How to Treat and Prevent Pubic Lice

Pubic lice are a parasite that usually lives in the pubic area of humans. They are also sometimes found in rough areas of the body such as leg hair, mustache, chin beard, eyebrows, eyelashes and underarms. Pubic lice are usually transmitted from person to person through sexual contact, but can also be spread through towels, clothing, and bed linen. ^{[1] X Credible Resource Centers for Disease Contrp and Prevention Go to the source} As with head lice, the primary signs of pubic lice are itching and nits visible in the infected area. There are different ways to treat pubic lice, from medications to natural home remedies. Read on to learn how to treat and prevent pubic lice.

Table of Contents

Choose a treatment

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Use a solution containing 1% permethrin. Products containing permethrin, pyrethrins, or piperonyl butoxide are very effective in treating pubic lice. You can buy lotions, creams, or sprays that contain permethrin without a prescription, or you can get one from your doctor. Permethrin inhibits the nerve impulses of pubic lice, affecting their respiration – in other words, causing pubic lice to suffocate and die. ^{[2] X Trusted Source Centers for Disease Contrp and Prevention Go to Source} Some popular brands are Rid, Nix, and Pyrinex.

Read and use according to the directions on the package for any product, prescription or nonprescription. If you have any questions, consult your doctor or pharmacist.

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Consider using 0.5% malathion solution (Ovide). Malathion kills live pubic lice and some eggs, although not all eggs. Malathion is only approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat head lice, but has also been shown to be effective in treating pubic lice. ^{[3] X Trusted Source Centers for Disease Contrp and Prevention Go to source}

Read and use according to the directions on the package for any product, prescription or nonprescription. If you have any questions about how to use this product, consult your doctor or pharmacist.
Malathion solution is flammable, so do not apply near open flames or other heat sources.
0.5% malathion solution is for use only by people 6 years of age and older. ^{[4] X Research Sources}

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Ask your doctor about ivermectin. If creams and lotions don’t work, ask your doctor about ivermectin. Ivermectin is a prescription drug that comes in tablet form. A single dose of two tablets is usually sufficient for treatment. ^{[5] X Sources of study} Common drug names are Heartgard and Stromectp.

Read and use according to the directions on the package for any product, prescription or nonprescription. If you have any questions, consult your doctor or pharmacist.
Oral ivermectin is not FDA-approved for the treatment of pubic lice, but has also been shown to be effective. In the United States, this medication is labeled not for use in children weighing less than 15 kg. Pregnant and breastfeeding women should not take ivermectin. ^{[6] X Trusted Source American Academy of Family Physicians Go to Source}^{[7] X Research Source}

Eliminate pubic lice

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Wash the vagina. Wash the intimate area thoroughly before applying any cream or solution. The solution is better absorbed into the skin if the skin and pubic area are cleaned of dirt.

Immediately after rinsing the area, make sure to dry it thoroughly, as most creams and lotions need to be applied to clean, dry hair. ^{[10] X Trusted Source Centers for Disease Contrp and Prevention Go to source}

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Apply the lice control product of your choice. Read and follow instructions carefully for maximum effect. Be sure to ask your doctor if you have any questions about how to use the product. ^{[11] X Trusted Source Centers for Disease Contrp and Prevention Go to source}

Saturate the infected area carefully according to the instructions on the package.

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Pay attention to how long the product needs to stay on the skin. Shampoo only needs to be left on for about 10 minutes, but creams and lotions need to stay on the skin for 8-14 hours. Remember when to apply the medicine and set the time or watch the time. ^{[12] X Research Source}

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Rinse off the medication and dry thoroughly. After allowing the medicine to stay on the skin for enough time as directed, you need to wash it off with warm water. Washing off the medicine helps to remove dead lice and eggs from the skin. It is important to remove all the dead parasites, as they can cause hygiene problems if left on the skin. ^{[13] X Trusted Source Centers for Disease Contrp and Prevention Go to source}

Be sure to separate the towel you just used from other clothes and fabrics. Wash towels separately to avoid cross-contamination with other fabrics and clothing.
In some cases when lice eggs are lodged in the hair roots, you can use your fingernails or a squash comb to remove them.

