How to Get Rid of Crabs

Getting a lice infestation is not at all fun. Ask the millions of children and adults around the world who have had to suffer scratching their heads or getting those unsightly little black nicks where the nasty little critters made their marks. It gets even worse when people find out you have a lice problem. Even your closest friends will look at you uncomfortably, as if you've contracted some awful, contagious disease right up there with leprosy (in a way, though, their wariness can be somewhat justified). The real embarrassment, however, comes when the said lice infestation happens not on your head or body hair, but in your pubic region. When that happens, the real fun begins. When the lice decide to use your hair as their main base of operations, they're called head lice. When it's your body that's their harvest point, they're called body lice. However, when it's your pubic hair that's in question, they're called crabs. The name comes from the fact that pubic lice look like the little sea crustaceans when viewed under a microscope.

Scientifically, a pubic louse is called Pthrius pubis, although it has another not-so-pleasant name, which is Penis louse. It feeds entirely on blood, spending all of its lifetime on pubic hair. What's worse is that it preys exclusively on humans. A pubic louse grows to adulthood in 22-27 days and it lives for roughly the same amount of time: 17 days for the female louse and 22 days for the male. You might think it's easy enough to suffer the experience until they've lived out their lives but if you consider that you can usually have hundreds of lice in your pubic hair at any given infestation, those 22 days are going to be really hard to get through. It is not a one-time deal, either. A pubic lice infestation can be a recurring problem, especially if you keep in constant contact with someone who has them.

A crab infestation is very contagious as well. Crabs are spread through close contact with people who already have the condition. Even sharing or a close proximity of belongings with other people who have crabs can help spread them, like sharing towels, or clothing put on side-by-side hooks in school or in the gym. Lying or sitting on furniture, or even toilet seats that have been recently used by a person with crabs, can also cause you to contract them. Lastly, one of the most common causes of adults contracting crabs is sexual activity or contact with a partner who has them. Since pubic proximity always happens during sexual intercourse, the rate of you contracting crabs from a partner who has them is guaranteed 100%.

The first really obvious symptom of crabs is that you will be itching – a lot. An intense itch in and around the pubic area, including the anus, is due to your skin becoming hypersensitive to the saliva of the crab louse. The itching intensifies roughly two weeks after the infestation starts. There are some cases, however, when people don't itch, and in most cases, these people are not aware that they actually carry crab lice with them. Occasionally, you might come down with a mild fever and get feelings of irritability. Upon closer inspection of your pubic hair, you will notice several little white nits (lice eggs). These nits resemble pussywillow buds and may sometimes be mistaken for dandruff. Unlike dandruff, however, these nits can't be brushed off as easily.

Fortunately, like head lice, a crab infestation is easily treated with simple self-help measures. You also don't need any visits to the hospital or the physician, unless you really have no idea what prescriptions to use and you need to consult them about it. Since a crab infestation rarely (if ever) poses a serious health risk, all it takes is a couple of over-the-counter hygiene medications and a little tweaking of your lifestyle to get rid of them for good.

However, it has to be stressed first: shaving all your hair does not get rid of the pubic lice on its own. Aside from the fact that there are certain areas in your pubic region that are nigh-impossible to shave, pubic lice are a tenacious lot, grasping on to even the tiniest stubble they can find. Shaving will only make you feel uncomfortable (and make you prone to more itching), becoming more trouble than it’s worth. It is, however, alright to trim your hair down, just to ensure that you will have less area to cover. The only way to get rid of pubic lice (and every other type of lice, for that matter) is to kill them and their eggs in masse.

Use the appropriate shampoos and lotions. Lindane shampoos are approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of pubic lice. Although there have been reports of side effects, these are rare and are almost always the result of medication misuse such as excessive application or oral ingestion. It should be noted, however, that lindane shampoos should not be used right after you've taken a bath or shower, or if you have a history of extreme dermatitis. Pregnant women as well as children two years and under are also prohibited from using this treatment. To be on the safe side, consult with your physician first before using lindane. There are other shampoos, though, like Rid, that are over-the-counter and are good pubic lice removers.

Topical solutions and medicated creams are also available over the counter. They are usually applied directly to the hairy areas in and around your groin and left there a couple of hours. The dosage is listed on the box, but you can use them longer if the problem does not go away within that span of time.

Use vinegar to rinse your pubic hair. For an old home remedy, try washing your hair with vinegar. Using a washcloth soaked in vinegar, run the washcloth over a section of hair to remove the lice eggs or nits. Repeat until you've treated all your hair. Towel-dry the hair afterwards. If you've trimmed down your pubic hair, it will probably be easier, as you will have less hair to work with.

Comb your pubic hair using a nit-comb or one with very fine teeth. A fine-toothed comb is a very useful tool to get both the nit and the lice out. Repeat every day for at least two weeks, or when you're sure you have gotten everything out. For better results, use this in conjunction with the above-mentioned treatments. Also, it will be easier if you will do this while your pubic hair is still wet, as it will be much more manageable that way.

Be sure to wash all your items and belongings. In order to make sure that all crab lice are dead, make sure to wash your belongings in hot, soapy water—not necessarily boiling, but enough to kill the little insects; setting the temperature to about 130°F should be sufficient. Dry them at a high heat for at least half an hour. Make sure that you include all the items you wore or came in contact with since two weeks before your infestation began. Doing so will ensure that you will not spread the infestation to others or have a recurring one of your own, either.

Tags : Health And Beauty

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