You can opt for tea tree oil: It has antifungal and antiseptic properties. Tea tree oil is used in face washes to fight back, chest and face acne and in ointments for nail fungus and can also help in killing off pubic lice. According to studies, it can fight skin infections and can soothe your skin.
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.
Use lotions and shampoos.
Choose from among several over-the-counter lotions and shampoos (Nix, others) designed to kill lice. Apply the product according to instructions. You may need to repeat treatment in seven to 10 days.
Crab lice can also be controlled with coconut oil or olive oil rubbed into the area where they live. They not only live in the pubic region but can get in armpit hairs and the perianal region as well. Head and body lice cannot live off the host for more than 48 hours.
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.
You can eliminate pubic lice by applying topical lotions and shampoos containing permethrin. For pregnant women and nursing mothers or for treating an infant for pubic lice, consult your doctor about the safety of using RID, Nix, and A-200. Another option is to use a natural treatment such as tea tree oil.
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.
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 (like the chest, armpit, face, eyelashes). Crabs can live for up to 24 hours on bedding, towels, and clothes.
Pubic lice are usually sexually transmitted through direct skin-to-skin contact. Pubic lice do not voluntarily leave the body and will need to be treated with a cream or lotion that contains permethrin.
LINDANE (LIN dane) shampoo is a treatment for lice infestation of hair, including hair in the pubic area (crabs). This medicine kills the parasites and their eggs, but it does not prevent infestations.
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.
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.
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. In addition pubic lice infestation does not carry the risk of transmitting STIs or HIV from one person to another.
The most common way to get pubic lice is through sexual activity. In children, pubic lice may be found in the eyebrows or eyelashes and can be a sign of sexual abuse. However, it may be possible to catch pubic lice after sharing clothing, bedsheets or towels with an infected person.
Pubic lice don't live on other animals such as cats or dogs. It's also possible for pubic lice to be spread through sharing clothes, towels and bedding.
Just like with mattresses, lice can only live on any bedding—whether it's sheets, pillows, or comforters—for 1-2 days. Without a human scalp as a source for food (blood) for longer than 1-2 days, lice cannot survive.
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.
Life Cycle:
Pubic lice (Pthirus pubis) have three stages: egg, nymph and adult.
Pubic (“crab”) lice are not known to transmit any disease. Itching (“pruritus”) in the pubic and groin area is the most common symptom of pubic lice infestation. As with other lice infestations, intense itching leads to scratching which can cause sores and secondary bacterial infection of the skin.
Usually, the symptoms of pubic lice start about 5 days after you get them. Some people never have symptoms, or they think the symptoms are caused by something else (like a rash). The most common symptom of pubic lice is intense itching in your pubic area.
For the study, researchers compared tea tree oil, lavender oil, peppermint oil, and DEET. The researchers found that tea tree and peppermint oil repelled lice the most, and a tea tree and lavender combination kept some lice from biting people with treated skin.
Coconut oil also works to suffocate lice and has been shown to be especially effective when combined with anise oil. A study from Brazil found that after a four-hour period of coconut oil application, up to 80% of lice were dead. Coconut oil can be difficult to apply and comb out, as it hardens in colder temperatures.