. Check the leaflet, or ask your pharmacist — they can tell you straight away.
About this leaflet
The text above reproduces the patient information leaflet approved for this medicine, restructured for easier reading.
- Source: electronic medicines compendium (emc), Datapharm
- Active substance: dimeticone
- Official document: view the original leaflet on emc →
⚕For healthcare professionals — Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC)Full SmPC: dosage, interactions, contraindications, warnings+
4.1. Therapeutic indications
Hedrin is indicated for the eradication of headlice infestations
4.2. Posology and method of administration
Adults and children (aged six months and above)
For topical external use only
Apply sufficient lotion to cover dry hair from the base to the tip to ensure that no part of the scalp is left uncovered. Work into the hair spreading the liquid evenly from roots to tips. Allow hair to dry naturally. Hedrin should be left on hair for a minimum of 8 hours or overnight. Wash out with normal shampoo, rinsing thoroughly with water. Repeat the treatment after seven days.
Children under the age of six months should only be treated under medical supervision.
4.3. Contraindications
Hypersensitivity to any of the ingredients
4.4. Special warnings and precautions for use
Discontinue at the first appearance of a skin rash or any other signs of local or general hypersensitivity. Should any signs of hypersensitivity occur (e.g. rashes, urticaria, generalised pruritus, breathing difficulties), the product should be shampooed off immediately, and if symptoms do not resolve, medical advice sought.
For external use only.
Avoid contact with the eyes but if accidentally introduced into the eyes, flush with water.
Consult a pharmacist if live lice are detected after the second treatment or if head lice are a persistent or recurring problem.
Hedrin 4% cutaneous solution is combustible when on the hair and in direct contact with an open flame or other source of ignition; therefore during treatment hair should be kept away from open flames or other sources of ignition.
The labels and leaflets will state:
“Warning:
Keep hair away from sources of ignition, especially naked flames and burning cigarettes, whilst being treated with Hedrin®. Treated hair can readily burn if ignited”.
4.5. Interaction with other medicinal products and other forms of interaction
Dimeticone is not known to interact with other drugs
4.6. Fertility, pregnancy and lactation
There is no data to suggest that Hedrin may not be used in pregnancy
4.7. Effects on ability to drive and use machines
None known
4.8. Undesirable effects
Dimeticone is usually well tolerated.
Minor adverse events include skin irritation, an itchy or flaky scalp and irritation around the eyes.
Single cases of hair loss have been reported.
Signs of hypersensitivity reactions including rash, urticaria, generalised pruritus, and breathing difficulties.
Reporting of suspected adverse reactions
Reporting suspected adverse reactions after authorisation of the medicinal product is important. It allows continued monitoring of the benefit/risk balance of the medicinal product. Healthcare professionals are asked to report any suspected adverse reactions via the Yellow Card Scheme at: www.mhra.gov.uk/yellowcard.
4.9. Overdose
There are no known recognised symptoms of overdose.
It is unlikely that Hedrin® lotion will enter the bloodstream via scratched skin however if this does occur, available data suggests it will be rapidly eliminated unchanged. If the lotion were to be accidentally ingested, again, the available data suggests that there are no specific safety concerns.
No special procedures are likely to be needed.
💬 Ask about this leaflet
Ask anything about Hedrin 4% cutaneous solution. The assistant answers only from this leaflet — if the leaflet does not cover it, it will say so. It does not give medical advice.
Answers come from the patient leaflet published on the electronic medicines compendium (emc). They are not medical advice. Ask a pharmacist or your GP if you are unsure. For urgent help call NHS 111, or 999 in an emergency.