100 Practical Tips for Scabies Treatment

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100 practical tips for scabies

There is a lot to know when it comes to treating scabies mites.

Not only is there a lot to know about Scabies, but there is also a lot of questionable advice to sift through online about treating the dreaded mites. Just browse the Topix scabies forum for some examples of this.

There are a lot of people on these forums and online that bring misguided, highly emotional advice to the table.

While there is a good deal of helpful info available, there is also some BS you need to sift through. And if you are new to this whole thing it’s really hard to discern what is good or bad advice.

Related: How to Get Rid of Scabies at Home Fast

I know it took me forever to get a good grasp on understanding scabies, but by the end of it, I could see clearly what works and what doesn’t.

So without further ado, here are 100 tips for dealing with scabies.

Table of Contents

Tip #1) Be sure you actually have scabies.

Before freaking out too much you should check out the Google Image search for Scabies.

It’s not pretty, but really take a look and discern whether those physical signs match up with yours.

There are other potential problems you are having such as eczema, ringworm, bird mites, Morgellons, impetigo, drug reactions, contact dermatitis… etc.

The most telltale sign is the track marks (repeated dotted lines). If you have those then you know you’re in for it.

Tip #2) Avoid spreading Scabies from person to person (it’s easy to spread)

Some doctors will tell you that Scabies can only be contracted from close and continuous physical contact.

This is definitely not true.

Every time an infested person touches something – anything – there is a chance they are leaving behind mites that someone else could pick up.

A glass, a remote, clothes, a computer, a cell phone, a water bottle, a doorknob… the list goes on.

You can get infested that easy.

Just touch one of those things and you could be picking up scabies.

So if you are now that infested person please be very cautious. You don’t want to spread this.

bleach bath for scabies
will bleach kill my scabies?

Tip #3) On using bleach for Scabies (bleach baths)

Bleach baths are often recommended online for scabies treatment.

Sometimes even healthcare professionals will recommend it.

Unfortunately, bleach baths will not cure you of scabies. In helping hundreds of people I’ve yet to hear it having enough positive effects to warrant it’s use.

In fact, if you use bleach you’re likely to cause yourself even further skin damage. If severely overused bleach can be absorbed in enough quantity to cause internal damage.?

I recommend that you entirely avoid using bleach for scabies.

Use effective treatments to cure your scabies (ivermectin & permethrin) and natural remedies to soothe your skin and reduce itchiness.

Tip #4) Natural Remedies will not cure you of scabies.

Not on their own at least.

Take a look below at this photo from the scabies photos page:

As you can see, scabies mites like to travel underneath the skin, often well below the surface layers. This where they make their nests and lay their eggs.

Because the mites are so protected they can nullify the potency of most recommended natural remedies (think clove oil, diatomaceous earth etc.)?Even if they are powerful enough to kill many mites it is highly unlikely that they will reach the very well protected eggs.

?I’ve made a video addressing this here.

Some natural treatments that are not likely to cure you are:

  • Tea tree oil
  • Naturasil soaps
  • Neem oil
  • oregano oil
  • cayenne
  • diatomaceous earth
  • Clove oil
  • Sulfur. While sulfur can kill off large swaths of your infestation I would NEVER rely exclusively on it for treatment. You really need to use ivermectin and permethrin.

Tip #5) Fact: You can have Scabies but not be very itchy.

This happened to me.

When I first got infested it was hell. I started getting really itchy between my thighs and eventually, it spread to my entire body. You know the drill.

After a while though (about 6 months worth of failed treatments) the visual signs of scabies, as well as the typical high rate of itchiness, subsided I thought that maybe one of the treatments finally worked. (I was using more natural remedy approaches like sulfur and neem at this point.)

But alas, I was wrong. Over the next couple months, I unknowingly continued to carry around mites which led to a couple of my good friends getting infected themselves. This was really devastating to me.

Some people are completely asymptomatic. They carry the mites but never have symptoms, or have them much later than what is typical.

Very unfortunate. So always be on your toes.

Tip #6) Embrace a minimalistic environment

Decluttering your living areas is essential. It will really help to keep the infestation under control.

The fewer things you have around you the easier it is to contain an infestation.?This is a very basic and straightforward tip that many people ignore.

The more things you touch, the more things you have to disinfect if you want to keep your environment Scabies free.

While you are dealing with this thing try to keep all you’re possessions that aren’t completely necessary stored away. Bag them up or just put them in a place where you won’t have to worry about them.

This means less washing, less spraying/disinfecting and less to think about.

You can bring them all back out later. Ideally 3+ weeks after you’ve been cured.

Tip #7) Use Ivermectin and Permethrin

Ivermectin and Permethrin are the best treatments options to kill mites on your body.

This is cut and dry. These medications do the job, everything else falls short (always open to hearing about successful alternatives, though).

If you don’t want to mess around with these mites, then go straight to your doctor and get prescribed or go online and buy these treatments over the counter.

I can tell you this after trying other methods of curing scabies and being disappointed each time. The closest I got to a natural cure was with sulfur, but it didn’t completely resolve the condition. You don’t want to go through what I went through!

You can buy permethrin cream online here.

Tip #8) Ivermectin and Permethrin are safer than some people realize

When I first got into treating myself for scabies I fell into the logic that Ivermectin and Permethrin where unnecessary toxins and that there were natural ways to cure scabies that would work “over time”.

Let me tell you, I would have saved a lot of grief if I had questioned this advice a bit more.

First of all, natural oils, homeopathy (i’m not knocking homeopathy in general, just for scabies), and immune system cures do not work as a complete cure. I can attest to this first hand.

Clove oil and Sulphur are recommended for keeping the mites at bay. They do a decent job of killing the mites, but again, you are unlikely to accomplish a complete cure solely with them.

As far as safety goes, after looking up a ton of peer-reviewed articles by scientific investigators I am convinced that the toxicity of ivermectin and permethrin is very low for humans. Of course, this is if you take only the recommended dosages.

If you are doubtful I recommend doing some research for yourself.?

Tip #9) Use disinfectant sprays to keep all of your surfaces clean

Like I said in the first tip, scabies can spread easily and they can spread fast.?

You owe it to yourself, your family, your friends and the rest of the world to minimize the potential for spreading the mites. ?

It can be easy to get the mites on surfaces for others to pick up.To stop the spread get a disinfectant spray and use it on all surfaces that you’ve touched.

I recommend:

Tip #10) Avoid Scratching your itchy skin

Scratching your skin will not give you much relief.

At the moment it feels good, but it only makes the itch worse in the long run.

It also increases the likelihood that you will spread mites across your body.

Read more here:?

Tip #11) Keep your fingernails short

And keep them short. At least while you have scabies.

This is the first thing you should do when you know you have scabies.

When your nails are long they act as perfect transportation for the mites as they get stuck under your nails with your dead skin cells.

I’ve written more about this in this post.

Tip #12) Make sure friends and family are treated

If you do everything right in your treatment and got rid of the mites, wouldn’t it suck so badly to get them right back from another person you come in contact with?

This happens a lot since the mites are so pervasive and easily spreadable.

When treating yourself make sure that anyone who could have potentially caught your buggies has taken preventative measures.

For everyone’s sake.

Tip #13) Keep your animals washed and cleaned.

In addition to your human friends, you could also pick up the friendly mites from your pets.

It is a really good idea to treat your animals at the same time as your treatments.

Your dogs and cats won’t be true hosts of scabies. Just like we aren’t hosts of mange. But scabies can still live on their fur for days at a time.

Tip #14) Deep clean your carpets.

Some surfaces can house mites easier than others.

With a tile floor or counter, all that’s needed is a quick swipe with a disinfectant. It’s a different story with carpets and rugs, and heaven forbid if you have an old shag carpet.

A good idea is to rent or buy a steam cleaner. These will thoroughly disinfect your carpet and leave them clean as the first time you bought them. You’ll likely be able to rent a steam cleaner from a store near you, or you can buy one online.

I was already thinking about a good carpet cleaner so I sprung for buying one. I definitely don’t regret it. I ended up purchasing this one.

Tip #15) Use zippered mattress covers

Speaking of surfaces that can become mite strongholds, let’s talk about mattresses.

While keeping your sheets clean is extremely important (wash them after each night in them), it is also good to be aware of the potential for mites being deposited inside your mattress itself.

Bugs love mattresses because of all the dead skin cells that they can feed off. A small population of scabies mites could easily live off of the dead skin deposited in your mattress for weeks at a time.

Now before you toss your (potentially) infested mattress, consider getting a mattress cover. These plastic covers will keep the bugs out and are super easy to clean.

Tip #16) Be proactive about reducing itchy skin

The itch from scabies might be one of the most uncomfortable experiences you’ll have.

It’s a really good idea to do what you can to lessen it and make it more manageable. It sucks to lose sleep over a terribly itchy night. You’ll appreciate any sleep you can get during this ordeal.

I have a post that discusses 10 ways to reduce the itching. Go check it out.

Tip #17) Bag up most of your clothes (to limit laundry usage)

One of the biggest time consumers for scabies is the regular laundering.

You can only wear/use clothes and sheets once if you want to avoid re-introducing mites to your skin.

To make things easier just bag up the majority of your clothes and only keep an essential wardrobe. Ideally, it can be widdled down to one load that you wash regularly.

You can bring all of your other clothes back once you’re cured.

Tip #18) Use good detergents (and thorough wash cycles)

If you don’t have a good washer/dryer be sure to at least use effective detergents.

A good rule of thumb is to use 1 cup of ammonia in your laundry, 3/4 cup of borax, 1/2 cup of washing soda and regular detergent.

That should ensure that your laundry cycle will be enough to kill the mites.

Tip #19) Scabies can survive laundry cycles.

Unless you do them right.

When you wash your clothes double-check that your dryer is on the highest setting possible.

Dry your laundry on HOT and for an extended cycle.

You might even want to run your clothes twice in the dryer. Just to be safe.

Tip #20) If possible, take a mini-vacation from your house (if it is extremely infested)

If your house is big and you worry about re-infestation then I recommend leaving your house behind for at least a week.

Take your dose of Stromectol/Ivermectin/permethrin and head somewhere downsized.

I don’t recommend going to a hotel. You don’t want to spread the mites.

But perhaps you know someone with a small guest house. You can stay there and treat yourself without the stress of managing your home’s potential for infestation.

Tip #21) Drinking alcohol can make itching worse.

A lot of people online have said this and I can confirm it first hand.

If you decide to drink take notice of the degree of your itching.

If you itch more, then stop. And if you find you can’t stop drinking, maybe that’s something you should look into. 😉

Tip #22) Disposable gloves are extremely useful.

Buy a ton of them and use them often.

Your hands are a very easy way to spread mites and a frequent change of disposable gloves can make a huge difference in your cure.

Use them whenever cleaning or touching surfaces.

Tip #23) Saran wrap electronics

You’re going to want to keep your surfaces clean, so you’ll need to be constantly disinfecting.

This is challenging with electronics because you don’t want to ruin them with all that cleaner

Try saran wrapping them. You can wrap your remotes, keyboards, computer mouse etc..

Ideal for electronics you’re fine to not use for a while.

Tip #24) Use your freezer for small items

Utilize your freezer to disinfect your shoes and small things overnight.

I kept my rings and necklace in the freezer overnight, then wiped them clean.

Tip #25) Wear easy to clean indoor shoes

Flip-flops or Crocs plastic or rubberized are easy to sanitize.

Just spray them with Lysol or soak in soapy water with bleach or borax.

Tip #26) Keep easy access disinfectants around

It’s a good idea to have disinfectant sprays and wipes all around the house and in the car.

The more easily accessible your cleaning supplies are the better you’re able to limit opportunities for the bugs to spread.

I kept Clorox wipes in most of my rooms for easy access.??Also,?permethrin spray would be a good thing to have handy.

Tip #27) Take long sulfur soaks every few days.

In addition to your ivermectin and permethrin treatments, it is probably a good idea to soak in a sulfur bath every few days.

I did this near the end of my infestation as an extra added measure.

Tip #28) Don’t spend too much time reading forums on scabies.

Having scabies is stressful Over-researching scabies can make things far more stressful.

The whole situation sucks and if you dwell on it by doing too much reading on the Topix forum you will stress yourself and itch more and more.

Just make sure your treatment is done right, follow through on it every day, and let the rest run its course.

Don’t overthink it.

Tip #29) Avoid sugar and wheat

As well as other potential dietary choices that can increase itchy skin.

Scabies mites become far more active when sugar has been consumed in your diet. From what I understand it is because they feed off of it and become invigorated when it is in their system. Yeah, gross.

I’ve also found that eating wheat, which in so many people causes the immune system to react, will make the itching way worse too.

Tip #30) Never use towels twice

And be sure no one else uses your towels.

There’s no better way to spread scabies throughout a household than to share towels.

So after you’re done using a towel make sure it gets isolated and not touched again until it is washed.

If you share a house with uninfested people this is an extremely important step.

Tip #31) Be sure to do your follow up treatments

After your first dose of Stromectol/ivermectin and/or permethrin you will indefinitely feel some relief from the condition.

It might be tempting to avoid doing a second or third round of treatments. But this is a huge mistake!

The reason we do multiple treatments is to address unhatched eggs or mites that we missed on the first round.

You will be mad at yourself if you stop treating yourself too soon. Because then it’s back to the drawing board.

Tip #32) Avoid the temptation to try to cure with home remedies.

If you don’t have much money to spend on this condition then just go straight for the permethrin and ivermectin cure.

If you buy permethrin over the counter (Amazon / eBay) and get the ivermectin gel it will be inexpensive, and you will be done with the condition very quickly.

Tip #33) Buy multiple pairs of cheap shoes and lots of socks.

Scabies frequently infests the feet, and your socks and shoes can be carrying live mites at any given time.

For this reason, you should never wear the same pair of socks twice, and also cycle different pairs of shoes.

When you are not wearing a pair of shoes keep them in the freezer and/or spray them with disinfectant.

Tip #34) If you have lots of carpeting roll up what you can

Scabies mites can linger in carpet waiting to keep you infested.

If you can roll up whatever carpet in your house and keep it rolled up until well after the infestation is over with.

Tip #35) Be mindful of over-treating yourself

While it’s important to be vigilant and treat yourself extensively, it is also important to keep aware that you could be ruining your skin with too many treatments.

Now I doubt you’ll actually “ruin” your skin. You might just damage it quite a bit, but still. If you are treating with permethrin just avoid other natural treatments to help ease your skin. Occasional sulfur baths are all that I’d recommend.

Tip #36) On “Curing scabies from the inside out”

You might run into advice online saying that scabies is a result of an internal imbalance in your body and if you resolve you’re diseased state internally that scabies will go away.

Use your common sense and avoid this types of advice. Scabies is going to infest even the healthiest of people, it doesn’t matter.

Tip #37) Utilize forums on the web that talk about scabies.

The Topix forum can be helpful on occasion. also Curezone and Patient.co.uk.

But be wary of a lot of the commenters. And don’t spend too much time on these sites.

Tip #38) Become very familiar with what scabies burrows look like.

When it comes to diagnosing scabies and figuring out whether you have them or are suffering from post scabies it is very important that you can distinguish what the burrows from active mites look like.

Tip #39) Never underestimate a “mild” case of scabies.

Scabies is scabies. Either you have it or you don’t, and no matter what if you have it you need to treat it seriously.

It doesn’t matter if you are not being bothered by it like some of the people you read online about, you NEED to treat it or it will never leave your life, and you will spread it to other people as well.

Tip #40) Tread lightly when it comes to scabies and pregnancy.

I have not had to be involved with scabies during a pregnancy, so I can not give adequate advice on the topic.

But I will say that you should be VERY careful when treating yourself if you are pregnant; especially if it is a new pregnancy.

No one wants to harm their babies. Please do your research!

Tip #41) Never settle for leaving scabies untreated

This is just a big no-no. Not necessarily because you are hurting yourself by doing this, but because you have the potential to pass this condition on to OTHER people. Which is a horrible thing to have to feel like you’ve done.

Tip #42) can scabies kill you?

Surprisingly this gets hundreds of google searches a month. No scabies cannot kill you. 🙂

Tip #43) Are scabies really that contagious?

The answer is a resounding yes. Scabies can be passed on to other people in extremely unsuspecting ways.

All it takes is to be in the same environment with someone who has the mites, maybe not even there at the same time as them, and you are at risk of picking up scabies.

You can get scabies even from just being downwind from someone who is scratching their itch!

Tip #44) Scabies in your scalp

Many people have reported that scabies can survive and thrive in the human scalp.

If you think your scabies condition has spread above your neckline it would be a VERY good idea to add shampoos to your treatment regimen.

A good product to use for this is Sulfur8 Shampoo.

Tip #45) Can you see scabies mites?

The answer is no. Scabies mites are too small to be seen with the naked eye.

You need a microscope yourself or have a doctor analyze your skin for the mites.

Tip #46) Believe deeply that you will get better.

