Anyone can get crabs and they are very common. Millions of people are infected with public lice very year. Although crabs come from the same family of parasites as head and body lice, they are not the same thing.
Millions of people get infected with pubic lice every year.
Pubic lice are usually transmitted through direct skin-to-skin contact during sexual activity. However, they can also be spread by contact with towels, undergarments and bedding of an infected person. Lice infestation causes no serious harm, but can be irritating.
Lice usually pass from person to person during sex, and healthcare professionals consider them a sexually transmitted infection (STI). However, close hugging and kissing can also allow them to spread, as can sharing towels and other personal items.
Around 1 to 2 of every 100 Australians are estimated to have public lice.
You can usually see pubic lice by looking closely, or you may need to use a magnifying glass. Pubic lice are tan or whitish-gray, and they look like tiny crabs. They get darker when they're full of blood. Crab eggs (called nits) on the bottom part of your pubic hairs.
A lice-killing lotion containing 1% permethrin or a mousse containing pyrethrins and piperonyl butoxide can be used to treat pubic (“crab”) lice. These products are available over-the-counter without a prescription at a local drug store or pharmacy.
This attractive little bugger is Pthirus pubis, otherwise known as crab lice or pubic lice. About 0.05 to 0.08 inches long, crab lice like to live around the course hair in the pubic area (although, fun fact, people can also get them on their eyelashes).
The hair follicles contain melanin. As people age, these follicles begin to die off, and there is less melanin in the hair. As the follicles die and melanin decreases, the color of the hair fades to silver, gray, or white. This process happens with hair all over the body, including pubic hair.
A common misconception is that pubic lice are spread easily by sitting on a toilet seat. This would be extremely rare because lice cannot live long away from a warm human body and they do not have feet designed to hold onto or walk on smooth surfaces such as toilet seats.
You cannot get rid of pubic lice by washing or shaving, as the lice only need a minimal length of hair on which to lay their eggs. Therefore you do not need to shave your pubic hair. You can treat yourself at home with an insecticidal lotion or cream which is available over the counter from a pharmacy.
Like hair on your head, your pubic hair may also thin out with age. If you've got a lush patch now, many factors could thin it, make it go gray or white, or even cause it to bald. For ladies, menopause is one of them. For men, it's the natural aging process and dropping testosterone levels.
Pubic hair and hair on the body doesn't usually grow back after the menopause, this is due to levels of estrogen and progesterone remaining low as we continue to age.
Then there's the regrowth stage: Shaved hair grows back after a couple of days, and when it does it can be prickly or itchy. This can leave you feeling uncomfortable. There's also a chance some hairs will become ingrown.
How do people get crabs? Sexual transmission - You can get crabs when you have skin-to-skin contact with another person. Even when there is no sexual penetration, you can get (or give) crabs. Non-sexual transmission - You can get crabs from sleeping in an infested bed or using infested towels.
Pubic lice are small, crab‑like insects that are grey or brown‑red. They live in pubic hair, but can be on other body parts with hair (e.g., chest, armpit, face, eyelashes). Crabs can live for up to 24 hours on bedding, towels, and clothes.
Pubic lice (Pthirus pubis) have three stages: egg, nymph and adult. Eggs (nits) are laid on a hair shaft . Females will lay approximately 30 eggs during their 3–4 week life span.
What happens if crabs go untreated? In addition to the discomfort of the infestation, repeated scratching of the infested area can result in a serious skin infection. If you have symptoms or think you've been exposed to crabs, get examined and treated immediately to avoid any complications and continued transmission.
The tiny crab-like bugs are usually tan or whitish-gray, but they can appear darker when they're full of blood. Their eggs, known as nits, are very tiny white or yellowish ovals that clump together at the base of your pubic hair. Nits can be hard to see without magnification.
An occasional itch anywhere on the body, even your pubic area, is probably nothing to worry about. Itchy pubic hair that persists, however, may be caused by allergies, damage to the hair follicles, or an infection. Find out what could cause your pubic area to itch and how to treat it.
Common myths about crabs
It should be explained that pubic lice infection does not go away on its own and needs therapy. It may be passed on to others if not treated adequately.
Symptoms of crabs include: Pruritus (severe itching) in hairy areas, especially pubic hair. Specks of blood in your underwear. Small white dots on pubic hair that are hard to remove.
But pubic hair isn't actually unhygienic. Like other hair on your body, your pubes trap sweat, oil, and bacteria. So, they might have a slightly stronger odor than other areas of your body. As long as you wash regularly, this shouldn't be cause for concern.
Protection from bacteria and other pathogens
It follows that pubic hair may protect against certain infections, including: cellulitis. sexually transmitted infections (STIs) urinary tract infections (UTIs)
The religious etiquettes of Islam specify that removal of pubic hair should be initiated at menarche, and done at least once every 40 days [13, 20].