Skin
Scabies
A highly contagious skin infestation by the microscopic mite Sarcoptes scabiei — causing intense itching (especially at night) from mites burrowing under the skin to lay eggs.
📝 Summary
In short: A highly contagious skin infestation by the microscopic mite Sarcoptes scabiei — causing intense itching (especially at night) from mites burrowing under the skin to lay eggs.
Common causes: Sarcoptes scabiei — an almost microscopic eight-legged mite; Spread by contact (even a handshake), clothing, bedding, or animals; More common in older adolescents, young people, and girls rather than boys.
First thing to try: Sulfur in petrolatum: 5% for children, 10% for adults (applied from neck to toes for 3–5 nights; sulfur is a poison — do not swallow; will stain clothing)
See a doctor if: For diagnosis confirmation
🌿 Overview
Scabies is found on all social levels — contact by handshake is enough to acquire it. It can also spread through clothing, bedding, and from animals. The mite matures in 10–14 days and lives about 30 days, laying eggs in tunnels under the skin. Symptoms begin 2–6 weeks after infestation. The mite cannot survive temperatures above 120°F for more than 5 minutes.
Common signs
- Intense itching in a body part that lessens, lets up, then continues again
- Worst at night in warm beds
- Gray or skin-colored ridges (burrow tracks) on skin
- Most frequent areas: finger webs, hands, wrists, elbows, underarms, waist, feet
- In men: also scrotum and penis; in women: nipples most often affected
- Skin above the neck rarely involved, except in infants
- Symptoms begin 2–6 weeks after infestation
🔎 Why it happens
Common causes and triggers — spotting yours is often the first step to relief.
- Sarcoptes scabiei — an almost microscopic eight-legged mite
- Spread by contact (even a handshake), clothing, bedding, or animals
- More common in older adolescents, young people, and girls rather than boys
- Common in institutional settings
✅ What to do
Gentle, practical steps you can take at home — start at the top.
- Sulfur in petrolatum: 5% for children, 10% for adults (applied from neck to toes for 3–5 nights; sulfur is a poison — do not swallow; will stain clothing)
- TeaA warm drink made by steeping herbs in hot water. How to make a tea → tree oil (2 drops) mixed with plantain leaves in 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil: apply to area; kills mites and reduces itching
- Turmeric paste applied to affected area — used for centuries in Asia against scabies
- Pennyroyal (also called fleabane): apply a strong teaA warm drink made by steeping herbs in hot water. How to make a tea → directly to affected area; kills mites
- Anti-itch bath: peppermint, pennyroyal, rosemary, sage, spearmint, and thyme — make 2 quarts of teaA warm drink made by steeping herbs in hot water. How to make a tea → and add to bathwater
- St. John's wort in evening primrose oil: steep fresh flowering tops for 2 weeks; apply to lesions up to 3 times daily
- Diluted essential oils applied after herbal skin wash (1 tsp. essential oilA very concentrated plant oil — always diluted before it touches skin. How to make an essential oil → in 1 cup carrier oil)
- Oatmeal or starch bath to reduce itching
- Aloe vera gelA cool, jelly-like preparation that soothes and moisturizes skin. How to make a gel → (contains bradykininase — soothing to itching)
- Onion skin wash: boil 6 onions in 1 quart water for 15–20 minutes; cool and apply over body
- Tansy teaA warm drink made by steeping herbs in hot water. How to make a tea → (strong solution) kills scabies
- Launder all clothes and linens in hot water (140°F) during treatment — mites cannot survive above 120°F; dry cleaning or ironing also kills them
⭐ Community-ranked natural supports
Vote ▲ on everything that helped you, and ▼ on anything you tried that didn't — the ranking updates live. Tap 💬 to share what worked, so others can find it faster.
Generous plain water supports nearly every body system and is the most overlooked remedy of all.100461
A golden spice long valued for supporting the body's healthy, balanced response to inflammation.83172
A simple warm salt rinse that soothes a raw throat and helps wash away irritants.93163
Crowd feedback, not medical advice — in this preview your vote is saved on your device. *Ties are broken by our editor score (sources, safety, simplicity, cost, lifestyle fit).
📊 Compare these remedies side by side
Our editor score weighs sources, safety, simplicity, cost, and lifestyle fit. Source endorsements tally how many books and studies reference each remedy. A higher number isn't a promise — it's just a starting point.
| Remedy | Type | Editor score | Source endorsements |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water & Hydration | Therapy | 100 | 461 |
| Turmeric | Herb | 83 | 172 |
| Salt-Water Gargle | Therapy | 93 | 163 |
| Vegetable Broth | Food | 88 | 150 |
| Tea Tree Oil | Herb | 67 | 126 |
🍽️ Eating to help
Food is one of the gentlest medicines — small, steady changes help most.
Favor these
- Foods high in zinc: soybeans, sunflower seeds, whole-grain products, wheat bran, blackstrap molasses
Go easy on
- Processed, fried, and junk foods
- Chocolate, soft drinks, alcohol, tobacco
Keep fingernails short and discourage scratching. Do NOT use Lindane or Kwell — these chemicals can be absorbed through skin and cause convulsions.
⚖️ Good to know
- Do NOT use Lindane or Kwell products — absorbed through skin, can cause convulsions
- Sulfur is a poison — do NOT swallow; will stain clothing
- All clothing, bedding, and towels must be laundered in hot water or dry-cleaned during treatment
- Highly contagious — all household members and close contacts should be treated simultaneously
🩺 When to see a doctor
- For diagnosis confirmation
- for crusted (Norwegian) scabies in immunocompromised patients
- if self-treatment fails after 2–3 weeks.
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