It’s so easy to think fatalistically when you have these mites.

They limit your life, they make you incredibly uncomfortable and they keep you fearful of spreading them.

It’s miserable. Don’t add to your struggles by feeling stuck and that you’re far from being healed.

See the light at the tunnel, because it’s there.

So I said 100 tips.. Sorry, guess it capped out at 46. Got any more that I could share in this post? Let us know in the comment section

226 thoughts on “100 Practical Tips for Scabies Treatment”

  1. Scabies MYSERY

    About Permetrin and Ivermectin, let me say is not that easy as you post here. Many people try these drugs without any improvement. And that is beacuse the “one dosage” regime of these medications. Maybe to erradicate scabies you might need a longer and more continued treatment, but you cannot do that with ivermectin nor permetrin, because for longer treatments and dosages they might be very harmful. I mean, yes, they are safe if you use them once or maybe two or three times, but sure that will not be enough to erradicate the mites. And more dosages will be really dangerous.

    1. If you use the medications correctly then you will absolutely kill the mites within 2 rounds of treatment. I would like to say one round, but a second round is necessary because the eggs have protective enzymes which can block the treatments. So it is necessary to kill them once they hatch, before they have a chance to reproduce.

      Many doses is of course unhealthy, but it is also unnecessary. If you take the necessary precautions 2 treatments will be all you need. The only issue beyond that is the potential for reinfection. If your environment is not clean, you will get re infested, then you will need to treat continually.

      If you are not a proponent of ivermectin or permethrin, may I ask what you recommend as a cure for scabies?

      1. my scabies was cured with MMS Solution. Approx. 30 drops ea. in a hot bath, pat dry and stand there while you apply Clove oil mixed with coconut oil. 4 tablespoons coconut and 3/4 teaspoons clove oil. too much clove will burn you esp. after a hot bath. twice a day for 2 weeks with keeping am absurdly clean environment will cure your scabies. I throw my clothes straight in the dryer for 80mins because the dryness will kill them. Also try and eat lots of vegetables, and stay away from sugar best you can, peppermint tea and soap helps a lot too! Goodluck!

        1. when applying coconut and clove oil start at neck, do not apply to face. and work your way down your body getting EVERYWHERE! let sit on body for approx. 15mins. Clove oil kills scabies and Eggs!!! i recommend two weeks twice a day because your most likely getting reinvested and it keeps killing them! I personally hated the doctor prescriptions. some scabies can develop immunities to Pesticides, and cannot ever for natural oils. plus i don’t like the idea of putting pesticides on my skin.

          1. oh yeah and for the mms bath make as hot as you can handle with still being able to sit in it. 10mins upper body, 10mins lower body, at end hold head under water for a few seconds? Get an itch relief gel from CVS or something to keep from itching. Get on a routine, seperate infected from uninfected, and stay organized and clean (makes things easier) Also make sure to descabie your car! Lysol whipes and disinfectant spray!

          2. Yeah pesticides are killing the earth and us? Clove oil sounds tempting. Good post Scabies Suck big ones. I’d rather die than continue living with these m.f.ers. and I’m tired cleaning, but I do. Of course. Peace be kind to animals. Carol

        2. Onyourknees

          Wtf is an MMS solution ? Cmon man who tf do you think you are did you
          Honestly believe people would fuckin know wtf that is ?

      2. IVERMECHTIN AND PERMETHRIN ARE HIGHLY EFFECTIVE. YOU ARE SO CLEAN THAT MITES IN THE ENVIRONMENT WILL LOVE YOU. BEWARE. YOUR EXTERNAL HOME THOROUGH CLEANING AND MAINTENANCE FIRST. THE FIRST TWO MEDICINES ARE POISONS, AND TAKEN INTERNALLY, OR EVEN ON THE SKIN, HAVE CAUSED MAJOR BRAIN ISSUES, INCLUDING CHRONIC DIZZINESS. THEY CAUSE FAINTING, ESPECIALLY WITH ALCHOHOL, EVEN WINE, OR WITHOUT IT. I HAVE TWO SET OF STICHES NOW ON MY FOREHEAD! The second time was just a fall caused by a shoe on cobblestones, but my balance mechanism is wrecked, especially after late afternoon.

        Solutions? I now have sulfur to add to creams, shampoos, hair conditioners at call it 10 %. I now have 36.8 % permethrin to use on furniture, etc., but I am scared stiff to try it ! A solution as smooth as fine quaity talc is diatomaceous earth that cuts their exoskeletons and they die. You can get the food quality one and ingest it, if you have internal mites. Baking soda self and environment, and ammonia for cleaning and clothes washing, plus heaps of (wintergreen) rubbing alcohol are great.

        Learn their life cycle: every time I say well I have won and they are gone, they must be fooling me, or mating, because within hours I have an army on my outer skin surfaces.

        During these latter episodes, I think I can see mine: they are vanilla or black pepper. Where it itches, I can carefully pick them off (not under nails) and dispose of them on a tissue that goes immediately down the drain or in the garbage.

        All success stories would be great.

      3. Thank you for all of the information. I have a question. I am obviously prone to scabies. I had then when I was in college 2 different times. Now I am married with 2 small kids and I have them again. It’s been a month. But no one else in the family has them. Is it possible that I am prone, and they are not? Could they be “carrying” them but not showing any signs of bites?

        1. I think it is unlikely that they have been dormant, only to show themselves at certain points. But not impossible. Have you experienced low levels of itchininess throughout this period? I remember I had them for a few months after thinking I had got rid of them. I wasn’t crazy itchy like before, but still had some itchiness.

          1. How did you know you still had em? Did it come back in full force later, after the itchyness died down? I assume you’ve taken the oral medication after, according to tips and the fact you said you spread them.. or did you think, OH MY GOSH I still have them, after it was spread to friends?

          2. PleaseHelpMeLoren

            How did you know you still had them?

      4. Love organics

        I would never put poison on my skin! When I found out what I had. I used comments sense, I went to an organic store and grabbed 3 natural insect repellents! Deet free! All Terain Herbal Armor 2 Oz bottle 1 can of badger balm and a bottle of herbal outdoor spray from theraneem! I don’t think the theraneem did that much. But I put the herbal armor on all my troubled areas and I woke up itching everywhere else! I was on to something! Took 2 showers a day, but put covered myself in both of these products from top of neck to toe 3 times a day also using both on every itch I felt throughout the day! All my problem areas were cleared because I always used extra on them. After 2 weeks I had almost no bites on my body! By the 3rd week none. But I still continued to use it for another month and I was still ironing ALL my clothes before the touched my body! I didn’t care if my dryer did get to 160?! I didn’t take chances! But you have to be able to deal with 10% citronella and 2 % peppermint on the genitalia! Starts to feel refreshing after a while!

      5. seriously

        I have been to the dr 15 times hospital 5 times in the last 2 years and each time it’s always a different diagnosis…my first visit to ER diagnosed with scabies I treated home n used a very expensive tube of cream with no relief then several more times back to dr n er and different dx…so I went to dermatologist they did a biopsy and it come back nothing but I’m at my wits end I have lost my looks due to spots all over my body they even have gotten in my mouth I guess from me biting my nails and I have lost my teeth from this also I can feel them in my eyes and it’s messed with my vision my nasal cavity in my sinuses and my face was so disfigured and when the get in my sinuses and mouth I smell this oder of like old musty oily scent hard to explain I can feel them crawling and then it’s like a sting with icy hot and next day after scratching in my sleep I’ve got a terrible spot I’ve tried peroxide n bleach and that seem to have helped the most when I use these I will dab directly on area and I have a sensation in my ears of kinda like a air pocket letting release…they have gotten in my private area so bad I couldn’t use the bathroom so my gynecologist did several things n stated I have shingles so I started having a fever and alot of pain n I went to ER and they diagnosed me with staff…I specifically told him I feel as if I’m being eaten alive and bugs crawling all over me and are u sure I don’t have shingles he assured me I didn’t and I received high powered antibiotics he diagnosed me with staph infection… here I am in horrible shape again…it’s like every 2 to 3 days it’s a new outbreak…and the areas use to be small but now they are almost size of a quarter and if it heels it scars and discolored ur skin to white patch so I’m polka dotted this is really caused me some mental issues I want go out in public unless absolutely necessary because I think ppl can see them running all over my body cause I can feel them and I’m afraid there visible again my sight is not good due to damage to my eyes I’m embarrassed and think ppl don’t even want me to visit ride in there vehicle borrow the rest room due to the fact I might infest them but nobody that I have come in contact with has any of the problems I’m having but I’ve even thought about suicide and ended having mental treatment over this I can’t get any help or any relief after 2 years of suffering and my body debilitating and loosing my teeth and sight and scarred for life oh and I’ve also lost my eyebrows and around my forehead my hairline the hair has broken or completely com out I have places in my head there’s not a place on me that hasn’t been affected somebody plz help me I’m suffering seriously…

        1. Seriously seeking real answers

          Your story sounds exactly like mine except I can’t see any running around on my skin, and my genital area has not been affected at all. My head I have a couple spots. My kids…one who often climbs in my bed in the middle of the night …have no symptoms thankfully …but that is part of why the doctors don’t seem to think its scabies. I also have none on my waist, my fingers or toes. I’ve had skin scrapings, biopsies, mental assessments, std tests, blood tests, cancer testing etc …I’ve used permetherin and ivermectin. I’ve used been oil, Lyme sulfer dip for over a year now which Ive seen work miracles on mange deviststed dogs off a local reservation. The two men I’ve had involvement with repeatedly over the years ( both have lived with me …one just s friend, other a relationship) do not have any symptoms. Two years of this. I’m loosing my mind itching, I have no social life, list my job and can’t get hired anywhere, am in financial ruins and need serious help to end this mess so I can get back to normal life.

        2. Tony crespo

          Go to topix and find a post of someone that took IVOMEC 1% injectable for cattle.
          If not available in UK, try pet shop luna in Palermo Italy. Place an order for 50 or 100 ml. It is a veterinary product called EVOMEC in that shop. By a syringe of 2 ml capacity. And a long needle. DO not inject yourself, drop the dose in a glass add some water and swallow on an empty stomach preferably before going to bed 2 hours after your last meal. If you Have liver problems or are alergic DO NOT TRY THIS. MUST BE TAKEN AT LEAST 3 times spaced a week . Do not drink a single drop of beer, wine or liqiur for a mont. Cut down on sugar as much as possiblefor example the those is 1 ml for a 50 kg person 1,6 for a 76 kg like me. Sorry i missed to say that Evomec is available in eBay.

          1. Tony crespo

            The post is in Topix Scabies by a member called andreaamericangirl. And i forgot to say that after drinking the ivomec immediately drink a full glass of water.
            Sorry and best wishes for a cure. Also helpfull is showering with sulphur soap, including the hair. Normal 10% british will do nothing. Best is Sea of spa sulphur soap available in Amazon.co.uk, but ships from Israel and takes some time. Also quite expensive.

        3. Hello, iv had norwegian scabies and i.have been infected again by sitting on a friend’s sofa lounge. Scabies is transmitted through material, carpet… touch ect. You need to clean your house daily and use disinfectant. The scabies lotion works it is a 7 day treatment over the counter or via script and in order for it to go away you need to wash your clothes daily and any bedding in hot water and dry your clothes in the dryer. This is your daily ritual nothing else works. Natural products may give you temporary relief but they dont work. After the first treatment you need to treat yourself again for 7 days and continously clean your house wash clothes/blankets .. bedding daily. If you have kids or animals treat them too. You will need to wash the kids clothes /bedding as well.also if you put a bug bomb in your car and vacuum your car out this also helps. After treatment you will still be itchy but that is the scabies eggs dying. Dont go to work and stay home if possible. I hope this helps you.

        4. There are some freakshow superbug mites that ppl are getti g. Go to urge CDC petition and birdmite forums. The ones from rats rodents birds dogs fox etc often don’t show up well in biopsies because animal mites are roaming compared to typical scabies. Don’t bother asking the doctor s cause most don’t acknowledge mites can cross species lines. My heart goes out to you i have this thing too you are not alone. 20 mule team borax baths.

        5. LaToya Royster

          I am so sorry you’re going through such a rough time. I am praying for your healing. Stay strong. God bless you

        6. Have you been tested for toxic mold exposure?

      6. Not true. My sister has used it correctly and has been prescribed a second dose and she’s having to go back again. A lot of people have complained that this stuff is less than effective.

        1. I think most of the failed attempts with these medications is due to user error. It is incredibly easy to become re-infested from your environment. So even if you kill all of them on your body, maybe two days later you sit on a couch that has scabies on them and bam you’re reinfected. Or, if you’re using permethrin cream, it’s likely that many people do not cover their body in it’s entirety and thus leave living bugs left on them untreated.

          1. Sue Smith

            I have done everything to the letter using permethrin cream six times! I have taken oral ivermecton four times now. I spend the first four hours of every day washing, cleaning and disinfecting, so I honestly do not believe it’s instant reinfestation, as that’s what it would have to be. The permethrin slows them down for a few hours, but that is all. I have had some relief from the nasal mites with the Ivermecton, but nothing that comes close to a treatment and certainly not a cure. I don’t think this idea that it ‘always’ works if done right is correct. Even the literature on the Permethrin and Ivermection mentions 92% and 94% success rates, which leaves a lot of us still suffering.

      7. If I don’t get rid of this within 1 more month i will kill myself. I have tried for so long everything and it doesn’t work. Why does it have to be like this. I think i know who gave it to me at first and i wish to murser them but i won’t. I will utilize your advice and will let you know in 1 month.

        1. I know youve said youve tried everything, but what have you all tried? I totally understand it can drive you to the brink of insanity, but you will get rid of it eventually, and then it will only be a distant (very unpleasant) memory.

          1. I have to stay clear away from the pesticides, specifically the nervous system toxin which is permethrin.

            I read an article about a condition that happens for some people after the second permetrin dose. It lasts about 3 months and the patients are sick with all sorts of ailments. Most people swear it’s because they are still infested with scabies. A study proved, by a double blind study, that they were in fact cured.

            Instead of just saying the patients may suffer side effects from absorbing through their skin a nerve toxin, they said that maybe it was remnants of scabies fecal matter and dead scabies that our immune system still had to clean up.

            Another research study was able to look into this and found it to not be the case.

            For me with this information, you can’t pay me to take the perception. I’m going with sulfur soap, tea tree oil and neem oil soap, the disinfectant product sold on Amazon for fighting scabies and other things.

            One last thing to keep in mind is that scabies do not feed on our blood. They only eat skin cells. Their life cycle is very short too (as compared to bed bugs which can be greater than 12 months).

            We are keeping off the furniture for 2 months which is consistent with their longest life cycle. On the couch we can sit on and the bed we can sleep on, we not only have mattress encasements, but have laid large tarps and then large towels. This way, we remain separated from the furniture so the scabies can die off and if we think it is infested again, the towels get washed, the tarps get thrown out, and a new layer of the two gets put back on.

            This should be overkill according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), which I’m glad to hear. The CDC reports it is uncommon to get infested through furniture unless it’s the crusty Norwegian scabies. To keep me sane, I remind myself of that.

            I think it is up to us to disrupt their life cycle by bathing twice daily using whatever holistic soap or bathing technique you want to, (that’s just an example) and things like that. I’m going to look into the clove oil to just in case what I am doing doesn’t work.

            Hope this helps

      8. Man I gotta complain, I?m pregnant. I?ve had scabies for almost a year, and I have been using permethrin for almost a year. My last two tries did nothing to them, while before it would seem to work for a couple weeks and then they?d be back. So they are now permethrin resistant scabies. I can?t take the oral medication because I?m pregnant, I can?t burn them with hot water because I?m pregnant. I now have two staph infections which the scabies have been helping to spread on my body. I?m just so screwed. I don?t know what I can do. So I?ve turned to coconut oil and tea tree oil, which as you said does not kill them, but it helps with the itching a lot. My body is growing more and more scarred up from this, it really sucks.

    2. curious

      Can permetrin be used on your scalp? The directions say, apply from head to toe so i just wondered.

    3. Tony crespo

      The problem is big Pharma and stupid doctors. The veterinaries are much smarter. Big Pharma often has a veterinary branch generally under another name. When a new molecule is found it is given to cattle and also vegetables. Permethrin is in your letuce and cattle. Ivermectin is used in cattle since 1985. So, when finally is available for human usage we have absorbed very small amounts and such medicines are useless or less efective.
      Permethin is useless for scabies except in the very early stages. Ivermectin, so far is effective in humans. Not allowed in the European Union. Very soon polititians will get scabies, some are seen in tv scratching their heads.

    1. Hopefully the washer would have cleaned them enough to not have dead ones left over. But if they’re dead, shouldn’t be too much of an issue anyway!

      1. sufferer

        In my case I found washing and drying doesn’t kill them. I bake all my clothes in the oven at 210F for 30 min. This works.

