Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsTreatmentSelf-CareBeddingPreventionWhen to See a Provider
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Treatment
Self-Care
Bedding
Prevention
When to See a Provider
Body lice are tiny insects that live in clothing, bedding, and other fabrics. They feed on human blood and then return to the fabric to live and lay eggs. An infestation is generally associated with inadequate hygiene habits and can be treated with regular bathing and washing clothing and bedding in hot water. In rare cases, a prescription is necessary to treat body lice.
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How to Get Rid of Lice on Body
Treatment and prevention ofbody lice(singular is “louse”) involve improving personal hygiene and routinely clean clothes and bed sheets.This can be challenging for people who don’t have regular access to hygienic facilities, clean clothes, or a laundry.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to get rid of body lice, wash your body and change into clean clothes at least once weekly.
People with body lice should wash their clothes, sheets, towels, and other worn fabrics in hot water (130 degrees F or above). Dry on high heat after washing. This will kill the lice and remove any eggs and nits.
A healthcare provider can prescribe a bodywash or skin cream that containsmalathion,permethrin, or benzyl alcohol. In rare circumstances, an oral medication may be needed.
Lice Quarantine Guidance
According to the CDC, people do not need to leave school or work early if head lice is found. They are permitted to return to work or school after beginning treatment.
It’s important to contact your school, workplace, or daycare facility to determine their policies regarding body lice quarantining.
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Body Lice Self-Care and Home Treatment
Body lice bites can cause itching, redness or discoloration, and swelling. It may also result in asecondary infectionfrom germs entering the bites after scratching.
Use topicalcorticosteroidsand oral antihistamines to treat the itching and swelling from a body lice bite.
Bedding, Mattress, and Toy Eradication
Unlike pubic orhead lice, which live on the skin, body lice live in the seams of clothing or bedding. Therefore, the best way to eradicate body lice is tobathe regularly, wash clothes and bedding in hot water, and dry on hot heat.
Clothing, bedding, or other fabrics that cannot be washed should be dry-cleaned or sealed in a plastic bag for two weeks.Do not share bedding, clothing, or towels with someone who has body lice.
Fumigation or dusting with chemical insecticides is an option to control and stop the spread of body lice.
To Keep Body Lice From Returning
The best way to prevent body lice from returning is to maintain adequate body hygiene. This means washing bedding and clothing at least once weekly and showering or bathing regularly.
The body louse life cycle starts as an egg (nit), develops to a nymph, and finally becomes an adult louse. They feed between one and five times per day and can live up to 60 days. Body lice cannot survive when they are separated from a human host and will die within a week after separation.
Body Lice and Temporary Housing SituationsBody lice is a common issue among those who live in refugee camps, prisons, or in those who live in temporary housing situations.Below is a list of resources for those in need:Homeless Housing and Resource CenterNational Domestic Violence Hotline: 800-799-SAFE (7233)Find a Health CenterDialing 211: Hotline for local housing, health care, and food assistance
Body Lice and Temporary Housing Situations
Body lice is a common issue among those who live in refugee camps, prisons, or in those who live in temporary housing situations.Below is a list of resources for those in need:Homeless Housing and Resource CenterNational Domestic Violence Hotline: 800-799-SAFE (7233)Find a Health CenterDialing 211: Hotline for local housing, health care, and food assistance
Body lice is a common issue among those who live in refugee camps, prisons, or in those who live in temporary housing situations.Below is a list of resources for those in need:
When to Get Provider Involved
Generally, body lice can be treated at home without a healthcare provider. However, if home treatments are not successful in eliminating body lice then it’s time to contact a provider.
A provider can prescribe a medicine called pediculicide that can kill lice. It needs to be used exactly as directed.
If the lice bites becomeinfecteda healthcare provider may need to prescribe an antibiotic to treat the infection. Signs of an infected lice bite are:
Body lice can spread diseases to humans on which it feeds. These diseases are trench fever, epidemictyphus, and louse-borne relapsing fever.
Summary
Body lice are tiny insects that live in bedding and clothes and feed on human blood. Their bites can cause itching and bumps. To eliminate body lice, bathe regularly, wash all clothes and bedding in hot water, and dry on hot heat. This method is typically successful in removing the lice; however, if the lice are persistent, contact a healthcare provider for prescription medications.
5 SourcesVerywell 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.About body lice.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Providing care for individuals with head lice.DermNet.Arthropod bites and stings.Powers J, Badri T, Syed HA.Pediculosis corporis. Stat Pearls. (allowing this as a citation)Marshall KE, Martinez HE, Woodall T, et al.Body lice among people experiencing homelessness and access to hygiene services during the COVID-19 pandemic-preventing trench fever in Denver, Colorado, 2020.Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2022;107(2):427-432. doi:10.4269/ajtmh.22-0118
5 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.About body lice.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Providing care for individuals with head lice.DermNet.Arthropod bites and stings.Powers J, Badri T, Syed HA.Pediculosis corporis. Stat Pearls. (allowing this as a citation)Marshall KE, Martinez HE, Woodall T, et al.Body lice among people experiencing homelessness and access to hygiene services during the COVID-19 pandemic-preventing trench fever in Denver, Colorado, 2020.Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2022;107(2):427-432. doi:10.4269/ajtmh.22-0118
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.About body lice.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Providing care for individuals with head lice.DermNet.Arthropod bites and stings.Powers J, Badri T, Syed HA.Pediculosis corporis. Stat Pearls. (allowing this as a citation)Marshall KE, Martinez HE, Woodall T, et al.Body lice among people experiencing homelessness and access to hygiene services during the COVID-19 pandemic-preventing trench fever in Denver, Colorado, 2020.Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2022;107(2):427-432. doi:10.4269/ajtmh.22-0118
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About body lice.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Providing care for individuals with head lice.
DermNet.Arthropod bites and stings.
Powers J, Badri T, Syed HA.Pediculosis corporis. Stat Pearls. (allowing this as a citation)
Marshall KE, Martinez HE, Woodall T, et al.Body lice among people experiencing homelessness and access to hygiene services during the COVID-19 pandemic-preventing trench fever in Denver, Colorado, 2020.Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2022;107(2):427-432. doi:10.4269/ajtmh.22-0118
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