Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsPrescriptionsOTC TherapiesHome Remedies and LifestyleCAM TherapiesFrequently Asked QuestionsNext in Scabies GuideHow to Prevent Scabies
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Prescriptions
OTC Therapies
Home Remedies and Lifestyle
CAM Therapies
Frequently Asked Questions
Next in Scabies Guide
Scabiestreatment typically involves a topical or oral medication, such as Permethrin cream or Ivermectin. These medicines kill scabies mites and their eggs. Your healthcare provider may also recommend other treatments, such as pain or anti-itch medications, to help ease related discomfort.
Taking steps to eradicate the mite from your surroundings is important for avoiding re-infection, so it will be considered part of a treatment plan.
Close contacts, like family members, may even be treated for scabies whether they are showing signs orsymptoms of infectionor not—partly to get ahead of a potential futurediagnosis, partly to protect you all from passing the mite back and forth.
Verywell / Maritsa Patrinos
Several prescription treatments are available and approved for treatment of scabies infection. These treatments help clear up the scabies rash and reduce the risk of complications.
Scabies is treated with either topical pesticide creams or an oral medication. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends the following treatments:
It is imperative that you take your medication as prescribed, finishing the full course of treatment.
The parasite is not considered dead until treatment is complete.
So, though your symptoms may seemingly resolve ahead of schedule, ending treatment early may cause them to return.
Topical corticosteroid creamscan decrease inflammation and help reduce the itching sensation, but they do not destroy the parasite or shorten the duration of infection.
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Over-the-counter treatments can’t treat the actual infection, but they can help make you more comfortable as it resolves.
Lotions
Creams and lotions can help soothe your skin as your scabies clears up. Some creams—such as over-the-counter hydrocortisone cream, Benadryl cream, and Caladryl lotion—also have anti-itch ingredientsthat can diminish itching for hours.
Anti-itch Medication
Pain Medications and Anti-Inflammatories
Like over-the-counter options,home remediescan only reduce discomfort, not wipe out the mite from your body. However, some home-based approaches do offer the additional benefit of helping topreventthe transmission of the mite within the family and to others with whom you may come in close contact.
Vacuum Thoroughly
On the day you start treatment, vacuum your living area thoroughly, including carpets, rugs, and upholstered furniture.
Decontaminate Personal Items
In addition to treating your infection, it’s important to clean fabrics and soft surfaces that you have come in contact with to avoid re-infection. This includes using special detergents to kill mites on clothing and sheets, and washing them in hot water the morning after treatment and one week after the second treatment.
Items that cannot be washed, like stuffed animals, can be placed in a plastic bag for at least 72 hours, according to the CDC.
Soothe Discomfort and Itchiness
Avoid Scratching
That, however, is often easier said than done (especially for children). Some strategies that can help reduce scratching include covering the skin with soft, padded clothes, using bandages to cover particularly itchy areas, trimming nails short, and wearing mittens.
There are no alternative therapies recommended for the treatment of scabies. Studies show that tea tree oil may show promise, but its effectiveness still needs further study.
Frequently Asked QuestionsFor most people, the best medicine for scabies, Elimite (5% permethrin), destroys the mites that cause scabies within eight to 14 hours, which is why it’s often applied at bedtime. It’s always recommended to repeat the treatment after one week.No. The mites that cause scabies can’t infest a mattress (unlikebedbugs), but they can live on surfaces for up to three days. It’s important to thoroughly wash all loose bedding in hot water and to seal up items that can’t go into the laundry in plastic bags to allow lingering mites to die off. Before putting fresh sheets on a bed that may have had mites, vacuum the mattress thoroughly.The mites will continue to reproduce, which will lead to continueditching, rash, and other symptoms. Not treating scabies also increases the possibility it will be spread to other people, which is why when someone is diagnosed with scabies it’s advisable that everyone they have close physical contact with get treated.After treatment, itching can linger for up to a month. If it’s really uncomfortable, atopical steroidor oralglucocorticoidmay be helpful. Itching that gets worse or persists beyond four weeks may mean a reinfection.
For most people, the best medicine for scabies, Elimite (5% permethrin), destroys the mites that cause scabies within eight to 14 hours, which is why it’s often applied at bedtime. It’s always recommended to repeat the treatment after one week.
No. The mites that cause scabies can’t infest a mattress (unlikebedbugs), but they can live on surfaces for up to three days. It’s important to thoroughly wash all loose bedding in hot water and to seal up items that can’t go into the laundry in plastic bags to allow lingering mites to die off. Before putting fresh sheets on a bed that may have had mites, vacuum the mattress thoroughly.
The mites will continue to reproduce, which will lead to continueditching, rash, and other symptoms. Not treating scabies also increases the possibility it will be spread to other people, which is why when someone is diagnosed with scabies it’s advisable that everyone they have close physical contact with get treated.
After treatment, itching can linger for up to a month. If it’s really uncomfortable, atopical steroidor oralglucocorticoidmay be helpful. Itching that gets worse or persists beyond four weeks may mean a reinfection.
How to Prevent Scabies
8 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Scabies.Clinical care of scabies.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Treatment of scabies.American Academy of Dermatology.Scabies: tips for managing.Mayo Clinic.Scabies. Lifestyle and home remediesThomas J, Carson CF, Peterson GM, et al.Therapeutic Potential of Tea Tree Oil for Scabies. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2016;94(2):258-266. doi:10.4269/ajtmh.14-0515UpToDate.Scabies (Beyond the Basics).Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Preventing scabies.University of Michigan Health.Scabies.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Scabies.Clinical care of scabies.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Treatment of scabies.
American Academy of Dermatology.Scabies: tips for managing.
Mayo Clinic.Scabies. Lifestyle and home remedies
Thomas J, Carson CF, Peterson GM, et al.Therapeutic Potential of Tea Tree Oil for Scabies. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2016;94(2):258-266. doi:10.4269/ajtmh.14-0515
UpToDate.Scabies (Beyond the Basics).
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Preventing scabies.
University of Michigan Health.Scabies.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Clinical care of scabies.
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