  2. anonymous

    I just want to say I agree about what you are saying! I am also extremely frustrated right now as my household is on month 4 and still not rid of them!!! Scabies ARE more communicable than prolonged personal contact. Thanks for the info. I feel better after having read this!!

    1. Hi “Clove Oil Works”

      I don’t doubt that clove oil is able to kill mites. The studies you’ve linked to absolutely confirm that.

      I am just very hesitant to promote essential oils as a *complete* cure. Ivermectin + permethrin are more or less a sure bet, especially when combined. So that’s the route I choose to recommend.

      Thanks for commenting!

      1. I have a German-style dagger scar across my forehead from taking ivermectin and using heavy amounts of permethrin. Now I must detox. The prescription instructions say about the first that causes fainting; yes indeed: I fell on a glass table top. I have permanent dizziness, & loss of balance, especially in the evenings. These are environmental toxins that we put in our body. I bought 37.6 % permethrin liquid, but what to do with it!!!

      2. Hey. First time around for this. My daughter ended up with it after someone dropped a dog at the house (I’m pretty sure it was dropped) . I gave it flea baths and let the kids love on it. (Wasn’t missing hair or anything at first) only had it 14 days before rehomeing. We already had two dogs. Anyway I wished I knew the lady who stopped and asked for dog my husband gave it away while we were on vacation. And about a week at my parents my daughter breaks out. I think it’s eczema because she does get that. But it exploded!! Then I remember running into a woman at Walmart telling me she had caught mange from her dog. I told her I knew it could but never had it happen to anyone I knew before. Said she battled it for a year now. I told her I thought doctor or ver would have medicine? She was just an aquantance but knew roughly where I lived. She asked do you still live at —– I realized this is probably the dog. She dropped the dog off!!!! I didn’t go to doctor as we were out of town. Dr Christopher’s worm medicine for humans and the next morning they had little black centers in bumps. So I mixed wormwood ground herb and Dr Christopher’s medicine and grapefruit seed oil together and alternated between it one night and horse dewormer the next rubbing on skin. It was not ivermectin it was called strongide paste. But it helped. I also did tea tree oil in showers too. This was what I had to work with at time. This along with black seed oil by mouth and olive leaf extract by mouth. Ok so I went aggressive LOL. it cleared whithin week. (Oh yeah swimming in swimming pool everyday of vacation lol) My mother ordered sulfur soap. But didn’t need it (I thought) But two weeks later we are home and my other daughter has them. So I go to doctor and get permethrin cream. I use it and it seems to help. (I already knew it probably take more than one treatment. But I did do something that I rememberd (halfway through treating with all the herbal stuff) when I was younger treating a dog. Before dipping use peroxide on skin. I don’t know if it makes the eggs or exoskeleton soft or opens pores but this seems to make initial treatment effective with my other daughter too. Really warm shower then peroxide then rinse some dry off and add the permethrin. I went ahead and bought permethrin 10 from tractor supply for 6$ to treat my animals and spray furniture and make a cream if I run out. Plus DE. Trust me I don’t like pesticides BUT I WANA NIP IT IN BUD FAST! Poor babies. And I wish we had known when my husband gave the dog away so we could have warned her. But she stopped to tell my husband in the road and he said well it isn’t mine. And there it went. I pray that lady and her children aren’t going through same thing.

    2. Ok the so called medical experts are really in the dark and i wouldnt regard them as the holy grail for information. Scabies can live way longer than 3 days off host and she different animal mites can and will cross species..
      We are in the midst of a silent epidemic and the medical establishment is very behind the times on this issue. See the online site birdmites.org or go to URGE CDC PETITION.

    3. Sureyoucurewithoils

      I just want to say thank you Admin for your awesome and informative site. And to give these frootloop, crunchy, granola, morons a place to bash your info for providing actual sense. I?m wondering if Little Miss Essential Oils up there works for one of the MLMs that sells that untested garbage that has filled up ERs across the country with children effected by moronic parents trying to cure all sorts of ailments with such moronic alchemy. I have been using Permathrin for years. I am a big hobbyist when it comes to backpacking, hiking, camping and generally just disappearing into the woods for weeks on end. All of my gear is treated and usually several times a year as I tend to be out-of-doors during all seasons and its wise to retreat after 6 washes or 45 days. I treat my clothes and my wife?s bonfire outfits during the year several times. After we made the mistake of allowing someone else to book us a hotel room, we came back with bed bugs. I then treated my couches, beds, blankets, sheets, carpets and everything else fabric in the house. Not a single problem since. Permathrin is only toxic to cats, and only in liquid form. There is plenty of information out there about the fallacy of DEET. But if you are still worried about that for no reason and nonsensically, you can use Picaridin. It?s also safe for dogs. However, nothing ever is safe for cats do to grooming habits. In fact, there?s quite a few pieces of info out there about how your essential oils are also poison to cats without ?Severe dilution?. But I?m sure you knew that. Admin, I found you page after I took in a distant family member who reached out to me. I found her covered head to toe in what looked like bed bug bites and infested with lice. I gave her two lice treatments of NIX in one night and spent 3 hours combing them out. 24 hours later once we were home, she saw a Dr at urgent care and was prescribed Permathrin cream. Because of my lack of understanding, she applied 4 times over 3 days. She is now completely clear and in the post scabies stage. I?ve warned her about the the itching and the scratching and she was prepared. She?s taken nothing but doctor advised Claritin 2x a day, but I replaced the nightly dose with Benadryl to help her sleep easier. The amount of hippy dippy bullhonky and malarkey from you earth child idiots I?ve had to read through is mind-numbing. The fact that you dumbasses are allowed to not only breed, but to raise children, just baffles me. You should all be put on an island with Flat-Earthers, Anti-Vaxxers and other MLM-ers. My hopes that your children make it through their childhoood alive and see what crap their parents put them through and go No Contact. The words of George Carlin ring true ?Imagine the dumbest person you know, and then realize than over half of America is even dumber than they are.? Again Admin, thank you for your wonderful page of insight and information. It was truly helpful among all this nonsense out there.

  3. Theusmedsystemsucks

    Do you work for the pharmaceutical companies or what? They make so much money off these pesticides which are so bad for us, yet they get ppl to think they’re safe. So much push for these drugs when SO many ppl are showing they aren’t working well. The mites are becoming resistant. Like a hybrid scabies.

    1. Definitely not working with big Pharmacy! Pretty much classless fools all of them. But, permethrin and ivermectin are what cured me in the end. And for us, a cure is what matters most.

      1. Deborah t.

        Dear Admin: in what method did you apply and use the two: iver, and Perm? This is my route also, 63 years old and never had a bug in my life, traveled across country and came back with this hell of scabies. I have taken the oral dose of Iver, doused my house, and every surface I can with a spray mix of the Perm, and done the overnight cream head to toe with the half and half cream and Perm mix. Cleaned with the Perm all brushes, combs, doing the garbage bag isolation with pillows, blanket couch cushions, etc. Put Perm in my cream rinse for hair, bed, put a capful of the Perm in the multipule loads of wash in hot, dry on extra hot, and also using sulfer cream on hot spots on body, as well as sprayed all shoes worn. Is this going to do it? I plan on taking a second dose orally of the Iver at the one week and maybe two week intervals. I will not live under this horrific bug thing. thank yu.

        1. Hi Deborah. Your strategy appears sound. Just be sure your environment is clean and you should be good!

  4. Okay. So I am a registered nurse. Got scabies from a patient that had crusted scabies. Talk about extremely contagious. I need to clarify a few things for you.
    After a year of scabies, I am curing it…the only place that feels itchy is my scalp and I only have 2-3 red spots on my body. I’ve gone through a summer of itching, with 4 treatments of permithrin which did nothing…went on a 10 day trip to Nevada with my boyfriend and his family in August…my boyfriend came back cured and I felt great. Dry weather kills them. My house/clothes must have been infected, because the symtoms started up upon my return. A winter of denial. I would get random prickly bites on my neck and no where else. I think it was because I was taking a lot of epsom salt baths and they were floating to the top. I would burn the outside scabie and my own skin with clove oil and figured this got the sucker. I thought I had 2-3 at most from what I had researched. No bites on ankles, legs, back, or stomach. Well, once spring hit, all hell broke loose. They love humidity, just like fleas. They multiplied and when I found out how to actually see them, I was finally more aware of how these little effers operate.

    #1 Apply 1/2 orange oil and 1/2 cocunut oil. If you have an infestation like i did, the effers will come crawling out of your skin. They are like tiny microscopic fleas, they are the black spots on your skin after you rub the orange oil mixture in. The adults stages are larger, 1/2 mm and grey and 1/2 and brown and more bug like. I found several dead ones and was able to see the bugs.

    #2 Buy kleen free. It took me almost a year to buy this product, even after reading countless testimonies, and that and orange oil have been my saving grace.

    #3 if you have a high efficiency washer, switch the hot and cold hoses and wash everything on cold (with hoses switched every thing will wash on hot). This was the last the culprit on why I couldn’t get cured.

    #4 clean your work environment daily with 1/2 bleach 1/2 water and kleen free.
    I worked from home for 1 week and that along with the kleen free, made all the difference.

    #4 Take Ivermectin at 200 mgc/kg weekly for 3 weeks. This is how my dermatologist prescribes it and he knows what they are doing. Unlike the first dermatologist I went to, because I was living outside my hometown at the time.

    #5 If you are getting new red spots and bites, you are still infected. Permithrin and allergic reactions do not cause obvious bug bites, if you believe this you are in denial as I was.

    #6 think of them as tiny fleas that burrow in your skin, this made it easier for me to deal with them.

    #7 Good luck and much love! I don’t wish this plight on my worst enemy.

    1. mominneedofhelp

      DOES THE ORANGE OIL KILL THE MITES

    2. No no : I disagree : I had clothes washed and dried then put in plastic bags sealed. 5 months later I opened it and immediately I had red dots on my hands. Theses are not from new infestation but a result from the ” dead mite dust” which induce an immunoglobulin A reaction : basically the body react like someone is allergic to peanuts, to the allergen contained from the “mite ” skeletons. In bags, out of washing machine at 90?C and drier, after 5 months it’s dead, only their bodies remains and that alone provokes red dots and this is not a new infestation.

      1. How did you confirm it was “dead mite dust” versus active scabies? Did it fade within 24-48 hours or did it spread? I assume the more dead mite dust, the most spread, and it’d be easy to think you’re reinfected. Or did you put it back in the washer/dryer afterwards after bagging them up for 5 months?

  5. Anonymous

    Thank you for your posts. I have been infected for months. I am not sure how this happened but it’s been complete misery. At first, I had no idea what was going on and went to my doctor who said it was probably poison ivy. Uh no.
    Then I went to a dermatologist who said if I stopped scratching it would go away. She gave me some skin-colored tape to block scratching and sent me away. It got worse, much worse. And, the tape ripped away skin and caused more pain.
    At that point, I was so frustrated I didn’t want to go to doctors anymore and decided to ignore whatever it was. About a month later I took my son to the ten minute clinic at Walgreens for a sore throat one weekend. The nurse practitioner was very friendly and asked about the rash on my arm. I told her my long and sad tale, and she told me it was probably scabies. (Ewww, I thought).
    She gave me a prescription for premethin (sp?) and little advice. No treatment for family members, etc. I was re-infected shortly after and still searching for answers. I went back to the mediclinic and talked to a different nurse who said she couldn’t diagnose skin conditions.
    I went to a second dermatologist who performed a biopsy on one of the burrows. When I went back she said there was no evidence whatsoever of scabies and sent me away with a steroid cream for the itching. She just seemed to want to get rid of me and suggested I talk to a psychiatrist. Well, I’m crazy I thought and I went. Next, it was round of anti-depressants and more misery. The mites continued to thrive and my son developed itchy spots.
    So, long story short, I found another nurse practitioner who seems to be willing to listen to me. When I asked why the biopsy was negative and I had so many signs of scabies, she said she didn’t know. “But, if it looks like scabies and acts like scabies, we’re going to treat it like scabies.”
    Now, I am readying for preventhin treatments for my husband, myself and my son in conjunction with a house-wide deep cleaning. The nurse did not prescribe Ivermectin so I bought some online via Amazon and plan to go for the 1-2 punch. I stumbled across your site while looking for cleaning tips. You thought of lots of things I would have missed. So, awesome, thank you.
    Like the nurse who posted, my case has evolved to the point the scabies can be seen, which is totally gross. My main point of infestation is my forearms. If I massage tea tree old and a tiny bit of olive oil a few will exit the skin and look pretty much like tiny fleas. I’ll spare you other gross details except to say the infestation has spread to my scalp and face, including my eyes. When this first happened, I freaked out and ran to the emergency room. Those folks were the least helpful and made me feel even more like a freak.
    I’ll stop there. But to others who have suffered because of poor diagnosis, I have much empathy. That’s as frutrating as the mites, trying to figure out what’s going on, thinking you’re crazy or a dummie. That can be really discouraging. Meanwhile, the mites are gaining strength and making things even more difficult. To those folks, I say: be strong and educate yourself. Don’t cry in the doctor’s and don’t try to diagnose yourself there. Tell the doctors your symptoms in a matter of fact tone and let do the talking after that. People like to figure things out for themselves. If that doesn’t work, look for a smart nurse practitioner. It always seems like the two that I met were more willing to consider all the possibilities. They were both also very down to earth and much more caring. (That could be my unique experience thought).
    Thanks again for your tips and for sharing your experience!

    1. Chrissy

      I am so sorry about your miserable experience. I am a bit perplexed at the fact that you “saw” your scabies. I thought scabies could only be seen via microscope and NOT with the naked eye. And don’t they burrow pretty deep in the skin? How did you get to see them exit the skin? That sounds strange to me but awful. And I wouldn’t dare challenge your testimony. I hope your nightmare is over.

        1. Well, supposedly there is a life cycle with scabies, female hides down your skin, make scabie, gets under skin to mate with female and dies right after, female fertilizes eggs under skin and when baby scabies are hatched, they eagerly come out from under the skin and find their way to make nests of their own under your skin, it is soon after hatching that you can see the baby scabies that resemble the shape of grain of sugar. It is perhaps during those soon after hatching periods that if you were to apply orange oil on areas affected or rub, say lemon juice, etc. more often than not, you will feel under the tip of your fingers, while massaging affected areas with citrus citrus oils etc tiny grainy, circular in shape mites. I see the grainy buggers every day when wearing glasses, but, off course, have been unable to clearly see the definition of body or skeleton, for that you would have to utilize a microscope.

      1. After using the permethin cream for my first dose tonight I witnessed what looked like little splinters (some with a greyish white hue on the end) appear on my arms WHERE THERE ARE NO RED BUMPS :O
        I about lost it after little orange… sand-like particles started aappearng AND then (!) little white clear balls all of these things were so tiny but I felt them. Not really a sting like others but a feeling of extraction (shivers) I’d rather see them than not!!! All these horror stories are so frightening. I have a little boy who is not infected as of yet and Im so scared. I dont know how I got them, and I hate bugs!!! Even ants and they’re pretty harmless. This is HORRIBLE.
        Anyhow, you can see them (Im assuming only in this process) as they are exspelled :(. I saved mine in a plastic baggie so people whether it be family members or my doctor doesnt think Im crazy!

        1. Are you sure you don’t have morgellons?

          1. Braaainz

            They can be seen by the naked eye, but it’s really hard. They’re much smaller than a grain of sand. Dead ones look like little black specks. I’ve verified this with a microscope.

        2. Blu I even thought morgellens disease I saw grey thread like substance. I say substance for lack of better word. Out of two places after peroxide and permethrin cream but because of circumstances of the stray dog I cast that thought aside. But I did something that seemed too silly to share until you said you seen them. I took scotch tape and put it on my daughters red places after a dou or two of treatment. Left it on about an hour or so and removed it. Holding it up to light source (without microscope) tiny white/transparent ‘dots’ are visible. Yes this made me quiver but me and my daughter both seen them. I put them in a small ziplock bag taping it to inside for next time we are at doctors. (They didn’t do skin scraping) they also told me it didn’t look like scabies (because wasn’t between fingers and toes) but I insisted and told about using horse wormer as a paste while on vacation and how it helped my other daughter. (I didn’t mention herbal remedies) He shrugged and gave me cream. Said once should do it. Also it didn’t look like it yet because the first mosquito bite looking thing she had I made appointment. And three days later on her back all over. I wanted to get it before got bad like my other daughter while guessing. Stray dogs will always be loved but with caution from this day forward!!! Lol

          1. The little white transparent dots are different than the grey dots. But both could be seen on scotch tape.

      2. I found out I had scabies yesterday at the emergency room.prior to going there I too saw the black specs jump across my cell phone screen,on my skin,and under my fingernails.From what I’ve red the black specs are the adult scabies.I too have red articles saying you cannot see scabies.I call bs.I knew I had some kind of mite 24 hours before I went to the er.All from doing research online and comparing what I saw and felt to pics n stories online.I’m still trying to figure out how to deal with all of this.my biggest wonder is about my matress.Should I get rid of it?I read I could put it outside for two to three days n that would pretty much kill em.I also read I should just leave my home for ten days n take my treatment before coming back.making sure what ever i bring back with me has been disinfected or washed n dried.Can anyone tell me if any of this is true?

