Skin
Pubic Lice
Tiny lice that live in coarse body hair (usually the pubic area), causing itching — treated with a proper lice treatment and washing of bedding and clothes.
Also known as: Crabs, Crab lice
📝 At a glance
Likely root causes: Close body contact, often intimate, with someone who has them; Occasionally shared bedding, towels, or clothing; They cannot jump or fly — spread is by direct contact.
First thing to try: Use a proper medicated lice lotion or shampoo (ask a pharmacist or doctor), and repeat as directed to catch newly hatched lice.
See a doctor if: Lice in the eyelashes or eyebrows (needs special treatment)
🔎 Start with the cause
Lasting relief rarely comes from covering a symptom. First find what is feeding the problem, change what you can, and then help the body do what it was designed to do — heal.
Likely root causes
- Close body contact, often intimate, with someone who has them
- Occasionally shared bedding, towels, or clothing
- They cannot jump or fly — spread is by direct contact
- Not a sign of poor hygiene
Change what you can
- Use a proper medicated lice lotion or shampoo (ask a pharmacist or doctor), and repeat as directed to catch newly hatched lice.
- Hot-wash and hot-dry, or seal away for two weeks, all bedding, towels, and recently worn clothing.
- Treat close/intimate partners too, and avoid close contact until everyone is clear.
- See a doctor if lice are in the eyelashes (don't use ordinary lice products there) or if itching persists after treatment.
- Comb through the area gently with a fine-toothed comb to help remove lice and eggs after treatment.
- Avoid sharing towels, clothing, or bedding with others while treating the infestation.
- Trim hair in the area if it helps a medicated treatment reach the skin more effectively.
- Get tested for other sexually transmitted infections, since pubic lice can sometimes accompany them.
🌿 Then assist nature: remedies & protocols
With the cause being addressed, these are the actual things people do for this — ranked by the community. Vote ▲ on what helped you and ▼ on what didn't, and open How to do it for the steps. Each shows two quick signals: Evidence (how much science backs it) and Gentleness (how safe and in keeping with whole, natural health).
★ Start here — our first-line pick, pinned for safety
A proper medicated treatment is needed to actually clear the lice — this protocol focuses on using it correctly alongside supportive hygiene.
How to do it ▾
Why it works: Medicated lice lotions kill lice and eggs on contact, but a second treatment about a week later is often needed to catch newly hatched lice, while washing bedding and clothing removes any stray lice from the environment.
- Apply the medicated lice lotion or shampoo exactly as directed on the label or by your pharmacist.
- Comb through the area with a fine-toothed comb to remove dead lice and eggs after treatment.
- Wash all recently worn clothing, underwear, towels, and bedding in hot water and dry on high heat; seal items that can't be washed in a plastic bag for two weeks.
- Repeat the treatment after about 7-10 days as directed to catch any newly hatched lice.
Follow product instructions; process spans about 1-2 weeks total · Initial treatment plus one repeat treatment 7-10 days later
Caution: Never use ordinary lice products on eyelashes or eyebrows — see a doctor for lice in these areas. Close or intimate partners should be treated at the same time to prevent reinfestation. Persistent itching or visible lice after proper treatment needs a doctor's review, as it may mean re-treatment or a different product is needed.
When to get help: See a doctor promptly for lice or nits found in the eyelashes or eyebrows, or if itching and irritation persist after completing treatment as directed.
Source: General parasitic infestation treatment guidance
Comments & experiences ▾
Also helps — ranked by the community (vote to reorder)
A supportive step alongside proper medicated treatment, not a replacement for it.
How to do it ▾
Why it works: Lice and eggs cannot survive long away from body heat, so hot washing and drying, or sealing items away for two weeks, reliably removes them from the environment.
- Collect all clothing, underwear, towels, and bedding used in the past few days.
- Wash these items in hot water and dry them on the highest heat setting the fabric allows.
- For items that can't be washed (like some pillows or stuffed items), seal them in a plastic bag for two weeks.
- Vacuum any fabric furniture or car seats that had recent close contact.
1-2 hours for laundry cycle · Once at the start of treatment
Caution: Laundry alone will not remove lice from the body — a medicated treatment is still needed. Avoid using excessive amounts of insecticide sprays around the home, which are not needed and can irritate skin and lungs.
When to get help: See a doctor promptly for lice or nits found in the eyelashes or eyebrows, or if itching and irritation persist after completing treatment as directed.
Source: General parasitic infestation hygiene guidance
Comments & experiences ▾
A comfort measure to use alongside proper medicated treatment while itching settles.
How to do it ▾
Why it works: Cool compresses and gentle skin care reduce inflammation and the urge to scratch, which helps prevent the skin breaks that can lead to a secondary bacterial infection.
