Dana, a 38-year-old woman from a kibbutz in northern Israel, suffered severe burns on her head after lighting a cigarette shortly after applying a head lice treatment. She is currently hospitalized at Rambam Health Care Campus in Haifa. "I can't believe a simple treatment for lice would end with such burns. It's a miracle I survived," she said.
"I have children in kindergarten and like in many places, the kids started scratching their heads and I found lice on their heads. The first treatment I tried was only effective for a while, but it was a recurring issue. About two weeks ago I decided to try something new, which I used both on myself and the kids. I applied it on my hair and while letting it dry, took a lighter to light up a cigarette. As soon as I flicked the lighter, my hands and hair caught fire.
"It was very painful and I knew that if I didn't act quickly, I could die. I darted toward the faucet and opened it, and my son filled a pan with water and poured it on my head. I'm alive thanks to the resourcefulness of a 12-year-old boy.
"In the meantime, he called first responders who promptly arrived and took me to the hospital, and the painkillers they gave me on the way helped a little. I was hospitalized with second-degree burns. I would like to warn the public how flammable this material is."
Prof. Assaf Zeltzer, director of the Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at Rambam Health Care Campus, said, "The patient came in with a badly burnt scalp, face and neck. It could've been much worse. Luckily, we were able to deal with it without requiring surgery, using advanced bandages.
"It's helpful that the patient was able to contain the situation rather quickly, put out the fire, wash the wounds and prevent the fire from spreading to other parts of her body. I call upon the public to carefully examine the instructions on any material we apply to ourselves."