      3. I don’t know why people say that they are invisible to the naked eye. That’s not true. I’ve gotten this a few times over the past 10 years, and on two occasions I was able to pull one out of a burrow using a pin. At first, I wasn’t sure this was what I had, but I could see it moving along the tip of the pin. They’re fast for their size, but they are extremely, extremely small. For a size comparison, I would say that they’re about 1/4 the size of a grain of salt. I taped it to a clear CD, and took it to my Dr. I also have a small stereoscope and when I looked at it under it, it was definitely a live, crawling mite. If you ever see what looks like a burrow, use a pin to slowly peel back the skin as you go along it. At the end you’ll see a small dot which tends to stick to the pin point. Put it on a piece of black paper and see if it moves. If it’s alive, it definitely will.

    2. STEROIDS? BEWARE ! I went to all the leading dermatologists in one of the largest urban cities in the US. The last one put me on cortico steroid cream. Good for arthritis, too, so lots on the knees after a trip to Europe.

      Outcome? This prednisone class steroid gave me a period of 29 days, after menopause. I NOW NEED A HYSTERECTOMY, i.e., the upper part of my womb will be removed, because of those little critters, coupled with a string of ignorant dermatologists who are determined above all to get you out of their offices, to understandedly avoid contamination of their practices!

  6. anonymous girl

    Hi. Thank you so much for this website. I am currently dealing with my second round. 🙁 I had it the first time, over 2 years ago. This crap sucks. Anyhow, I was wondering if there was a second page to this list? The title says “100 tips,” but it only goes to #46. Am I blind?! I don’t see a link to go to another page! A quick response would be oh so very appreciated. 🙂

    1. Glad to help. I’m sorry, the rest never got published. If it’s any condolence the ones listed here are the most important and all you should need for success.

    2. I know the remedy,:,
      I was staying in a motel and I contracted scabies from a girl that was trying to be my friend, I went to the ER and the receptionist told me some classified info when I told him I couldn’t wait 8 hours for a doctor, I contracted scabies, he told me it’s an epidemic here in Los Angeles, and he gave me a remedy that those doctors in suits looked over, those white suits don’t mean sh!t… It’s about time we get doctors who actually paid attention to their studies and patients instead of misdiagnosing and giving pills for us to digest with no remedy in a hurry to go onto the next patient and ruin someone else’s stomach with a misdiagnosis….

      .:.Scabies Remedy.:.

      You will need: 1)Benadryl or Wal-dryl anti itch cream
      2) Benadryl (pink pill) knock off brand works too

      Take 2 benadryl 3 times a day
      rub benadryl on affected area 3 times a day
      Do this for 7-10 days until you know the scabies are gone

      You will have a side effect of lucidity, this will pass and you will be scabie free, make sure if you touch your scabies don’t touch another area, keep doing this and it will work, you will have relief soon enough to realize it works, I promise

      1. Thanks, ACE , and everyone else in this forum, for posting these wonderful, helpful info. I?m quite sure that some of these remedies will work better for some people than for others, like everything else in life, and also depending on the individual?s immune system/makeup. I won?t be revisiting this forum to check for responses to my comment, as I am an extremely busy mother. I do want to give you the best piece of advise that you can possibly hear: Please, please, pleeease, do not forget the most important thing in your battle against this wicked condition – prayer to the Allmighty God, JEJOVAH – creator of the heavens, the earth, and everything in them. He, and only He alone, has the power and the might to help anyone, anywhere, to deal with any kind of problems – especially by giving them the strength they need to endure and by guiding them to needed knowledge. He?s real – very real! And He is a very kind, tenderly compassionate, and the all powerful, true God. Please give him a chance to help you. Call on Him in prayer, and explain to him your situation/condition and let Him guide you. You are all very precious in His eyes! My heart goes out to you all, as I?ve been there myself and I speak from experience.

  7. Hi,
    I am dealing with a scabies outbreak that I am almost sure happened because we came in contact with an infected person/s that did not take the infestation seriously and did not do the treatment right. I also have friends and family that we have come in contact with while infested (unknowingly of coarse) and we spend most of our time with these people, who I told and they and/or their doctors are also not taking it seriously. I have tried to make it clear to all of them that we refuse to come in contact with anyone who has not or does not intend to be treated in fear of a vicious cycle with no end. I am clearly new to this and I have been researching my butt off trying to depict fact from fiction. In almost everything I have read it says that the treatment of yourself and everyone around you is imperative in eradicating them. My question to you is am I exaggerating in my requests or am I smart in asking everyone to treat themselves and avoiding anyone who we’ve come in contact that hasn’t?

    1. Danielle, thanks for commenting. You are being smart in asking everyone in your family to get treated. This condition can spread very quickly and often people can be unknowingly be carrying the mites.

      1. I contracted these from the hotel that I work for. I am a front desk personnel. I have informed my employer as well as all of the hotel employees. NOONE will go get treated. I am miserable. I have cleaned my home, my cars, everything with bleach and permetherin spray. I have my second dose of perm. as well as my families in 2 days. I am so worried I will just get reinfected here at work. I don’t know what to do. I need my job, but my employer believes these buggers are only tranmitted through prolonged physical contact. I have told everyone to please do a quick internet search but they are all insisting they are symptom free, even though I have seen them rubbing, scratching and one fellow employee is covered in bumps. She thought she had bed bugs she said, but even she refuses to go to the dr. Truly I am terrified that this will be a never ending saga if everyone isn’t treated! Sorry I needed to rant, but I will be getting Ivermectin from the feed and supply store as I do not have health insurance and can not afford any more DR appt. Your info was very helpful I am glad to see some really good advice for all of us that are suffering.

        1. Call the local health department. The employees are endangering other people.

        2. Lauren,
          Do not get the Ivermectin from the feed store as the dosage would be incorrect for humans. Apparently, you can get the Ivermectin on Amazon, or go to WebMD.

  8. I have scabies, I’m the only one that itches. I went to a dermatologist amd he gave me a lotion and asked me if anyone in my house is itchy too and they aren’t he said for everyone in my house to apply the lotion once including me and their done but in 4 days I have to apply it again. I told him I have a boyfriend so he said to have him apply it once as well before we go to bed then in the morning wash all bedding and clothing and shower but im concerned his family and him can get it as well but he says he doesn’t itch but I’m concerned because I don’t have a dryer so how would I do my pillows, shoes, stuffed animals and stuff ?

    1. Hmm. If you don’t have a dryer I’m sorry to say but you might just have to find one to use! If that means going to the dry cleaners, it might just be what you have to do.

      There’s just not much room for error with this condition. You need to keep all variables under control or you’re very likely to suffer from a reinfection.

      Thanks for commenting!

      1. I worked in a hostel in Spain and the way we killed bedbugs on clothing was to put it all in a black plastic bag and leave it out in the sun all day. Perhaps after drying your clothing on the line you can leave it in bags in the sun for a day or two, it will get really hot.

        1. Good tip. I agree that it’s unlikely that scabies would make it through a couple days in the sun like that. This could work well for those who live in a hot climate. But otherwise, sticking to a thorough washing schedule should be enough.

  9. Do books and electronics really get infected such as cellphones, kindles etc? How do I disinfect kindle, its so delicate and prone to damage? Please help.

      1. can I use permethrin + ivermectin on my face?

      2. You are a ass hat with no medical degree Norwegian scabies can passed thru clothing and such they die very quickly with in 48 to 72 hours cannot be contracted thru electronic devices or thru pets your a moron and useless idiot go to medical school then post on medical stuff otherwise shut your trap Loren

          1. And to further clarify on Aaron’s original question – the SURFACES of electronics can indeed host mites, if only for a short while. So when cleaning just swipe with a disinfectant wipe and it should be good.

      3. I think you offer some good advice but also are hysteria bating a bit. To cover every appliance with Saran Wrap? Did you know,there was a study done–I believe in Germany–where people shared a bed with someone infected with scabies, and even with that close contact, very few people were infected. It is not as easy to catch as you are suggesting.

        1. Hi Dana. I hope no one covers everything in saran wrap! Everything within reason. If you touch it; disinfect it. If you’re not using it, stow it away for awhile.

          Even if someone gets OCD clean freak for a month or two that is FAR better in my mind than dealing with the hysteria of having a long-term scabies infestation and the accompanied fear of not feeling able to eradicate the condition.

          As far as contagiousness – yes, there’s instances where people do not pass off the bugs with people who they are in close proximity with. But also I’ve experienced and heard from MANY people who not only passed the bugs onto their immediately family, but also their friends, co-workers, their gym – even their community at large.

  10. How to clean books and kindle (which is very delicate)? Do electronic items like PCs, remotes, cellphones and other daily use items like cream, and kitchen items can be a source of re-infestation of scabies?
    Can a person with scabies cook for others and wash else’s clothes by hand?
    Any help will be appreciated.
    Thanks

    1. Hi Aaron. I’d recommend using a household disenfectant wipe / spray / rag to clean those small items. As far as washing clothes and cooking, just be aware of avoiding any mutual contact with any surfaces.

  11. Aquarian

    Hi, me and my husband are suffering from scabies and we are also visit skin specialist for treatment. I want to ask that i do not have any dryer or warm washer and could not afford to dryclean all clothes so what other alternatives i can do for it..? Can i pore boiling water on my bed covers, clothes and towels in a tub and keep them in warm water for 10 – 15 minutes to kill scabies and wash them afterwards in simple washing machine..?

      1. Vera Icon

        I was in a similar boat. Although we have washers and dryers on site, they were just too costly to use. I’ve been boiling everything! First thing in the morning I boil mine and my daughters pajamas, jump in the shower with her, I get out after ‘rinsing the surface walkers’ remove the bedding, boil those, hang the PJS, bleach the non porous floors (kitchen and bathroom), jump back into the shower for a more complete wash. I got a mite proof bed cover for our mattress, and it thankfully fit the feather top in it as well! I keep a cloth soaked with cedarwood and tea tree oil in my laptop when not in use (hoping this is enough to kill, or at least drive them out to areas where there are more easily dealt with). I wash my hands several times a day, but my toddlers less often, however I clean the surfaces she touches several times a day (if I can). We take another shower in the evening and use peppermint tea tree oil shampoo with added neem and boil our day clothes, to be hung before bed. I wipe down the mattress and pillows (also covered) with bleach and a damp cloth before remaking it. I have been deep cleaning (Borrowed from a neighbor the same deep cleaner you purchased) and have been doing my floors every 2-3 days, I did my couch the first time, and have covered it with a fresh sheet daily. My biggest challenge is the toddler. I have closed off her bed room for several days now to avoid needing to decontaminate it. I only allow her a few non porous toys that are easy to clean. I wanted to make sure I could get them out of the enviro before wasting time with the creams. So I started this regime shortly after the appearance of our first rash. For the first two or three weeks after the rash I was scrambling to get things lined up for a total eradication (bagging laundry and putting them into storage, the boiling, procuring the deep cleaner, etc). During this time I treated with neem and tea tree in a coconut carrier, found that although it helped keep their numbers down, you’re right, not great for total eradication. But perfect for the time that I needed to line my ducks.
        Getting our script for Permethrin was easy!!! We didnt even have many visual signs. What I did was take several photographs as the rashes, burrows, and bites were fresh and showed them to the Dr when we went to clinic. I TOLD THEM I HAD SCABIES when I called and did not wait for them to come to their own conclusion. They came in thinking it was scabies, agreed with me, gave us the scripts, and home we went to start! That was one week ago today! Tonight we will do the second treatment. Excited! Please tell me that there is a light at the end of this tunnel? Did I miss anything? OH Froze my shoes, and often just put then up for several days because frankly, I’m a single stay at home mom with a special needs toddler, we dont go out much ^.^ Shouldn’t three days untouched do the job with the shoes? I cant afford to buy socks right now either ^.^ So I soak them in hot bleach water every night, wring them out to dry and we each have 2 pairs to rotate. Our tap water is scalding hot!!!

        1. Vera Icon

          Ok, here are some tips for people with small children. A little history, my daughter was born at 1 lb. We’ve been through the gamut. She has several food and environmental allergies, A few of which are potentially fatal. I cover all bases! I don’t play around and her Dr’s know. I’m educated and confident when I go into their clinic. They all know who my daughter and I are because I’ve made it a point that they do. I called two weeks before we went to walk in clinic to make a back-up plan. I explained to the charge nurse, and the pediatrics nurse, to be expecting us at walk in clinic. Bonus, if you tell them you’re likely contagious, you might get lucky in smaller town like mine and not have to sit in the waiting room too long. ^.^ Luckily they were pretty well done with walk in clinic when I came in, two weeks later.
          I now see that first treatment as almost a test run. I messed a lot of things up. BUT I still feel like the majority if not all adults met their demise, except one or two in my hair. So before we even got the creams, to help with treating my daughter. She is vision impaired and has a lot of sensory amplifications. I started massaging her at night right after she fell asleep with moisturizers, essential oils, etc. Test spots of the oils so that I knew if there were reactions. Coconut carrier was ok with her food allergies, I cook with it all the time (we started with a olive oil carrier, coconut oil is much more pleasant). I would give her a good massage and if she woke I would let her know it was for the itches. And the oils did help very much. She came to trust that. Permethrin, same story, different night. ^.^ By this point she’s trusting this is going to help, and I can sleep through it. Her Dr gave me a script for benedryl, you can get it over the counter, but her insurance pays for it, so that’s what I do. I give her one dose before bed, helps her sleep more soundly, fight waking up, and helps keep her from scratching at her face with her meds on. She tends to put her hands in her mouth but hates being restricted (undoubtedly from being a NICU baby, she doesnt like things on her hands, in particular). I used tights both times we used the Permethrin. and put pajama on over them. Did her hands and chest first, then the rest of her body, put the tights on right before slipping her back into her favorite footies (added comfort). Then continue with a full face/scalp rub down (as suggested with babies. She is a 20 lb 2.5 yr old now). Close attention to all creases. Her hands and feet, nails, etc. I did my head too. My toddler plays with my face a lot, I’ve been feeling them in my hair and on my face, so no way was going to leave a place uncovered this time around. Just be careful. DONT MISS ANYTHING. You know where they’re hiding because if you did it right the first time, you’ve been feeling the eggs and larvae and should have a good idea of where you need to focus for round two. ^.^ 24 hours after first treatment we both felt the next generation hatching. It’s a horrible feeling, but the silence of the previous 24 hours let me knew the cream worked on all adults. Felt the pins and needles of the larvae doing their thing. 3 days of that and 4 days of molting. You want to get them exactly one week, if you can! They are not adults (if you did your job in your environment and on your body). No new eggs are laid if you killed them all with the first one. I’m pretty sure I did that. 2nd treatment I was waaay more liberal with the cream. I want them gone! I will keep you posted! Freezing shoes in a bag was an awesome tip! With a toddler I find she was always trying to put my shoes on if I left them out. I’ve done both in the freezer and in bags in the closet.

          1. Thanks so much for your wisdom and advice, Vera Icon!

          2. Vera Icon

            So here we are a couple months later and I am confident that we are clean! I can totally see how people will panic and retreat several times. DONT DO THAT! I had to fight the urge and a lot of it seemed psychological. When I would get a post scabies bump suddenly I’d start feeling the sensation of being bitten again, but it just wasnt the case. We’ve had no new burrows and there are less and less rogue hives. The hives come and go, one or two hives every 3 weeks or so. Your skins healing process can cause itching sensations that make you worry. I’ve been sing my coconut and neem oils to keep moisturized and my skin has never felt better. I still can see a few little red marks on my skin, but hoping with time those too will heal! Good luck everyone!!! You got this, just dont panic 🙂

        2. Thank you for taking the time to write this. We all appreciate it.

          1. Vera Icon

            I am just praying that this was all enough! Frankly, it’s exhausting and my hands are already full with a vision impaired toddler! There are silver linings though! I found out that neem is an excellent cure for the psoriasis I have had for over a decade, and that cedarwood oil is very good for my anxiety disorder. It’s a humble Christmas, and that can’t be a bad thing either. ^.^ I will come back an update you in a couple of weeks when I know for sure. Thanks for having a less scary blog/forum for discussing this. You’re right about the misinformation and fear mongering from other sites.

      2. So if burnjng them kn drier works why doesn’t sitring in pipping hot water work? I’m not itchy like thag bur my daughter has gotten real bad she has scabs all throughout her leg and some flaky skin. I cry each time I see it and think about it. Its horrible. I have the perthrim cream I did a first dose gonna do a second and I ordered naturalis products that will arrI’ve tuesday. Smh I am just about to throw out mostly all my clothes and my kods stuffed animals and clothes just start over. I am so dramatized. My baby is in pain.