- Apply a cool, damp washcloth to itchy areas for 10 minutes at a time as needed.
- Bathe with mild, fragrance-free soap rather than harsh or scented products.
- Wear loose, breathable cotton clothing to reduce friction on irritated skin.
- Keep nails trimmed short and try to avoid scratching, which can break the skin.
10 minutes per application · As needed for itching
Caution: This does not treat the underlying infestation — a medicated product is still needed. Persistent scratching that breaks the skin can lead to a secondary infection needing medical care.
When to get help: See a doctor promptly for lice or nits found in the eyelashes or eyebrows, or if itching and irritation persist after completing treatment as directed.
Source: General skin comfort care guidance
Comments & experiences ▾
How the numbers work: a weighted voting system — trusted published sources cast endorsement votes for each protocol, and your ▲/▼ adds to them. Not medical advice.
🩺 When to see a doctor
- Lice in the eyelashes or eyebrows (needs special treatment)
- Itching or signs of lice that persist after proper treatment
- To check for other infections, given how they spread
🌿 The seven pathways to health
Seven pathways for your pubic lice — tap the circle to check one off (saved on your device), or ask Remy for help.
“Disease is an effort of nature to free the system from conditions that result from a violation of the laws of health... In case of sickness 1cause should be ascertained, 2go to work intelligently to remove the disease. 3Unhealthful conditions should be changed, 4wrong habits corrected. 5Then nature is to be assisted in her effort 6to expel impurities and 7to re-establish right conditions in the system.”
🌿 Overview
Pubic lice ('crabs') are tiny insects that live in coarse body hair, most often the pubic area, and cause itching. They're spread mainly through close body contact. They're a nuisance, not dangerous, and are cleared with a proper lice treatment plus washing of bedding and clothing.
Pubic lice cling to coarse hairs and feed on blood, causing itching that's often worse at night, and you may see tiny lice or pale eggs (nits) on the hairs. They can occasionally spread to other coarse hair like the thighs, abdomen, beard, or eyelashes.
Treatment is a medicated lice lotion or shampoo (a pharmacist or doctor can advise), repeated as directed to catch newly hatched lice, along with hot-washing bedding, towels, and clothing. Because they usually spread through close contact, partners should be treated too, and it's worth checking for other infections. Lice in the eyelashes need a doctor's care, not over-the-counter products.
Common signs
- Itching in the pubic area (or other coarse-haired areas), often worse at night
- Tiny lice or pale eggs (nits) clinging to the hairs
- Small bluish spots or specks of louse droppings on the skin or underwear
- Sometimes mild irritation from scratching
🍃 Supporting foods & habits
The gentle, everyday foods and supports that help in the background — secondary to the active remedies above. Vote on what helped you.
Hot-wash and hot-dry bedding, towels, and clothing (heat kills lice and eggs) to clear them from your surroundings.900
How the numbers work: this is a weighted voting system — every published book or article recommending a remedy counts as an endorsement vote, and your ▲/▼ counts too. Not medical advice. *Ties are broken by our editor score (sources, safety, simplicity, cost, lifestyle fit, eight-laws alignment).
🍽️ Eating to help
Food is one of the gentlest medicines — small, steady changes help most.
Favor these
- Nothing specific
Go easy on
- Nothing specific
This is treated with proper lice products and laundering, not diet.
⚖️ Good to know
- Over-the-counter lice products must not be used on the eyelashes — see a doctor for those.
- Because they spread by close contact, partners should be treated and other infections checked.
- Persistent itching after treatment needs a doctor's review.
⚕️ What a doctor may offerConventional treatments for this condition — for your information.Show ▾
RemedyRank's heart is natural healing — and honest information. Here is what conventional medical care commonly involves for this condition, listed to inform, never to promote. Decisions about treatment belong with you and your own physician.
Pubic lice are cured with medicated lice treatments plus laundering and partner treatment.
Commonly offered
- Over-the-counter or prescription lice lotion/shampoo (permethrin, etc.), repeated as directed–
- Special treatment from a doctor for eyelash involvement–
- Hot-washing bedding and clothing–
- Treating partners and screening for other infections–
Worth knowing
- Don't use ordinary lice products on the eyelashes.
- Treat partners and wash bedding to prevent reinfestation.
- Persistent itching after treatment needs review.
👍/👎 shares whether a treatment helped you — community experience, not medical advice. For full professional details, see the sources under “Learn more” below.
📜 A note from history
Recognized since antiquity, pubic lice are now easily treated with modern lice preparations and thorough laundering.
📚 Learn more
Sources for further reading. These open in a new tab.
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