If you have noticed a rather annoying itch in the genital area, you may have pubic lice, also called "crabs". These are parasites that are transmitted through sexual activity with a rate of infection from infected skin to healthy skin greater than 90%. They also spread through contact with clothes, towels, bedding used by an infected person. Learn how to manage these head lice, learn about the pharmaceutical products you have available, and prevent future infestations.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Preparing for Treatment
Step 1. Learn about the appearance of lice
The pubic ones are small parasites that are commonly found in the genital region. They have three pairs of legs with particular claws at the end of four of them and can be confused with mites due to their similarity. Their nits, or eggs, are oval, shiny, and stick to the base of the pubic hair.
The eggs hatch into "nymphs" within 8-10 days. Within two weeks they will become adult specimens. A pubic louse is smaller and stockier than a hair louse; it lives only on the human body and feeds on blood. He can "eat" up to five times a day
Step 2. Determine if you have head lice
You should see nits stuck to the hair or a louse crawling on the pubic area. Since these parasites bite you to feed on blood, you will also experience some itching and inflammation of the skin. Bites can also cause small bruises in the genital area and severe itching. You may also notice specks of blood on your underwear and, at times, have skin lesions filled with pus due to bacterial infection; however, head lice do not transmit any disease.
There have been uncommon cases of pubic lice in the eyebrows, eyelashes and armpits. This type of infestation is accompanied by itching, red eyes and inflamed eyelids
Step 3. Buy an over-the-counter drug
Look for one that contains 1% permethrin or choose pyrethrin-based lotions or shampoos. These products are insecticides and neurotoxic for lice. You can easily buy them at the pharmacy. Permethrin and pyrethrin kill only the adult specimens and not the eggs, so you will have to repeat the treatment a week after the first; so you will also kill the newborn specimens.
- If you are a pregnant woman, talk to your doctor to find the best and safest treatment.
- Avoid home remedies like hot baths and area shaves, as this won't kill the lice.
Part 2 of 3: Treatment
Step 1. Wash the infested area
Before applying any type of product, you should be sure that the pubis is clean and dry. Use warm soapy water to completely cleanse the lice-infested area. Use a clean towel to dry yourself.
Step 2. Apply the pesticide you have chosen
Read the leaflet and follow the instructions to the letter, to enjoy the maximum benefits of the product you have purchased. Remember to contact your doctor if you have any doubts about how to use it.
Step 3. Check how long you have to leave the product on
Shampoos should be left on for about 10 minutes, but lotions and creams also need 8-14 hours. Write down the time of the application and set an alarm or monitor the time.
Step 4. Rinse the area to remove all traces of medicine and dry the pubis carefully
Once the product has been on for the set time, use hot water to remove it. In this way, you also eliminate nits and dead parasites from the skin. It is vital to get rid of dead lice, as you may have some hygiene problems if you leave them on your skin.
- Remember to keep the cloths you used for these operations separated from other fabrics and linens. Wash towels separately to avoid cross-contamination with the rest of your clothing.
- In cases where the nits are attached to the base of the hair, you can detach them with your fingernails or a very fine-toothed comb.
Step 5. Use the comb to remove the eggs
You need a special comb designed specifically for nits to remove them from the fur; a normal comb would not work. Comb the pubic region very carefully, section by section. Dip the comb in a solution of boiling water and soap to get rid of the eggs as you go.
- When you're done, sterilize the comb by washing it with boiling soapy water. Rinse the pubic region to get rid of dead nits or lice.
- You can also use clean tweezers to gently peel off all the eggs. This prevents them from hatching and causing a second rash after a few weeks.
Step 6. Treat the eyelid and lash area
In these areas you need to use a special petroleum jelly that can be safely applied around the eyes. This is a product available only by prescription; for this reason, if you notice any signs of lice near your eyes, seek immediate medical attention. Apply the drug to the edges of the eyelids 2-4 times a day for ten days.
Do not use regular anti-parasite shampoos on the eyes. Check with your doctor for a specific medication, or physically remove lice with tweezers
Step 7. Know when to see your doctor
If you've tried an over-the-counter product unsuccessfully, then make an appointment with your healthcare provider to get a prescription for a stronger drug. Go to the clinic if you encounter one of these situations:
- Severe redness due to itching;
- Infestation recalcitrant to any treatment with over-the-counter products;
- Presence of pus due to a secondary bacterial infection;
- Red itchy eyes
- Fever above 37.7 ° C.
Part 3 of 3: Prevention
Step 1. Put on clean clothes and underwear
To avoid future infestations, only wear clean clothes and underwear after treatment. Any clothes that you have worn before the cure should be washed immediately.
Step 2. Wash all clothes, sheets and all linens
Once you have treated the infestation, wash everything you used in the previous period. Lice and nits that may still be present in bed sheets, towels and clothes will be killed by machine washing and drying. You must use a very hot washing program and also set the dryer on the hottest cycle for at least 20 minutes. Repeat this procedure after each treatment. Continue until any parasites have disappeared from your body and personal items.
Store clothing in sealed plastic bags until you wash them. If you can't do laundry right away, store dirty clothes in plastic bags for two weeks. After this time the lice should be dead
Step 3. Monitor the treated area
Check it out in the following weeks; if you notice other parasites, experience itching or redness, within a week follow the same treatment described above to treat the area.
Some creams kill the adult specimens, but not the nits, so you will need to heal a second time when the eggs hatch
Step 4. Inform all your sexual partners and abstain from sex
Contact partners you have had sexual intercourse with in the previous period and inform them that you have had pubic lice. People with this type of infestation are more likely to have gonorrhea or chlamydia as well. You and your partners should consider getting tested for a wide range of sexually transmitted diseases. In the meantime, avoid any sexual contact until you get rid of the lice.