        1. Dryer dries them out at temperatures over 122′ Fahrenheit and killed all stages of the mites.

          Normal wash agitation with detergent supposedly kills them too (unrelated to temperature).

          Water at 122′ causes first and second degree burns on people.

          1. Christy

            Linda, just curious if the naturalis products were of any help?

  12. Debbie Harrison

    Thank you so very much for your website. After reading your suggestion for using Natural Chemistry De Flea Pet Spray for surface cleaning for scabies mites, I tried it for bird mites. It is the only product I have tried that seems to kill bird mites with contact. According to the scientific literature, D. Gallinae has become resistant to most chemicals we use to kill mites. I use the De Flea shampoo on me and the spray on surfaces and clothes. I also use your laundry suggests for getting them out of my clothes. I will be eternally grateful to you.

  13. neversure

    I don’t like it when people give advice with such fervor. Neem/tea tree are great in dealing with scabies in my experience. Also you don’t have to be paranoid about surfaces and everything you touch and everyone you get in contact with. The nice thing about essential oils is that you can keep applying them for as long as you want and they will give you relief and eventually will get rid of all the mites. Neem has been tested on animals and has been shown to be effective since it’s an oil if you leave it long enough it penetrates into your skin.

    1. I tried neem and tea tree oil for two months. Daily applications, morning and night to no avail. It was a lot of work and money. And while it did lessen the strength of my infection, it never eradicated them. This is the same story i’ve been hearing all over.

      But i WAS cured from permethrin + ivermectin. That’s for sure. As were many other people, including my family and friends.

      I prefer being “paranoid” read = mindful of surfaces and what an infected person comes in contact with. That just makes sense to me.

      About essential oils and mites: yes you can keep applying them and experience some relief, but they will not eventually get rid of all the mites. Yes, neem penetrates into your skin. It surround the mites. But – and this is a big but – the mites use a protective layer (created with enzymes in their saliva) that act as a protective barrier. This is mainly present around eggs. So while application of essential oils can eradicate some of the adults, you are not stopping the proliferation of the new babies about to hatch!

      I hope this helps clarify why i’ve written this guide in the way i have. Please provide any feedback!

      1. Anastasia

        Please take into consideration that what will work for some, does not work for all. All methods can be tried, ultimately it is important to attack this pest from MANY angles. Whatever works for you, do it! Some it will be essential oils, some may need to use the over-the-counter creams. I know myself, the synthetic creams hurt me. But also, too much tea tree oil can also be caustic. It takes a balance of a variety of methods. Currently a balanced combination of tea tree, sulphur compound, neem & lavender oils, Diatomaceous earth, boosting the immune system, and most of all staying positive! I cannot express how staying positive is really such a big KEY! Positivity & Balance are vital! I’ve read some of the stories on here where people have been contracted with the pest for years! That sucks, but I wonder how their mental well being & immune system was during that time. It’s a huge factor that will speed along the recovery rate of ANY illness, big or small.

        1. I wholeheartedly agree in many ways. Positivity will help heal all facets of life and reduce sickness. BUT… In this case, with these bugs, the drugs permethrin and ivermectin are the only *cures* I can recommend. Everything else can help, and many natural solutions will support cleaning your house and such, but when it comes to removing the bugs from your own body – it’s those two drugs that will do the work that’s needed.

  14. Nazmud Duza

    I am carrying scabies intermittently for the last eight years for now at the age of 46. I had it thrice at my earlier stages of life for the a shorter duration. I am pretty sure doctors know very little about scabies compared to the chronic scabies patients. It’s not so easy a disease.
    My most important observation is scabies doesn’t thrive on the skin of everyone. Some people like us are highly prone and most of the doctors` experience do not fit that. And that is highly regrettable.
    Now a days I use anti mosquito spray for general space disinfectant. Clean my rooms every day. Wash my clothes every alternate day but press every piece of clothe with hot iron before wearing. Use towel once and wash again.
    For treatment I use anti lice soap for bath which I take twice a day. Hot baths help also.
    Then put thick permethrin spots over scabies bumps which most of the time I have one or two.
    To complete cure I try two or three weekly doses of ivermectin plus permethrin spot applications.
    .
    Thus it goes away but I am sure that it will come back again anytime during moist seasons due to my non vigilance on any careless month.
    Several applications of full body permethrin and reinfection cycle is dangerous. Once it made me very sick. Though permethrin is most powerful but if you sweat and clothes wipe out permethrin then ivermectin is the natural choice along with thick spot application of permethrin on stubborn bumps.

    I hate it. It sucks my time and effort.

    But I hope one day I will find some permanent cure from a mix of herb essence. Others are not equally prone like me and I lack something. Fauna get their feeds primarily from flora. I hope in the flora I shall get that input one day.

    1. sufferer

      I apply 10% permethrin all over my body 2 times a week for the last 6 months. I was clean for a few days but then reinfected from someone I infected earlier … I think only death will cure me.

    2. your comment was very helpful. i think you are getting re-infected by someone or some place you are going to.

  15. I have been battling scabies since April and have been misdiagnosed all way up until just Tuesday. I went to the dermatologist and she confirmed it was scabies. she prescribed ivermectin only because I’m allergic to permethrin. Will this work? What else could I do to be sure this is completely gone?!

  16. hating scabies

    In Canada, Saskatchewan to be exact. Myself, and my 9 month old have these ugly things; how would I treat an infant, and what is permethrin + ivermectin…? I tried googling, nothing came up. What is it, is it available in Canada, is it safe for infants, google said its a lotion and oral pill? I tried borax baths, with tea tree oil, ran out and the bumps came back in my son and I.
    We need this ugly rash to go away!!

  17. If you put items in a plastic bag and leave them there for a month,would that kill any mites and eggs that were on those items?
    How effective is Lysol spray in killing scabies that are on a unsheeted mattress, furniture upholstery, car interior?

  18. Vera Icon

    I’m Back ^.^ Treatment appears to have gone well. We have minimal post scabies itches so far. I have had ‘blackheads’ where I thought the infestation was worse. Presumably this is my body working to eliminate them. Since both my daughter and I didnt scratch, and therefore had no real secondary infections to worry about, and or the mites remained close to the surface, so I hope our post scabies experience is short lived. I do have a question about environment. At what point can I stop boiling the bedding and clothes every day? I dont mind the floor mopping and wiping surfaces, that’s part of our normal every day, But at what point can I leave sheets on for two-three days before removing to wash? I just want to be able to relax a little for this holiday. Thank you!! ^.^

    1. Larry S.

      After four months of seeing walk-in clinics, doctors, emergency rooms (for uncontrollable itching) and an allergy specialist, I’ve finally been diagnosed as having Scabies. I’ve been prescribed the Permethrin 5% as well as the shampoo (Perm. 1% conditioner….the mites are in my scalp as well).

      I live by myself in a private residence. My intent is to check into a hotel room for one night with uninfected clothing packed in a sealed plastic bag. Take the Permethrin treatment (overnight), put all the clothing I wore up till then in a sealed plastic (ziplock) bag, and put on the “safe” clothing. Since I slept on the sheets in that hotel room, I’m thinking of moving to a different hotel room for a further 7 days.

      Am I correct in assuming that, since there will have been no “human host” in my house for 8 days, the mites will have died off and I am “safe” to return home? I have numerous Persian rugs throughout my house, and I’m concerned these may still be contaminated. Also, should I wash the bedding in my home BEFORE vacating for my hotel stay, or is it “safe” to do this after I return?

      I haven’t been able to resist scratching much, so I have no doubt there is dead skin on the bedding (even though it was only washed yesterday) and on the rugs.

      Is there anything I’m not taking into consideration?

      1. Hi Larry. It sounds like you have a pretty good plan. I’d recommend washing the bedding beforehand, just to be extra precautionary. As for returning, it’s likely that all of the mites will have died off. I’d hate to give a “definite” answer on this since there is still a potential grey area surrounding their expected life spans. For example, a small aggregation of mites could survive beyond 8 days if there’s a good deal of dead skin around them to find nourishment from. This can happen with incessant scratching. I would recommend cleaning what you can before leaving your house as much as possible.

        1. As a health care professional I contracted scabies from a patient. I’m still battling on 6 months later, I have instituted the procedures you recommend and have followed them rigorously. However these creatures harbour in small crannies of absolutely everything..so …walls and ceilings need washing steaming and bleaching I also am spraying down with net tex total mite kill this includes the car. As for going away …These microscopic terminators lay eggs in the environment especially around your fav places. They hatch at between 10 to 17 days or on contact with the skin and the process begins again. They also infest wood which also needs treating. Deep clean the whole house for at least a month follow the advice given by Loren then follow your plan. A professional pest company may help with the eradication process..regards…

      2. Anony mouse

        To Larry S.-

        I understand how you are trying to solve YOUR problem….but what about the maids changing your sheets? Or the next guest in the room?!

  19. I have scabies and I think my baby does too. Two dermatologists said it looks like classic scabies but couldn’t find under a microscope but said that isn’t unusual. I really do not itch much and this I am just a symptomatic. I am about to do my scond round of permithan cream on wed. I’m concerned because our two yr old and seven month can only be treated every two weeks. That’s next week. I am worried I will get it again from the baby before he can be treated again. Does anyone know how many times you can use that cream? The doctor said usually two treatments is all you need.

    1. Hi Andrea.

      Two treatments of permethrin should be effective as long as:

      1.) The treatments are applied thoroughly and evenly across the skin.

      2.) Your environment is clean and bug free in order to resist re-infection. This includes people, animals and surfaces in your environment.

      1. ItchyandbiTchy

        What does treated animals involve?

    2. Anastasia

      Be careful with your baby and the permetherin cream!!! PLEASE! Sometimes adverse reactions can happen like chemical burns! That happened to me, now everyone is different but my body is highly-sensitive to chemicals. I do not doubt a baby would also be highly-reactive. The cream may work for you, but for your baby I highly recommend using a sulphur compound in liposome of 6-10%. It is all natural and COMPLETELY SAFE for anyone! Even infants!! (The FDA will not approve this but that’s because it must be made from scratch and they have not developed a system which can measure organic matter.)

      1. +1 with the caution.
        I don’t know much about liposome.. but I will do some research. Thank you for your comment Anastasia.

  20. Tired mama

    “But alas, I was wrong. Over the next couple months I unknowingly continued to carry around mites which led to a couple of my good friends getting infected themselves. This was really devastating to me.”

    This is my biggest fear. That I could think we’re cured when we’re not. I have/had an almost asymptomatic case of scabies so it’s kinda hard to tell if it’s gone. How did you pass on to friends, physical contact or just being in the same area as them? Also were you using sulfur at the time you thought you were cured? Was there any other indication other than friends getting it that you still had it? Like I still feel pin pricks and crawling but have no bumps.

  21. Oh my. What a load of misinformation. … Tea tree oil will NOT cure you??? I am a physician myself and I searched the primary medical literature through a fine comb and found papers in the Australian Journal of Dermatology or a journal of a similar name a study that showed significantly GREATER efficacy of treatment with tea tree oil than with standRd 5% permethrin. Your errors should really be corrected because essential oils have been a lifesaver.

    1. Hi Isa. Have you yourself been cured of scabies by using tea tree oil?

      In my experience it did not cure me. And I applied it extensively over a long period of time. I also tried clove, neem, etc. But they just never finished the job. And I’ve heard similar tales from other sufferers.

      If you have a story about how you cured yourself with tea tree please share your application methods and general protocol for your cure. It would be nice to not have to deal with chemicals like permeth if possible. I do hope you’re right. But I haven’t yet heard of a successful cure by only using tea tree.

  22. angel taylor

    Hello. Thank-you SO MUCH for the link to permethrin on Amazon!! My Dr. was only willing to prescribe 1 tube of the cream. It worked great for about a week then gradually I began itching more and more. Thankfully I found your site and ordered 2 bottles (1 to make into cream and the other to treat my dogs and home) I poured some of the solution into our carpet cleaner instead of the usual cleaning solution. Also I bought a pump sprayer from Lowes (8.00) I put water and permethrin in it and sprayed EVERYTHING… tile, furniture. appliances, cabinets, countertops. I then sprinkled boric acid onto my carpet let it sit overnight then vacuumed it up (hopefully killing any living in my vacuum!) I made the dipping as instructed for my dogs then treated myself and my husband. We have been battling these pests for a month now and thanks to you we see a light at the end of the tunnel. Thanks again!!!!

    1. You are very welcome and thank you for sharing your story. It sounds like you are taking good care of your situation. I wish the best for you and your family!

      1. Darlene

        Should I vacuum first or shower before treatment?

  23. Hello

    It’s been awhile since anyone has commented. But I’m supper worried because my neighbour ( same house different suites, separated by a door to a laundry room which is shared) said her and her daughter have scabies.
    I’ve read everywhere that animals CAN NOT pass it to humas because it is a different type of ” scabies”, because we have a dog and cat. But we have no symptoms or anything noticeable on our bodies. I’m sorry if this seems rude, but how do we know what you’re saying is true when other sites are saying that animals cannot pass to humans?

    Also we share the laundry room. I am a little nervous about that because of the washing machine but thought as long as we use it on hot water and use the dryer on hot water we will be fine, but our washer/ dryer is pretty old, and the hot water cycle uses hot then cold to rinse, is that going to be good enough?
    I’m now also worried about them just being in the room and from me just touching things. Also we got home and she left all her dirty clothes sitting in the laundry room… I would really appreciate some feedback because I don’t want to catch them. Hearing everyone’s problems with them I want to do everything I can to not catch them.

    1. Thanks for your comment, Mandy.

      No you definitely do not want to catch them! If you end up with them I promise you’ll regret not taking any precautions that you could have.

      As far as animals acting as mite carriers: other sources are correct – scabies mites do not infest pets like they do humans. But, and this is a big but, they can house mites for a short amount of time. Scabies can live away from a human host for days. And in a variety of places. On clothes, furniture, house hold surfaces or on your pets. They don’t love pets like they do us, but they’re happy to latch on for a ride in hopes of finding a new human host.

      For laundry I’d honestly just recommend using a different location as your neighbors. Whether they move or you do. It’s just risky otherwise. Also you’d be able to ensure you’re using a sufficiently hot machine. Hopefully your neighbors get cured soon and it would only be temporary adjustment.

      Hope this helps! Leave another reply if you have questions or comments.

      1. FEONA mARXX

        Hi Admin; Case-in-point: Scabies can be contracted by our pets, as in my case – where I didn’t know I had them for the first 5 or 6 weeks and was blowing my hair dry and blowing them everywhere as well as into his ears.

        They started in-on my head from a wig I purchased from an on-line shopping channel – that was manufactured in Korea!

        My puddy-tat, only 12, died from renal failure induced by the toxins I had to use on him to try to kill the scabies mites he had contracted in his ears.

        They were getting stronger and stronger from products the Vet prescribed and he was a strictly indoor cat. He reinfested me 3x by the time he passed!

        It was sad to lose him, he was family – I’d had him since 4 months. . .we lived alone!

        I am now just finishing off the 3rd reinfestation of them attacking my face from having to remove his body from the premises over 4 months ago.

        I am fighting these CSers one year now, this month of February 2016 and am trying Permethrin – again!

        This time they crusted in-on my eyebrows and under my chin. They stated on my head – right where the effin’ wig -s, there were 2 of them – sat!

        I’ll get them all! My mental state is fine! I work from home and were I not to, I surely would be unemployed by now!

        It is a daunting task! But I shall succeed!

  24. Hey friend,

    I have a case of super strong scabies, perm and ivermectin also failed. I have taken heavy dosages of ivermectol tabs that also failed. I have a microscope that confirm the thing, I dont think anybody has more knowledge than me on this topic. clove oil has worked initially but mine disease became resistant to that also. I have spent 7 years, still unable to find cure.

    I want to correct some points:

    Mites cannot survive laundry, the soap and sun dries and kills them wthin one day.

    Poisons don’t work because they are available in market at lower concentrations and higher concentrations are not available because it would harm human. so we are making parasites stronger by giving them required dosage.

    Trust me 90% doctors are idiots. 10% don’t have time because they are genius.

    Mites can survive on scalp and face also, which doctors don’t accept.

    Sweating helps too much in scabies.

    They can be only killed if you suffocate them. Which is very difficult. coz they can live upto around 4 hours without oxygen.

    If these mites are in group they can cut anything and they will give u microscopic wounds.

    If i found a cure it would be the happiest day of my life and i would sell the cure for free… because i dont want anybody to live like me.

    Righ now i am searching which chemical can dissolve chitin… if you find it help me.

    1. Thanks for your comment, Anshaj. I’m very sorry that you’ve been stuck with this miserable condition for so long.

    2. Anastasia

      Have you tried ingesting food-grade diatomaceous earth? Your local health food store should know all about it if you haven’t heard of it. If you choose to take it, it’s very important to remember to start off in small doses and drink LOTS of water!

