We provide scabies treatment at Vujevich Dermatology Associates.
What is scabies?
Although scabies is a common skin condition, scabies treatment must consist of a diagnosis and prescribed medications. Scabies affects millions of people around the world every year, regardless of age, race, or social class.
What causes scabies?
You may know scabies as mites on human skin. These microscopic mites burrow under the upper layer of your skin where they live and lay eggs, causing an infestation. An itchy rash develops as the scabies mites burrow and live in your skin. When under a person’s skin mites can live up to two months but can survive up to four days without a human host.
Is scabies contagious?
Yes, scabies is contagious. However, with effective scabies treatment, scabies can be resolved fairly quickly. Scabies easily spreads through extensive skin-to-skin contact. Because extensive contact is needed - longer than the length of a handshake or hug - sexual partners and members of your household are most susceptible to the spread of scabies.
While not as common, scabies can spread through the sharing of towels, clothing, and bedding. This is more likely if the infested person has encrusted scabies, which is a more severe form of scabies. Scabies most often spreads in crowded living areas, such as nursing homes, prisons, and extended-care facilities.
Although scabies can be found on animals, more commonly referred to as mange, humans cannot contract scabies from animals and vice versa.
What are the symptoms of scabies?
People with no history of scabies can take up to two months for symptoms to appear after infestation. Despite a lack of symptoms, however, scabies can still be passed from person to person. If you have a history of scabies, then symptoms typically appear within four days.
You may be wondering how to identify scabies if symptoms may not show for two months. Severe itching, especially at night, is commonly the first symptom that appears. This itching is caused by the skin reacting to the proteins of the scabies mites and the feces left behind by the mites, which is known as the scabies rash. A scabies rash often looks like small pimples and can often be confused with keratosis pilaris. The most common areas for a scabies rash to appear are:
- Wrist
- Elbow
- Between the fingers
- Armpit
- Buttocks
- Nipples
- Penis
- Waist
- Shoulder blades
The face, neck, head, and soles of the feet are often itchy in children, but rarely are affected in adults. It is important to refrain from itching as much as possible as excessive itching can lead to sores and infections.
Some people may notice small greyish-white or skin-colored lines along their skin. These are left as the scabies mites burrow under the skin. However, most people are typically infested by no more than 15 mites, so these are often hard to notice. If more mites are burrowed in the skin, you may form crusted scabies, which is a more severe form of scabies.
Scabies treatment options
Because scabies is contagious and symptoms do not show for up to two months, it is recommended that anyone who has been in close contact with or lives with an infected person receives scabies treatment. This includes everyone who has had prolonged contact with the infected person’s skin within the last month. To prevent recontamination, everyone’s scabies treatment should occur at the same time.
Scabicides, products used to kill scabies mites and eggs, must be prescribed by a dermatologist. No over-the-counter medications have been approved as effective scabies treatment. Most scabicides are a lotion or ointment that is applied at night to clean skin. This must be applied exactly as instructed to the body as the area of the body it should be applied to is determined by the affected area.
Common medications prescribed for scabies treatment include:
- 5% permethrin cream
- 10% crotamiton cream
- 25% benzyl benzoate lotion
- Sulfur (5%-10%) ointment
- 1% lindane lotion
If you have persistent itching, or itching that has led to sores and infection, your dermatologist may prescribe antihistamines, pramoxine lotion, an antibiotic, or steroid cream as part of your scabies treatment.
Scabies treatment does not just include medications, you must also rid your home of scabies mites. Bedding, clothing, and towels should be decontaminated either by washing with hot water and drying on high heat, being dry cleaned, or being stored in an enclosed bag for 72 hours. It is also recommended to vacuum your carpets and any cushions to remove scabies mites from these surfaces.
How long does scabies last?
If you follow the scabies treatment plan laid out by your dermatologist, most, if not all, scabies mites will die within 12 hours. However, the rash may remain for two weeks to two months. If new burrows appear, a second application of medication is required, extending the time it takes to kill the scabies mites.
Scabies is a skin condition, like other conditions we treat, that requires proper care by a highly-trained, board-certified dermatologist. Contact us today to schedule an appointment to start your scabies treatment as soon as possible.