Live Life Team
Pubic lice or phthirus pubis are also called as pediculosis pubis and crabs. These insects are tiny and are most commonly found in the pubic hair. They are also found in eyebrows, eyelashes, abdomen, facial hair, and back hair. These insects live on human blood and so are not present on other animals. Fully grown pubic lice will be about 2mm in length and have a yellow-grey body. Pubic lice have six legs and their last pair of legs is like the claws of a crab, hence the name crabs. These claws are used to hold on to the hair. The females lay eggs at the bottom of the hair and these eggs hatch after about 6 to 10 days. These egg shells that look like white dots on the hair and are called nits. Female lice have a life span of 1 to 3 months and in that period it can lay about 300 eggs. Pubic lice are found only in humans and it is more common among young adults. Usually they spread by sexual contact, hugging, kissing, and sharing clothes, bed, or towel. Pubic lice cannot live without human blood and die if they are not in contact with human body for more than 24 hours.
Symptoms
The symptoms of having infested with pubic may take several weeks to appear. Some of the symptoms are –
Itching – this is the most common symptom and one may get rashes and red pimples. The itchy feeling may also be an allergy of lice and not necessarily the bites. One may not know that one has any infestation if there are no signs of rashes or itching. But the itching will slowly develop after about 3 weeks and it will get worse during the night.
Eggs and Lice – one can observe lice crawling in the coarse hair anywhere in the body like chest, back and abdomen hair, armpits, beards and moustaches, and in the pubic hair. They can also be found in the eyelashes and eyebrows.
Other symptoms may include black or dark brown powder on the skin or in the underwear; they are the droppings of pubic lice. One may also find blue spots on the thighs and abdomen; they are due to the bites of the lice.
Causes
One gets pubic lice due to close contact with a person that has already been infested with pubic lice. Usually, one gets them because of sexual contact, hugging, kissing, and sharing clothes, bed and towels.
Diagnosis
If you show the symptoms of having infested by pubic lice then you should go to the doctor immediately. The doctor may look for red pimples, black or brown lice droppings, and blue dots on the skin.
Treatment
Cure from pubic lice is a difficult process as they reproduce fast and develop resistance to insecticide. You can use insecticides that are prescribed by the doctor. Usually they will recommend either 0.5% aqueous solution of malathion or 5% aqueous solution of permethrin.