    3. Ansh

      What dosage of ivermectin are you taking.
      Go to Amazon and search Durvet Ivermectin paste. There was a comment under 165 customer reviews from a couple that used it to rid themselves of scabies.
      They gave specific comments.
      Here is their review from Amazon. I hope it helps.

      I am a 46 year old female who had scabies and my 44 year old husband was infected also. After approximately 5 LONG, excruciating months of 2 ER visits, 3 MedPoint visits (the initial MedPoint visit resulted in an inaccurate diagnosis of a skin dermatitis along with an outlandish expensive prescription of steroid cream that horrifically accelerated the scabies – putting scabies on steroids is REALLY not good), multiple Doctor prescribed permethrin applications….which did nothing… we then resorted to sulfur dips, wrapping our bodies in Saran Wrap after a bleach bath, peroxide application, rubbing alcohol application, and application of a mixture of grapeseed oil, clove EO, lemongrass EO, tea tree EO, neem oil, 10% permethrin insecticide. We covered our furniture and home with DE. We treated our 2 cats for scabies (which included months of boarding them so we would not have to give them up, as we had read so many instances of re-infection caused by pets). We were spraying our bodies with Lysol disinfectant at the sight of a track formation. We were bathing with a mixture of Kleen Green, the same essential oils mentioned previously mixed with expensive anti-fungal body wash. We were using neem soap religiously, ingesting neem oil and neem supplements, taking immune system boosting supplements… Approximately $8,000 or more later out of pocket expenses (NOT including ER visits, which we basically are refusing to pay because the ER Doctors at South Bend Memorial don’t care and know nothing about scabies…we discovered), I read here on Amazon of other individuals who had success treating their scabies and we finally had reached the point of resorting to ordering it, as no doctor would prescribe the human form of Ivermectin – EVEN UPON REQUEST. I can tell you that I sincerely thank those individuals that spoke of their success on Amazon. Within just days after use – my husband and I chose to do the 250 lb dosage each day (our actual weights are approximately him at 165 and myself at 110), the scabies were GONE for good just 5 days or less later and we had stopped all the crazed freezing of our keys, wallets, jewelry, etc.. each night along with the meticulous Lysol spraying of anything we touched, the rubbing alcohol and bleach spraying of daily changed fresh bedsheets.

      So, to close this review off… If you have scabies, do nothing else but order this inexpensive product and get your sanity and life back as fast as humanly possible within just days with this inexpensive, quick to receive product. Side effects: NONE, except actually finally getting rid of scabies.

      1. Seriously seeking real answers

        Warning … I’ve been involved with animal rescue 20 plus years, have epidemiology classes I’ve taken and I can tell you Ivermectin CAN be deadly. In 2005 I was treating a dog with advanced stage mange …sertoptic (sp?) Mites. After bathing her in a vet prescribed ivermectin shampoo for months, I’d soaked enough of it in my body to become nutropenic (sp?) ….kidney damage and liver damage and a period that lasted three weeks. The put me in ICU in a saferoom for a month with less than a five percent chance of living.

        Jump forward 10 years and it seems I have scabies. No one I know has scabies. I have no animals with symptoms (seritioptic mange in animals I swear are the same as scabies in humans though science says it’s a bit different) and have treated all animals and my home with Lyme sulfer dip (we all smell like rotten eggs,but whatever I just want yo be normal again some day and not look like the rotting walking dead or itch to the point of wanting to light myself on fire. I have tried ALL the stuff mentioned …no cure. I finally added topical vet ivermectin into the mix …helped for short term …then came back raging. So….may risk death and get the oral ivermecyin treatments soon and stay in a hotel for three days after …having my mom go in the home three times a day to care for animals…cleaning carefully. Also going to have my kids go stay with her …doing the permetherin cream after showering and her throw their close in hot washing machine immediately giving the clean clothes she’ll have had up there for a week before. They have no symptoms …but want to be done with this … All the science I’ve read says three days of no human skin …they die. So …. If we put bed enclosure sacks over our beds and Lyme sulfer dip pets before we leave … I’m HOPING this works. Ideas??? Thoughts???

  25. I am hoping my infestation isn’t as stubborn as some I have read about. I hope I have been being very careful. We just finished our second round of Perm. Treated myself and everyone in my family. Have isolated myself to a couple of places in the house. My sons never showed any signs, but we’ve been doing the same for them as me. I’m washing all of our sheets and towels daily (hot water, hot dryer). After the initial hot water wash of blankets, I’m putting them and the pillows in the dryer on hot for 30 minutes daily. I’m wearing skin-covering clothing and washing that daily, too. Anything that can’t be washed I put in the freezer over night. Vacuumed and threw away the bag, and I’m going to do that again today.

    My big question…and one that I have searched and not seen the answer to ANYWHERE… How do I know that I and my house are rid of them? Looking at the life cycle of the things, and knowing that they die after 3 days of non-human contact, and that a re-infestation shows up in 1-4 days, I would assume that after no new signs, a home would be considered “safe” after a week or two, but I can’t find anything that talks about this. What do you think?

    Your website was OH so helpful. I certainly hope I have warded off the re-infestation thing!

    1. Thanks for your comment, Carol. It sounds like you’ve been taking good care of the situation so far. On how to know if you’re rid of them… basically if the symptoms start to decline and continue to gradually improve over a weeks time then you’ve likely eradicated them. We can only go off of our physical sensations since they aren’t visible to the eyes. So if there’s less itchiness and no new track marks / bumps then you’re likely to be in the clear. But it’s not always easy to tell, since post scabies sensations can crop up and often resemble active scabies. But they too should begin to fade. I’d say after 2 weeks you’ll likely know for sure.

      1. Oh, THANK YOU! You should see the smile on my face! That is good news, indeed! So to be perfectly sure…you’re saying I should continue my super-clean-every-day-laundry routine until I’m seeing that kind of improvement for 2 weeks? Whew!
        Thanks so much for your excellent website and calm character! Such a good job!

  26. Freezing everything is the way to go. I have had scabies for over 6 months. Scabies live in our body temp. of 98 degrees. Our bodies are 80 percent water. I was soaking everything for several hours in the washer every day for months. Drying everything in the dryer until very hot. It’s breeding the scabies like crazy !!! I have proved it 3 times in the last 2 weeks. You know how you put on your “Clean” clothes, socks, shoes, etc., and go to bed in your “Clean” blankets? And all the sudden you feel scabies all over you and you assume all the scabies you feel moving came from within your body, to outside of your body, then on to your clothes, socks, shoes, blankets? Well seriously, they came mostly from without, you hatched them in your dryer. I have went 2 weeks, 24 hours, with little itching, which came from the inside of my skin, not from the outside, my clothes and blankets. This is all I have for now, I had my adult child with scabies come over, wash clothes, blankets, I did my laundry a few days later, major outbreak again. We plan on putting all this information together and making it work. I will give an update, I just want to get this word out. Thank you everyone for everything. I just want to share the love.

  27. Just found I have these little buggers!! Been 2 c the doc & been given cream, theres a lot of things on the net giving advice, but u seem 2 have most things covered in this page!! I’m hoping now I’m finally going 2 get a good nights sleep!!! Well in the very near future!! Thanks for all the helpful info!!

  28. Big wave dave

    Thank you so much to the Loren of this page for creating this forum and Lorenistering it well. I have no idea how I got scabies, not because I am such a clean guy but rather a bit of the opposite. My doctor gave me Ivermectin tablets and crotamitin cream and of course told me to wash all my clothes in boiling hot water.

    My itching at first was confined to my butt cheeks and later waistline which is not unusual for a surfer. But when it did not go away and became ridiculiusly annoying I went to the doctor and scabies was his diagnosis.

    My first round if treatment went smoothly but I was not aware of how persistent this problem is, so when it started to come back i got more serious about irradication.

    I bought the permethrin cream this time instead of crotamitin and I also went to a vet store and bought permethrin spray for pets so I could use it all over my car seat, ball caps and shoes etc. Also my body for that hard to reach place on my back.

    I took the advice from this site and bagged up all my clean, boiled, and sun dried clothes except for one set of bed sheets and pillow cases and 2 sets of surf shorts, a t shirt and a button shirt for going out. Ah and two towels one for morning one for night.

    In the morning I put my sheets and used towel in a bucket of boiled water and then pick my shorts and shirt off the line and hang the sheets and towel on the line. Vice versa at night.

    I dont know how often i should apply the perm cream but it sounds like twice a week for two weeks should be alright. Last night i took an ivermectin pill and plan on taking one of those twice a week for two weeks as well.

    I have read that the crotamitin cream is not as potent as the perm cream but im going to pick some more up anyway because IT FEELS GREAT! I especially want to share that one with the community because it really does feel fantastic and could be worth using both at the initial stages as well as again once one has thoroughly finished their scabies protocol or whatever to get rid of the supposed post treatment ir post scabies itches that cause so many doubts in a recovering patient, because it kills mites as well as soothes itches.

    I also plan on surfing more as many have mentioned the benefits of soaking in salt water!

    I am also considering buying a washer and dryer because it would probably save me money at the laundry anyway.

    There are also some hot sulphur springs nearby me but im not sure how safe that would be for the rest of the community.

    I really appreciate this site because the Topix site was kind of freaking me out. A lot of Howard Hughes types out there as well as real confirmed sufferers of course.

    If anybody has anything to add or suggest, especially tge Loren, i welcome your input. I agree that a positive attitude is key. One downside of ivervectin is that it makes you drowsy, forgetful and lazy which definitely works against you. Of course my doctor misprescribed it too me as well. He had me taking it twice a day for three days which is borderline brain damage instead of just 2 pills a week or two apart.

    If anybody has anything to add let me know. I love the shoes in the freezer idea. I will try that with my hats as well.

    1. Big wave dave

      Sorry for all the misspellings

  29. Jennifer

    I went through the misery of scabies 2 years ago, for 3 months. I can attest to how easy it is to contract them – I got them from sitting in a chair for a few minutes at my sister’s house – she had scabies but didn’t know it yet. About a month later, I got these really itchy red bumps. At first I thought they were spider bites. When they didn’t get any better, and more bumps appeared adjacent a few days later, I thought “well, the spider didn’t come BACK and just decide to bite me right next to where he bit me last time,” and through some miraculous stroke of luck, the word “scabies” popped into my mind. I went and looked it up, and sure enough, that’s what it was.

    The first thing I did is call everyone who I had been around recently to give them a heads-up to be on the lookout. That’s when my sister figured out she was Scabies Mary. Even worse, sis is a hypochondriac so at first we didn’t know whether to believe she had them or not. But she did, which solved the riddle of where I got them. She couldn’t get rid of them with the permethrin but then again, she never did do what she needed to do to clean her house. She frequented the topix forums and spent a year – and probably close to a thousand dollars – trying all the crazy remedies anonymous internet nuts had posted. Me? Since I lacked the funds to go to the doctor, I first tried neem lotion & oil. It did a pretty good job of knocking the mites down after a month of use, but unfortunately, did not kill them all – a month after I stopped using it, they were back and everywhere – scalp & face included. The day I felt the crawling on one of my upper eyelids was the final straw. I went down to the feed store & bought some Durvet pour-on ivermectin for cattle for about $20. I took it home, measured out the correct dose by weight, diluted it down with distilled water to a 1.25% solution, put it in a spray bottle, stood in the shower and sprayed down every square inch of my body & let it dry. I repeated the treatment every 7 days for a couple of weeks – total of 3 treatments – just to be sure. Scabies gone.

    I was fortunate in that I live alone so there was no chance of me getting re-infested by someone else in the household. I found that I didn’t have to be as stringent with the cleaning routine – I restricted myself to a few places to sit in the house and after the initial cleaning, I draped those spots with sheets I would pull off and wash with the bed sheets & towels daily in hot water with borax. But really, I didn’t worry so much with putting shoes in the freezer, etc., though all dirty clothes went into a sealed plastic bag until I was ready to wash them, just to keep any mites on them from wandering back to me. The other lucky break was that it was summertime, so just parking the car with the windows up made sure it got hot enough that none of the mites could survive. This was important since I had a travelling job and was in the car for long periods every day; no way would I have been able to keep up with disinfecting the car on a daily basis, so I let the sun do it for me. Also, since I was continuously treating when using the neem, then doing repeated treatments when I used the ivermectin, I figured that if any mites got back on me, the stuff I was using would kill them anyway, so I didn’t worry overmuch about getting crazy with the cleaning – just basic stuff like sheets, towels, not wearing clothing again without washing, etc.

    I can completely recommend the Durvet pour-on as a cure – it comes as a 5% solution (5% ivermectin; 95% alcohol). I speculated that it might work better than taking ivermectin internally since it works by absorbing through the skin, which is where the scabies are, then getting into the bloodstream and circulating though the body. That’s just my speculation though. If anyone decides to try this, don’t be taken aback by all the “not for human use” labels on the box – that’s corporate butt-covering. The only thing in the Durvet is ivermectin & alcohol. You do want to dilute it for a couple of reasons – the first being that anything that’s 95% alcohol will be extremely drying to your skin if applied undiluted; the second being that your measured dosage will be a very small amount, not enough to spray all over your body. That was important to me since I had them on my face & scalp and wanted to be able to spray there too on the theory that it would help kill mites as it absorbed through the skin. It goes without saying that even diluted, you are spraying alcohol on your body so if you’re spraying your face you want to keep your eyes and mouth shut until it dries. If anyone decides to try the Durvet, follow the dosing instructions on the box – something like x ml per 10 lbs of body weight. Measure out the correct dose & put it in your spray bottle, then add 4 x that amount of distilled water. So if you’re using 10 ml of Durvet, add 40 ml of water. Spray yourself down & air dry, then put on your clothes & go about your business. Repeat after a week and again after another week just to be sure. In the meantime, keep washing sheets & towels etc. It sounds strange to spray yourself down with what is essentially cattle dip, but if you’ve looked around online you’ve no doubt come across “cures” that involve putting much stranger things on – and in – your body. For me, I was more comfortable spraying something on than I was in eating horse paste; YMMV. What I can say is – the Durvet works to get rid of scabies, with no side effects that I noticed.

    Good luck & happy scabies killing!

    1. Thank you for sharing your story and advice Jennifer. Really good information that I’m sure will help a lot of people.

      1. Jessica

        I have been suffering with scabies for almost two year’s now. After going to a treatment center for a addiction problem I got really bad swelling in my ankles. It wasn’t until about six months later I felt a crawling sensation on my back.i would look in the mirror and see what I thought was dead skin. Never in my life works I think it was what I soon discovered. I heard about scabies in the past and when the rash I got on my back got so bad I invested in a microscope. The tiny white things I had thought were dead skin were in fact scabies. Microscopic they say but almost microscopic is actually what they are. What I have witnessed and experienced in the last year has been a complete living hell. By the time I realized it was scabies I had had them for over six months and they had infested my whole body. By far the worst is my face. I literally had them go up my nose threw my sinus and out the side of my eye lid that was swollen shut from how many were in there. Scratching my eye would have the basterds falling out of my eye lid. I look at it as lets say you see one ant, hard to see right? Well a whole pile of ants you couldn’t miss. This became the case for me. I could take a knife and scrape skin from my leg and get piles of the dried up dead ones. I learned that they are really smart and the dead ones will go to the surface and they form a protective layer which makes it that much harder to treat. I have tried everything out there and at this point have just learned to deal with it. It has ruined me and my life. I am so afraid of the fact that friends and family will get it that I am living in hotels trying to rid them. The worst part is having no support as everyone close to me thinks I have gone nuts. I have some advice though. Baby powder associate’s them and this will make then come up and out of the skin. It’s proof that you can see them. I think it could cure them if you are not badly infested. Also everything on here is good advice. I think it’s different for everyone just like most things so just keep your head up and stay positive. I know when I first realised what it was I was terrified. The thing that has helped me most is realizing that I can deal with them. I am so happy to be going to a dermatologist that specializes in parasites on Monday. My scabies have gotten to the point my whole body is completely covered. They are my skin now. It’s horrible. I wouldn’t wish this on my worst enemy. I can’t wait to have proof for my family too. I went to so many Dr appt and the hospital and they just didn’t know what to look for so it’s promising this specialist will know. I will post pictures of piles of them from my tv microscope and piles of dead ones outside the skin after my Dr visit. I wish anyone and everyone suffering with this nothing but the best. I am thankful that there is a site like this to help one another threw this horrible thing.

        1. Michelle

          Did you get to your appointment? What did the dr say? What treatment are they giving you?

    2. About durvet: Jennifer who wrote August 2015…. Did the durvet seem too gooey, thick – and so forth – to make it through a sprayer? My hopes were sky high years ago when I bought it. I was reading the reviews on Amazon and it sounded like the answer. The winners were, again, the mites, those hated biting _______. You’ll probably never see my post, here in 2017; no doubt your life is back. You now have a life. They cycle back and though my habits are a bit Obsessive about clean living here they are I am going to buy durvet and hope to dilute and do as you did. ….not many letters can you find on any site telling they’ve licked this. I am guessing anyone who conquers this is too wrapped up in the freedom of a normal life to go back anywhere and talk of their nightmare. Thanks for doing so.

