Adult: The adult pubic louse resembles a miniature crab when viewed through a strong magnifying glass. Pubic lice have six legs; their two front legs are very large and look like the pincher claws of a crab. This is how they got the nickname “crabs.” Pubic lice are tan to grayish-white in color.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
Humans caught pubic lice, aka "the crabs," from gorillas roughly three million years ago, scientists now report. Rather than close encounters of the intimate kind, researchers explained humans most likely got the lice, which most commonly live in pubic hair, from sleeping in gorilla nests or eating the apes.
They're spread through close body contact, most commonly through sexual contact. Public lice are sometimes also called crabs.
Adult: The adult pubic louse resembles a miniature crab when viewed through a strong magnifying glass. Pubic lice have six legs; their two front legs are very large and look like the pincher claws of a crab. This is how they got the nickname “crabs.” Pubic lice are tan to grayish-white in color.
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.
If you have pubic lice (crabs), you may experience intense itching in your genital region. Pubic lice can spread to other areas with coarse body hair, including the: Legs.
You or your doctor can usually confirm a pubic lice infestation through a visual examination of your pubic area. The presence of moving lice confirms infestation. Lice eggs (nits) also may indicate an infestation.
Adult lice are gray-brown and about 1.1–1.8 millimeters long. A person may be able to see them with the naked eye. The eggs and immature lice are smaller, however, and they may not be visible without a magnifying glass.
Adult pubic lice are 1.1–1.8 mm in length. Pubic lice typically are found attached to hair in the pubic area but sometimes are found on coarse hair elsewhere on the body (for example, eyebrows, eyelashes, beard, mustache, chest, armpits, etc.).
Pubic lice move by crawling, because they cannot hop or fly. They usually spread through sexual contact. Occasionally, they may spread through physical contact with a person who has pubic lice, or through contact with clothing, beds, bed linens, or towels that were used by a person with pubic lice.
If someone you know has crabs, avoid sharing clothes, towels, and beds with them until they finish treatment and wash all their stuff. If you've had sex with them in the previous month, use treatment to make sure you don't pass crabs back and forth between you.
Is there a home remedy for public lice? Home remedies like hot baths or shaving don't work. Treatments that soothe itching (like hydrocortisone cream) can help you feel better, but they won't cure your crabs.
Shaving pubic hair alone does not get rid of crabs or pubic lice. Crabs may cling and crawl to other body hair. Pubic lice are resilient creatures that can live on other parts of the body, including the armpits and eyelashes.
Around 1 to 2 of every 100 Australians are estimated to have public lice.
Crabs and scabies symptoms
Scabies causes a rash with red, scratch-like lines or small bumps on the genitals or other parts of your body such as the hands and wrists. They cause intense itching which is worse at night. Pubic lice (crabs) also causes itchiness which is often worse at night.
Shaving your pubic hair, whilst it might make you feel better, does not get rid of the crabs but does remove their eggs. The crabs will cling on to you and crawl to other body hair.
They're usually found on the pubic hair, but can also be found on other parts of the body where a person has coarse hair (such as armpits, eyelashes, and facial hair). Anyone can get crabs and they are very common.