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Change into new and clean clothes. Make sure to wear new, clean underwear and clothing to prevent reinfection. Clothing worn in the presence of lice should be washed immediately. ^{[14] X Trusted Source Centers for Disease Contrp and Prevention Go to source}

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Wash any cloth items that may be contaminated. Infested clothing, bed linen and towels should be washed in hot water. Wash water as hot as possible, at least 55 degrees Celsius. You should also put clothes and linens in the dryer and dry hot until completely dry. ^{[15] X Trusted Source Centers for Disease Contrp and Prevention Go to source}

It is recommended to wash all linen items that you have used 2-3 days before treatment. ^{[16] X Trusted Source Centers for Disease Contrp and Prevention Go to source}
Blankets, sheets and rugs must be placed in a sealed plastic bag within 1-2 weeks to kill pubic lice. This way they will not be able to suck blood and will eventually die.

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Repeat the treatment cycle if pubic lice are still present. You can repeat the treatment in about a week. Take as directed on the medication box or as directed by your doctor. It’s best to repeat the treatment cycle just to be sure, even if you think pubic lice have been completely eradicated. ^{[17] X Trusted Source Centers for Disease Contrp and Prevention Go to source}

In some cases pubic lice move to another place and return as soon as you treat them in the intimate area; however this does not happen often.

Use natural remedies

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Brush the pubic hair. If there are only a few lice, using a squash comb to remove pubic lice and eggs is one of the simplest and quite effective ways to get rid of parasites. This treatment is time consuming as it can take up to 14 days to remove all the lice and eggs manually. Often people combine this with another natural treatment. ^{[18] X Research Sources}

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Apply petrpeum jelly (Vaseline). The petrpeum jelly suffocates pubic lice. Apply a lot of wax to the intimate area. Make sure the wax covers the entire pubic root so that you can easily remove the eggs with a comb. You can apply as many times as you want to get rid of lice and nits.

Note that regular petrpeum jelly should not be used to treat pubic lice on eyebrows or eyelashes as it can cause eye irritation. However, your doctor may prescribe a medical grade petrpeum jelly that can be applied to eyebrows and eyelashes. ^{[19] X Trusted Source Centers for Disease Contrp and Prevention Go to source}

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Shave private parts. A close shave can increase the effectiveness of other methods of treating pubic lice, whether natural remedies, over-the-counter medications, or prescriptions. However, you should note that shaving the pubic area is not enough to effectively treat pubic lice, because they can move to other hairy areas of the body. ^{[20] X Research Source}

Prevent recurrence

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Avoid close contact or sexual intercourse. Pubic lice are usually transmitted through sex, so it’s best to avoid sex until you’ve completely eliminated them. Any contact such as sharing a bed or being too close to someone infected with pubic lice increases the risk of reinfection.

Although condoms can prevent most STIs, condom use is not enough to prevent pubic lice. ^{[21] X Research Sources}^{[22] X Research Sources}

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Limit the number of sexual partners. As with sexually transmitted diseases, the more sexual partners you have, the more likely you are to get and transmit pubic lice. ^{[23] X Research Source}^{[24] X Research Source} In the early stages you may not know you have pubic lice. Therefore, it is best to limit sexual intercourse. ^{[25] X Research Sources}

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Tell your close contacts to get treatment. For the health of those close to you, you should tell them that you are being treated for pubic lice and advise them to do the same. Talking about pubic lice to a girlfriend or boyfriend can be embarrassing, but it helps to avoid leading to a bigger problem – they’ll probably figure it out eventually, anyway.

Do not have sex until the other person is also treated. Both need to be treated before any sexual acts. ^{[26] X Research Sources}

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Avoid sharing personal items. Do not share combs, towels, pillows and blankets with others if one of you is infected with pubic lice. It is better to use your own items than to borrow from others to avoid the risk of infection. ^{[27] X Trusted Source Centers for Disease Contrp and Prevention Go to source}

Everything that comes in contact with skin and hair can become contaminated, from combs to towels, sheets and pillows. If there is any risk, you need to take precautions by sterilizing the items and keeping them to yourself.

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Wash bed linen before reuse. Pubic lice can move anywhere while you sleep and stay in bed. Before and after treatment, you need to change the sheets and pillowcases and wash them thoroughly to avoid re-infection. ^{[28] X Trusted Source Centers for Disease Contrp and Prevention Go to source}

You can also wash furniture surfaces, such as in the bathroom. Washing with warm water and a disinfectant solution will help prevent and kill microorganisms.
Wash clothes in hot water above 30 degrees Celsius with detergent and softener to disinfect.

Advice

Follow your doctor’s special recommendations and instructions on the medication/topical solution.

Warning

Read the warnings on the prescription and over-the-counter products you use to treat pubic lice. If any serious side effects occur, immediately discontinue use and seek medical help.
The appearance of pubic lice on the eyebrows and eyelashes in children is often a sign of sexual abuse, but children can also become infected by sharing a bed with an infected parent. ^{[29] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to Source}

Steps