Permethrin

Permethrin is a synthetic pyrethroid insecticide that disrupts arthropod nerve signaling. Topical formulations kill scabies mites and their larvae on treated skin.

Voltage-gated sodium channel: A membrane protein that opens to let sodium ions enter excitable cells and generate electrical signals. Permethrin prolongs channel opening in arthropods, disrupting nerve signaling and causing paralysis.
Scabies: A contagious skin infestation caused by the mite Sarcoptes scabiei. Permethrin cream is a standard treatment for this infestation.
Ivermectin: An antiparasitic medicine used orally or topically to treat several parasitic infections. Oral ivermectin is an alternative scabies treatment, unlike topical permethrin.
Sarcoptes scabiei: A parasitic mite species whose human-adapted form causes scabies. This is the species against which topical permethrin is used.
Pyrethroid: A class of synthetic insecticides modeled on insecticidal compounds found in chrysanthemum flowers. Permethrin belongs to this insecticide class, which acts on arthropod sodium channels.
Permethrin cream: A topical formulation of permethrin used to treat scabies and, in some settings, other infestations. This is the formulation most commonly associated with scabies treatment.
Benzyl benzoate: A topical antiparasitic compound used in some countries to treat scabies and lice. It is another topical scabicide with different tolerability and application requirements.
Mite: A small arachnid in the subclass Acari, which includes parasitic and free-living species. Scabies is caused by a parasitic mite rather than an insect.
Scabies mite: Sarcoptes scabiei is a microscopic mite that burrows into human skin and causes scabies. It is the parasite permethrin treatment is intended to kill.
Head lice infestation: An infestation of scalp hair by Pediculus humanus capitis, a blood-feeding louse. Permethrin has also been used against head lice, although resistance can limit effectiveness.

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