      1. Jennifer L Polk

        It’s your lucky day, Elle – I do come back and read this occasionally.

        Durvet is not at all sticky or gooey. It’s liquid, blue in color, so if you got something sticky or gooey, you didn’t buy Durvet ivermectin POUR ON. This is the Durvet intended for external use on cattle; it’s “cattle dip” or more accurately, cattle stripe-on treatment. It’s 95% alcohol so there’s no way for it to be sticky or gooey and it won’t clog a spray bottle.

        I am still scabies-free four years after curing them with the Durvet and recommend it as the fastest and cheapest way to get rid of scabies.

  30. hi …am affect scabies for last 2 month ..i have use permithen 5% tube in two times..and permithen 5%liquid oill one time…but no use…how to cure me…

  31. Scabies can be removed by heat compressions and/or very warm water. This courage the mites out of their burrows in the skin. Then treat them. If you are soaking in water, the mites should easily float away.

    1. I wish it were that easy! A hot bath could solve it then 🙂

  32. miserylovescompany

    Thanks Loren for the comprehensive list and forum. I’ve had this off and on for a couple years now I think; the way I self-diagnosed was while watching an Anne Frank movie and the nazi doctor was inspecting for people to be moved to ‘the scabies block’… “oh, sh…t, that looks familiar”
    I’m buying the humidity connection as the past month was terrible here in so cal. permethrin helps and I intend to keep at it.

  33. Thank you for this great website, what a fantastic resource. I have had scabies for the past six months, and have treated it with permethrin 5 times and ivermectin 3 times to no success. For a while my doctors thought that it wasn’t scabies because of this (exzema, allergies) but recently my dermatologist diagnosed me with scabies again. The only reason I can think of that it wasn’t cured before is either it was in my hair, or there’s a really intense infestation in my mattress or my car with cloth interior, or I didn’t clean well enough. I recently bought a new mattress to eliminate that potential problem, ordered the sulfur hair shampoo, and I’m not using my car now for 10 days so they die in there. But my question is, could you explain in detail your daily cleaning routine when you were getting rid of scabies? Like exactly how military like do you need to be. I just bought all of the cleaning products you suggested, but how and when did you use each one? I have 6 tubes of permethrin for me and my gf ready to go for 3 consecutive was and enough ivermectin for both of us as well, but I don’t want to start until I have a solid cleaning plan in play as this will be my 6th time doing this, and each time before I thought I had cleaned well enough then.

    1. Hi Ben. In my opinion I’d say go all out with cleaning. Clean everything that you come in contact with. Avoid physical contact and petting animals, etc. In this case going overkill will serve you far more than underdoing it.

  34. JustSayin1515

    Guys….permethrin is the answer. Go to Walmart and buy RID for lice and RID spray. It’s ALL Permethrin. I wish I had known this before I spent 160 dollars on the cream at a pharmacy. THEN spray everything down. (Get several cans). Wash clothes in RID (or Equate store brand from Walmart) body shampoo. Permethrin WILL kill scabies!! The key is to do one treatment night one. One treatment night two. Wait one week from treatment one. And do it AGAIN to kill the eggs/babies whatever. Yuck. This will cost you less than 50 bucks. And oh yeah, mix the body shampoo with lotion or something safe that will let it adhere to your body. Leave it on overnight – same thing as the darn expensive cream only available by prescription in the US. REMEMBER, you MUST treat after 7 days AGAIN!!
    Then use common sense to clean the house and spray spray spray with RID. If I’m wrong, let me know.

  35. helloyou

    Ok big lie about the alcohol comment. Alcohol was about the only thing that stopped the itch.

    1. It might numb it, but it further agitates the body and increases itching in general.

  36. I don’t know if anyone is still here but I have a question. I can’t read all the comments -just not enough time in the day. So I don’t know if someone else has had this issue. I work retail. I work in a grocery store. I am a book keeper so I deal with the public and I also count money. The counting down the drawers at night are what make me itchy. Do I have to quit my job. I have only told one person at work. I am not sure what to do. I know I need to tell everyone I have come in to contact with recently. Many of which I probably won’t see for a very long time. I can wear gloves to count the money but I can’t do that to deal with costomers. Not sure what to do. Any advice would be much appreciated. Thanks

  37. Seda Hambarchian

    Hot bath..sprinkled cayenne pepper on my spots..covered myself with vaseline
    Burned a little but at this point I’ll take sensation of burning over itching.
    I just left it on my skin. Burning sensation went away after 30 min…and I feel great..Will continue twice a day doing this along with washing clothes and bedding in hot water. I will also clean surfaces with mixture of water and bleach.
    Hope everyone gets rid of these Nasty mites!

  38. Anastasia

    Hi I am currently fighting off Scabies and yes it a tough thing to battle. I have faced bed bugs and this is equally comparable. However I was able to eradicate bed bugs naturally (it took a good month) so I have faith that I will defeat this darn bug too. (I know its not a re-occurance, its been over half a year)
    With all the good advice out there the most important thing to remember is, humans are all different. What works for some will not work for others. I have friends who encountered this bug and different things worked for each of them. I have a highly-sensitive body and I’m allergic to many things (ie. seafood, dairy, synthetics & chemicals). This makes it tough sometimes when it comes to over-the-counter prescriptions. I tried the permethrin cream and my body had a BAD reaction to it! Chemical burns!! Ouch! I am attacking this from all angles and unfortunately the cream is not something I can do. I have heard antibiotics is the next step beyond this. (I am also using tea-tree, sulphur, neem, lavender, you name it, I’m using it) Also everything is staying REALLY clean in my home and I am quarantined from my work & social circles. If anyone has had a similar experience please share what worked for you. Also, this is advice to anyone who has a highly-sensitive body, go with the sulphur before trying the permetherin cream! You will save money & time!

    1. Anastasia I’ve just approved and responded to the rest of your comments. I wanted to thank you for sharing and supporting others on this site. We all appreciate it!

      1. Armineh

        Hello.
        This is the 2nd time I’m getting scabies. I once got it once 5 years ago, and once about 1 month ago. I have burnt, literally set all my clothes, esp, my winter clothes, rugs and couches on fire. Right now I’m living in a bug house with no furniture. Currently, I’m using Permethrine ointment, because it’s the only thing we can find here in Iran. Ivermectine is not imported and sold in Iran. I have disinfected the entire house, (I do it every single day) used herbal ointments, (the ones we can purchase in Iran) but no sign of heeling just yet. There is one huge predicament I have though, and that is, I have 14 paralyzed cats I cannot and will not give away for adoption. The surprising thing is that none of my cats have shown any sign of scabies, and when visited by their vet, they still didn’t show any signs of scabies. However, for more precautions, I had them all get Ivermectine injections for animals. I would appreciate it if you advised on how to take other precautions or what to do since I have no access to Ivermectine pills, ointments or the herbs so many of you have mentioned in your comments. (Neem tree oil, cedar wood and etc…)
        Thank you

    2. Hi, Has anyone had success with the Kleen Green Enzymes? Thanks Admin for all the useful info. Great work.

  39. Thanks for all this wonderful information and the hard work.

    I have two questions –
    1. My mom was diagnosed two months ago and I did the treatment 3 times already. I have random itchings, but I have never scratched myself never had any wounds or any physical evidence of the mite, besides the itching that becomes stronger at night. Does this make sense? Can you have scabias without physical signs for so long?

    2. Does the itching continue even after the mite and eggs are all dead? My mom improved a lot, but at night time shs still suffers. Should we repeat the treatment every week until all itching stop or does the mite develop resistance?

    Thanks a lot for all your help!!

  40. ADMIN

    Thanks so much for the very useful information. I have been treating scabies for 4 weeks with a combination of permethrim cream and sulphur soap and baths with sulfur and tea tree oil. I also am applying 10% sulphur paste called miticin. It is all working but is still a battle. I read where mites cannot survive dryer heat over 120deg for more than 10 minutes so we have been drying everything everyday. Don,t wash first but dry first the wash if needed and dry.
    Dry 10 min longer than needed because most dryers have a 10 min cool down at the end. Most dryers on high will get easily to 150deg F. Mine got to 175deg. as I tested it with a thermocouple I have and put the wire inside while running.
    I also have not worn the same slacks to work for 10 days and put them in the garage where it gets to 30deg at night.
    I also bought liquid 10% permethrin and dilute it to spray around the house and put some in the dog shampoo as well.
    Keep up the great work and don’t pay any regard to “Doctor” or “Doctor Isa”
    I don’t know where they are coming from except left field.
    Tea tree oil WILL NOT CURE SCABIES or I would have been cured!!!!
    He could not even cite the journal or the results!!!!
    Doctor especially made a fool of himself online. He is the A__Hat
    Maybe if he gave some sound “Medical” advice since he is a “Doctor” he would have a little credibility.
    Thanks again

  41. Can anyone tell me exactly what permethrin and ivermectin I should buy from amazon. I can’t afford the single doses of rx permethrin. I got one dose but I’m gonna need a second from everything I’ve been reading.. Please help

  42. Your doctor and even the CDC website do not have all the information. THEY say “prolonged skin to skin contact” and that was not the case with me. I have not had anything that can be described as “prolonged skin to skin contact” in over 4 years. All I have done is either hug or shake hands with people. I do work at a university where not everyone is always healthy though so I suspect that is where I contracted them.
    I have had scabies now for 3+ months, thinking that it was some sort of allergic reaction until 1/22/16 when I got diagnosed. I did ‘some’ cleaning, including washing all my bed stuff, towels and clothes, then did the treatment. I did Not include anything above the neck as that was my doctor’s instruction. I also did not clean my home properly. (Hint, if you’re something of a hoarder you have a Nightmare to deal with.)
    Here’s what has happened since my diagnosis. I sent my doc an email the following evening complaining that the itching was worse than it had ever been before treatment. When I went in for my usual allergy shot the next Tuesday, they had seen my email and had me checked again. They Never Did A Skin Scraping! They said the scabies were still present. Another round of permethrin and two solid days of cleaning (mind you, I had to take off work for the entire week, which means I Don’t get paid!) which proved futile.
    I managed to get a professional cleaning service to come in and help me with the cleaning since I was not up to the task. They came in on 1/29/16 and at that time I had a third round of permethrin on my body for the entire time we cleaned. They were not able to complete the cleaning and so will be back on 2/1 when, by the grace of the goddess, the little sh*ts will be dead since I will not be there for them to feed on. I brought with me a fourth treatment of permethrin that I intend to use tonight as I am still itching more than before.
    Additional thoughts about this – I think that there should be a service offered by doctor’s offices, the CDC, or some willing agency for the thorough cleaning of people’s homes. Some of us (me) are simply not able to get it done if only because of physical limitations…not to mention you can’t clean that which you are spreading around as you clean!
    Oh, and you Can get them on your scalp!

    1. Thanks for commenting, Pat.

      I agree that the governmental agencies are not taking enough measures to prevent and treat scabies.

  43. FEONA mARXX

    Thank you Admin for posting this site!

    I am hoping that I can find someone else that has had a problem with WIGS
    and scabies. . . WIGS manufactured by Aderans Hair Products – Hair Club For Men – LUX HAIR NOW WIGS for Sherrie Shepherd or any other of Aderans products purchased from QVC!

    Perhaps I can jog someone’s memory that thinks they got the scabies somewhere else, thinking that they couldn’t have gotten them from THIS on-line shopping channel!

    In my opinion, I damn sure did!
    If I may post my URL, I tell the whole story there. . .
    FEONAMARXX.COM

    I surely can not be an isolated case!

    Scabies Suck!

    Thanks for your time! FM

  44. I was diagnosed with scabies I was given permethren I came home treated myself went to sleep in the cream well the next day when i got up I noticed I had new bites all over me instead of helping it seemed the cream trippled the bites .my friend told me to try bleach i tried it and it just made me itch worse but now with it being day 6 since my treatment the bumps have started scabing over and dissapearing and have not spread however now my head is itching really bad I have done everything I’m suppose to do cleaning wise how is this happening ? My husband shows no signs has not touched kissed or slept with me in the entire 6 days is it possible he has them and just hasn’t shown any signs ? And another question how do you know when the scabies are not contagious any more how do you know they are dead or out of your skin ?

  45. Thank you so much Loren for doing this. I can’t believe how rude a few of the comments are. Its amazing how unkind some people are. Thank fully there are many useful and kind comments too. I just feel really grateful to Loren for doing all of this so thank you thank you thank you.

    A couple of comments from me: I don’t understand why no one says how long they have been free of scabies. People have posted such great cures but how do we know that they haven’t just been cured for 2-3 weeks only to have it return? May I also ask Loren how long you have been cured?

    Also , I can’t seem to find or read answers on how often to apply the permetherin. I did my first dose all over body yesterday and didn’t know if I should apply another all over body today or in 2 days or in 1 week or what. I guess tomorrow I will apply another all over body and also take ivermectin for the first time. Im scared of doing it but I know I have to. I bought the Martins Permethrin on line but Im still confused on how to mix it. Ugh.

    1. If you read about the life cycle it should be easy for you to tell when to do your next treatment.

  46. Thanks for the article I am an met and got it from a patient this is my first go around got the cream yesterday gonna be cleaning, disinfectig, and washing all day

  47. Someone help me! I initially started feeling creepy/crawling sensation in my skin at night a month or more ago. It seemed as time went on it got worse and worse especially at night time when I’d go to bed. I started feeling like my skin was extremely dry and itchy but not itchy to the point that I have read all over this website. I could feel things crawling all over my skin and I’d feel biting sensations. I don’t have any rashes or pimples. I thought at first it was dust mites and started using coconut oil, tea tree oil, apple cider vinegar, garlic cloves ingested nightly, petroleum jelly and cloves, baths in apple cider vinegar, peroxide, scrubbing with sulphur soap bars, and washing hair and scalp with tea tree oil shampoo and selenium sulfide shampoo daily for an hour. I wash all bedding every day and leave in dryer for two to three cycles. I do not wear any clothing item twice without washing and drying on hot wash with borax. Nothing worked, nothing got better it just all seemed to get worse every night. I was at the point of panic attacks every night and could never get sleep. I daily, have one breakdown where I just cry and sob and feel as if I cannot go on. I think often of suicide because I am so beat down from this creepy crawling out of my eyes, nose, ears, scalp, eyebrows, everywhere. All over my body, mostly at night. But like I said I do not have intense itching or rashes just intense creepy crawling and running across my skin and pulsing on my skin and shivers. Feeling as though bugs are crawling out of my nose and hair follicles on face everywhere, ears, scalp, and pores on cheeks, upper lips, chin, neck, back arms, stomach, shoulders, breasts, legs, etc. not one part of my body does not experience this sensation. Feel like peek-a-booing out of my pores. I have tried everything. Well yesterday I went to the tractor supply store and got horse ivermectin and 10% permethrin liquid. Last night before bed I took my first dose of ivermectin for these mites and also doused myself in permethrin from head to toe, not missing one part of my body. Literally within ten minutes I started having a sensation all over as though little things were popping up out of my pores. I started looking at my skin snd say black specs appearing all over my skin and were very visible to to the naked eye. About the size of a period at the end of a sentence or bigger. Some were black, brown, and red and shaped like ovals and almost like they had a tail. Some were more circular than others, some tiny some the size of two periods or three. I then went to bed with the cream on after trying to get tons of these specs off me for an hour as they kept appearing everywhere in my body. I did not feel near anywhere as I had every other night of creepy crawly sensations. But I felt very cold and tingly shivers from the permethrin cream. I am constantly freezing and am afraid to wash the cream off that I made for fear the creepy crawlers will return. Is it normal to see all of these black specs and red specs appearing all over my skin after the permethrin ointment is applied? They literally look like tiny insects. My eyelashes also crusted over a lot through the night and I can see lots of white round egg looking things in my eye lashes. I don’t know what this is, if it’s scabies, dust mites, or what. I am seriously about to go insane because I can’t take much more. I am so depressed and hopeless. I have a little toddler I am Afrsid to touch and pass this on too. My partner also did the treatment with me last night before bed and had the same black specs popping up from his scalp. His symptoms are not nearly as bad as mine and he doesn’t have any rashes or intense itching. But started complaining of being itchy a few days ago so I thought it was important to treat him as well. What is on me? I saved all the specs I got off my body for proof of this infestation. Someone pls help me. Also I feel so lethargic, tired and cold from this permethrin ointment. Is this normal? I pray God heals me of this. I feel so hopeless. I feel like I am now broken after suffering for over a month now. Please please help me.

