Lindane shampoo is a prescription medication that can kill lice and lice eggs.
If over-the-counter lotions or shampoos that have 1% permethrin (Nix) or pyrethrin don't kill your pubic lice, your doctor may prescribe stronger treatments, such as: Malathion. You apply this prescription lotion to the affected area and wash it off after eight to 12 hours.
Nix Ultra® All-in-One Shampoo is intended to kill and remove head lice and their eggs from adults and children one year of age and older. Contraindications: Not for use by people with sensitivity to mineral oil. Intended for head (not pubic lice).
The main treatment for pubic lice is a lice-killing lotion. Options include a lotion that contains permethrin or a mousse containing pyrethrins and piperonyl butoxide. These products are available over-the-counter without a prescription. They are safe and effective when you use them according to the instructions.
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.
Treatment of pubic lice
Applying topical creams or lotions containing permethrin (for example, Lyclear cream or Quellada lotion) to the whole body from neck to toes is the most commonly recommended treatment. You do not need to apply the cream to the hair on your head.
Special lice shampoos or creams are the only treatments that will work. They kill pubic lice. Shaving or taking hot baths won't destroy the lice.
A more-promising study from 2012 combined tea tree oil with the chemical nerolidol, and found good effectiveness against both lice and their eggs, at least in a laboratory setting (tea tree oil alone wasn't as effective, especially against unhatched eggs.)
Testing for pubic lice
Some sexual health clinics can find the lice and look at them under a microscope. You can also buy treatment over the counter at your local pharmacist although they will not be able to diagnose the infestation.
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.
They can also be spread through contact with the clothing and bedding of someone with crabs. Animals cannot get or spread pubic lice. If left untreated, the affected area will continue to itch. Repeated scratching of the infested area can result in other serious skin infections.
"It's an issue with clothing and bedding. The CDC's estimate for pubic louse survival off of a human host is one to two days. That's part of what makes the infestation so inconvenient, says Dr. Peter Leone, an expert on pubic lice and infectious disease expert at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine.
The lice bites become crusty or filled with pus, or your skin has a bad smell.
You can opt for vinegar: It possesses properties that render it toxic and an effective pubic lice treatment. So, just mix water with it in equal amount and take a cotton ball, dip it into the solution and apply it on the affected area.
Since rubbing alcohol does not kill lice, trying to use it on your child will just be exposing them to unnecessary discomfort (and danger), and in the end you'll still have to find another treatment. That's why when it comes to treating head lice effectively, it's best to trust the professionals.
A common misunderstanding is that infestation can be spread by sitting on a toilet seat. This isn't likely, since lice cannot survive away from a warm human body. Also, lice do not have feet designed to walk or hold onto smooth surfaces such as toilet seats.
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.
Crabs (pubic lice) and scabies
Crabs are tiny lice that live in pubic hair or other coarse body hair. Scabies are tiny mites that burrow under the skin of the hands or genital area to lay eggs.
Soak your child's head in olive oil or coconut oil. Cover with a shower cap for at least 2 hours (or preferably overnight). When ready, remove the shower cap, and separate the hair into small sections, then use a metal nit comb to carefully remove the lice and eggs.
Pubic lice, also referred to as crabs, are often associated with a bacteria known as Acinetobacter baumannii. This opportunistic pathogen is becoming a public health threat, particularly in individuals admitted to the hospital.
Getting pubic lice doesn't mean you're dirty — it has nothing to do with hygiene or cleanliness. Anybody can get pubic lice if they have close, personal contact with someone who has them. About 3 million people in the U.S. get pubic lice every year.