  48. Hi from Italy, thanks for you blog I have a question, it’s possible that the symptoms of scabies starts 12 weeks, my dermatology say is impossible.. Sarna start 7-50 days

  49. Can i buy permethrin without a prescreption from a doctor?

  50. Hi wonderful selfless effort here by you.

    Re washing temperatures a very important point pls:

    it is stated by doctors to wash at 50 deg for at least 10 minutes, but most washing machines apparently do not reach this temperature or if they do, not for a sustained amount of time. Please read the following from the respected consumer UK magazine called “Which?”:

    “Do machines actually reach 60?C? In our test of 12 machines, eight of them did not actually reach 60?C on the 60?C cotton program. Those that did only maintained that temperature for either a few minutes or a few seconds, as washing machines typically only reach their hottest temperature for a very short time. Of the nine machines that reached 55?C or more, the water spent less than 10% of its time at or above this temperature, on average. The thermometer above reveals the washing machines we’ve tested, top temperatures reached and how long each washer spent above 55?C. The washing machine with the lowest temperature recorded in our tests was the Hoover DYN8163D8P-80. While the water’s top temperature was 43?C, the water spent most of its time below 40?C.”

    So guys, please don’t overlook this vital step Make sure you have the right washing machine and it is actually washing at the temperature you think it is, and it can do that for at least 10 minutes.

    1. In other words, only 3 of these machines managed 10 minutes, and only 1 managed over 15 minutes.

      From this its clear, 11 out of 12 machines would fail to clear scabies. The ONLY one out of these 12 machines which would work is the BEKO WM7043CW

      1. If people can add other washing machines where tests have shown it meeting the 50 deg for at least 10 min rule, please send in links so we can maybe soon make a list of reliable options?

  51. Charlene Bugg

    I have read plenty of cases where scabies killed people. For one, they can cause blood poisoning, renal failure, rheumatic fever, loss of limbs, etc. This person hasn’t did a lot of research and neither has the the medical side or scientists.

  52. Is there anyone that can email me and answer some questions about scabies?

  53. PLEASE HELP ME! Hello Admin or anyone else helpful with my 5 Questions. I guess, I’m about to start my treatment/cleaning tomorrow. My doc said either scabies or fleas but she went with scabies. She asked if we have a pet. We don’t but a few weeks back, a stray dog was in our house for about 20 mins because it bites if you try to pick it up but I don’t know. Either way. (QUESTION 1) My mom lives with me & already sees her doc in 3 more days. She has no visible symptoms. No itching or bumps but if she is infected should I wait to see if her doc gives her cream too so we can both treat simultaneously to, hopefully, not re-infect each other? A nurse told me to treat now & I want to but I certainly don’t want the nightmare of reinfect ion if my mom just passes it back. (QUESTION 2) Furniture? I know to wash in hot water the clothes/bedding/towels but what about sofas, chairs & matresses? I called several pharmacies & they’re mostly clueless. I was told rid lice spray but it says it’s not meant to be on skin & clothes. How will you sit or sleep on it then if not able to get on you or your clothes. They said wait an hour to dry but I’m weary of this. ALSO, I called the phone # on the rid spray, which I only bought because it includes Permith, but the rep, who seemed knowledgable about the product told me point blank that their spray for furniture works on lice, dust mites & something else but NOT scabies. I also don’t wanna get it from furniture after treatment so what can I do because it seems there’s nothing to use on furniture. (QUESTION 3) I seen where some people say avoid a sofa or store clothes or non-washable items away somewhere, in the house, but I’ve seen where some say the scabies will just crawl off to find you again. What about it? I certainly can’t afford a hotel or anywhere to go to vacate for 3 days or a week or however long it takes. (QUESTION 4) I’ve seen lots of written advice, online, about using disinfectant spray for hard surfaces but I called Lysol & they also said their sprays, etc do NOT work on scabies. What can we use here? (QUESTION 5) Are scabies dangerous? Aside from itching & bumps. Are they very dangerous because I read somewhere that if left untreated they can lead to sepsis and/or other severe problems? I only ask that because I don’t know how long I’ve had it.

  54. Adrienne Wright

    It is well worth looking at ‘The Healthy Skin Program’ (of the Northern Territory of Australia). They have an excellent program for treating in remote areas. The program works.
    Just quietly and politely Tea Tree Oil does work, there is scientific medical and lay person proof and research that shows that it does.
    Have a look, the healthy skin program worked for me and fore hole communities.
    Cheers and all the best for individual journeys.
    Adrienne RN
    New Zealand

  55. Trianne

    Hey, I’m a little confused about the order of cleaning. Should I do my shower/peremethrin before or after I clean my car and my room?

    When you say “disinfectant” do you mean something as simple as Clorox, or do I have to have something stronger?

    Last question, does Hot Shot flea and bedbug spray work for scabies? It’s peremethrin…

    1. HI Trianne.

      You’ll want to use clear your car and room before treatment. Get everything in your environment clean first!

      Yes, Clorox would definitely work. Strong stuff.

      While the flea&bedbrug spray has permethrin, it’s not potent enough to treat scabies.

      Good luck to you!

  56. want 2B free

    Hi folks. I’m going to try what has been recommended with the perm and ivermectin but I’m really in need of knowing if there is an effective protocol anyone knows about when it comes to also treating pets. I have 2 dogs and my plan is to give them a soak in the sulpher bath listed on this website on the same day I treat myself but I need to know what to do after the initial treatment. Is it OK for them to continue sleeping on my bed? Do I need to treat them daily with something else to make sure nothing is going to continue to get passed back and forth? Is it safe to have people touch them after the initial treatment?

  57. I want to know if anyone has taken Merck’s MOXIDECTIN? Would like to know how they used it, dosing, etc. Two recent studies: 1.) PLOS, March 2016 by Australian KE Mounsey, cited by NIH, WHO 2.) PLOS, October 12, 2016, transnational study used MOX on pigs-their skin structure is like ours. At every study point in time, single dose MOX outperformed double dose IVR. MOX superior in terms of efficacy, safety, reduced toxicity, longer half life, making it more effective over life cycle. Phase III study funded & planned for human use. KE Mounsey already proved that MOX was safe for humans, even breastfeeding mothers, among the Australian aborigines. From everything I’ve read, the Australians, English, some Europeans have dealt w/scabies for hundreds of years due to tropical colonial holdings in the tropics. Scabies = NTD, a Neglected Tropical Disease. My major medical univ derm and internist did not like seeing a box of MOX. Big mistake! But, I don’t care. I’m desperate to stop the crazy cleaning…worry…isolating, itching, hair loss….WORRY!!! Anything but that. I might also have the hair clasp mite, cheyletelia, walking dandruff. I see white lint like stuff everywhere, but no pets. Don’t know what to do. Univ entomologist told me that researchers don’t know a lot about mites, too small to study, human evirons complicated, variable. So thanks for the work you do, ADMIN. How else are we going to figure this out? Together! Would appreciate any insights.

  58. There is a lot of misinformation out there. Scabies can be visible to the naked eye. Dead ones or some or the adults can look like miniscule black specks (smaller than a pinpoint). Source is WebMD.

    I have looked at some of these specks under a microscope and can confirm that they were mites.

    It is usually easier to see them under microscope by doing the following:
    Find a burrow. Rub a washable marker over it, then smear a tad bit of mineral oil. Take a microscope slide and scrape the area. Using a Q tip, spread the scraped material further onto the slide. The more and eggs will have taken up the marker ink and will be easily visible.

  59. You can buy permethrin and ivermectrin at a feed stores, just be sure to look up how to dilute them into the appropriate percentage for human use and look up what to dilute them with. Also be sure they do not have additional pesticides/parasiticides meant for animals, such as heart worm medicine for dogs for example.

  60. This is just insanity, I am scarred beyond wit after reading this article and the comments. If I got infected with scabies I have effectively ruined mine and my family’s life. There is no way we can afford such crazy regimes and costs. I have no idea what to do now…

    The comments are even less of a help…

  61. I have not seen anyone mention. What are you doing for things like winter coats?

  62. Can someone please give me advice on HOW to treat my dog?? She has long hair rather than short fur. I know I will become reinfested if I don’t clean her properly, but no websites I have found give me a how-to or suggest any products. Please help!!

  63. The sulfur does work. The key is not to bathe in it but to mix it w/lard. I used about 2tsp sulfur/1 cup lard and covered my body in it. Keep the salve refrigerated. This application keeps the sulfur on the skin longer. I applied it several times/day for the week in between premethrin applications and the week after the second application. It gave me instant itching relief! There was visible improvement in the sores w/in 24 hours.
    In addition, I followed the cleaning regimins mentioned. I discovered that Bengal Roach spray uses premethrin as its active ingredient so I sprayed down my furniture and mattress before covering it. Sheets were changed and washed daily in hot water, as was the furniture coverings, and run twice through a hot dryer. I bathed once/day and washed my dirty clothing w/the sheets.
    BTW, the sulfur/lard treatment also works for mange on pets. It’s also caused by a type of mite same as scabies. Happens to be a remedy I had heard about for years and had the occasion to try once on a friend’s dog. It worked great, which is what made me try it for scabies on myself.

  64. ELDNORTHWEST

    Get Rid of Scabies using Heat from Infrared Sauna. The only way I got rid of scabies was by heat of 122 degrees or over for 45 minutes in an infrared sauna. I went through many rounds of using ivermectin and washing everything (sheets, towels, etc) in hot water. Nothing worked since my immune system is impaired. We bought a sauna because we could not take the intense itching anymore after 3 months of suffering.$6000 was never as well spent!!! I think you can get a cheaper one, but it must heat your skin to at least 122 degrees. We set ours to 138 and stayed in for 45 minutes. I understand that the scabies die at 25 minutes. Please don’t suffer and waste time and money on the medications which only killed some of the bugs and didn’t work long term for us. When my husband became scabies free, I continued to have them and no medication, neem oil baths or other home remedies worked for me.

    1. I was wondering about this just today. Thanks.

  65. Stefwef

    Thanks for this summary which has been super helpful as we navigate scabies. The few things I would add at the top are:

    ? Heat heat heat kills all stages of the mite including eggs, so whenever you feel an itch, blast them with hot air from your hair dryer. The eggs will actually pop out as a pimple when you blast it with hot air, and I do believe I’ve been able to stop a burrough in its tracks that way. Do as hot as you can handle for as long as you can handle but don’t burn yourself. It actually is a good burn if you are itching and satisfying to think you’re killing that one for good. I’m sure doctors don’t mention it due to liability of someone burning themselves so if it feels too hot – move the dryer away! I’ve also read success stories with infrared saunas. And hair dryer all over hair, pet?, mattress, sofa, … or is that just making them fly all over the place? Now that would be a fun study for someone.

    ? Timeline of treatment and cleanings:
    – Life cycle of the mite and figuring out the best timing for second treatment. It seems: adult burroughs, gets fertilized, lays 1-3 eggs per day (for up to two months). Egg become larva in 3-4 days, then crawls back out and burrougs again as nymphs 3-4 days, then the boys crawl out and find a girl in her burrough and repeat.
    The above from Standford can’t be correct, because then wouldn’t it just be male mites walking around? Is the initial infection only through larvae? Does not make sense.
    – Where you’re at if you get symptoms for very first time (1 month in is how many bugs from 1?), and for very first second time (4 days in?)
    – What does each bump represent so we know what stage we are at.
    – What post-itch after first and second treatment looks like. Getting “pimples” ok as it’s the nymphs? But burroughs not ok?
    – what is it exactly we are removing when we clean and should we clean before or after treatment or both.

    When all this is over (knock on wood- we have two kids under five,) I will see if I can put a graphic together and email you for inclusion. 🙂

    Thanks!!

    1. Stefwef

      I made a graphic that explains why day 6 is best for second treatment if you want me to email it to you.

      Also, to clarify: the male leaves molting pouch to find female, then the pregnant female leaves to burrow.

  66. Thanks for all the comments. I felt I should help you all too. Its my job.
    I am a physician who contracted scabies……we healthcare providers can get it too. I totally get your misery now. This is an often missed diagnosis.
    Here is my physician advice to solve your scabies condition. This is solvable.
    You just have to learn from me and/or others….it is a true victory when you overcome this very stressful dermatologic condition. It just takes time, but life is good again.
    I, like you, read all I could to stop the Scabies from annoying my body.
    Read my information below. This is what worked for me. Hope this helps!
    Dr. L.

    A SCABIES 2017 NIGHTMARE – 3 ? months to stop the problem.
    Now I am cured because I found what really did work to solve the condition.
    Expect: Daily miserable itching for weeks. Worse at night always. Pinprick bites at times. Daytime itching seemed somewhat less intense. Moves about body from creases, groin, hands, arms chest and back, even neck and face over several weeks if not being killed by medication therapy. You can itch in places without visibly seeing any rash. This is clearly a hard diagnosis to make sometimes without visible lesions.

    What ultimately didn?t fully work for me:
    Prescription:
    5% Permethrin – I used it correctly over 30 times. I am a doctor and could prescribe my own. I used it thinking it would cure my Scabies.
    Some will say I simply got re-infected. I submit that Permethrin resistance is also out there to blame..sorry to give you bad news. It has.
    I agree that the cleaning tactics for clothes, beds, furniture are vital to help win this battle. I did all of those compulsively too. Seems like 1-2 hours a day for 3 months was dedicated to laundry, vacuum, bed changing, cleaning counters etc. It was part of my necessary ritual.
    It got sooooo tiring…but I just kept doing it. You should too.
    But, I am also a believer that definite resistance to Permethrin has developed in some cases. It has.
    I am now cured however…..I have no ill effects from multiple Permethrin uses by the way; I don’t believe it’s toxic like some suggest. It just didn’t solve the problem; likely to my unlucky case of a being infected with a resistant strain. Read on.

    Other things I tried but without real success over the first 2 months:
    10% Permethrin – Bought on-line Amazon (I thought stronger would work but I was wrong, it was too harsh on skin. Stopped after one use.)
    Benzyl Benzoate 25% Bought on-line Amazon (Didn?t work)
    10% Sulfur Soaps (Some partial itch relief obtained, these are worth buying on line on Amazon. Sulfur has been used over centuries to kill mites. It is time proven to be effective. It is part of the cure. Read on below about the best sulfur weapon I found.)

    Other ineffective over the counter measures:
    Tea Tree Oil / Caladryl / 1% Hydrocortisone / Gold Bond
    Clorox Bleach baths. (Transiently feels good. But not the solution. )

    Prescription treatments:
    Lindane – Stopped USA Production in July 2016. No longer available.
    This was the “go-to” prescription medication when Permethrin failed.
    Bummer that it is gone. It worked in the past.
    Prescription Ivermectin 12-15 mg doses Days 1, 2, 8,9, 15 and more?
    (?effect. I am not so sure it works, but I used it. Ultimately I bought the
    non-prescription horse Ivermectin on line. Cheaper than prescription and the same stuff. Why spend more? Just use small amounts.
    It comes in a tube of 6000mgs.
    I took it multiple times without any ill effect. I am cured now, so maybe it helped.)

    What did work finally when I found out about it from my dermatologist:
    (Yes, even I waited too long to go to the dermatologist cause I thought I could just treat myself….dumb doctor)
    Malathion Lotion 0.5% via prescription. One bottle treats you twice.
    Request 2 bottles and a refill from your doctor.
    Applied all over body on days 1 & 2, Reapplication days 8 & 9.
    Problem solved. This stuff is the new weapon. It works.

    Here is the best Sulfur cream I found on Amazon:
    Nu – Stock Cream (73% Sulfur Cream, Pine Oil 2% Mineral Oil 25%)
    Actually used on animals/horses but safe on humans too. Cheap and effective.
    Very effective anti-itch applied daily, dries out mite lesions, exfoliates skin. Buy 2 tubes on Amazon.com $5.99 each. Killed itch. Wish I found this stuff in month #1. This works much better than the 10% Sulfur ointments and Soaps on Amazon. It just does. Buy this stuff. You will feel the difference.
    (Warning; probably may not be able to use is you are allergic to Sulfur.
    If you are not allergic to sulfur, this is your new best friend anti-scabies cream.)

    Other Good Tips: Buy a 12 pack of T-shirts and Boxers. Wear a different pair daily. Buy a 12 pack of fresh white socks too.
    Apply Sulfur cream at night and wear a clean washed T-shirt and Boxers to bed.
    You can shower in AM and reapply cream if desired. I did.
    Wear clean socks on hands at night to prevent getting sulfur in your eyes while sleeping. Your eyes will tear a river if Sulfur gets in them. Just rinse out.
    Consider buying 4-5 new bed sheets packs. Pricey but you really do need to change bed sheets daily with a clean set of sheets. Thus, you are sleeping on a new clean set of sheets every 4-5th day. Wash all worn laundry and sheets daily in hot water. Wash blankets often too. Bagging unused clothes or blankets for 3-4 weeks works. Mites die.
    Vacuum rugs and furniture daily if feasible. Vacuum car seats often.
    Strongly consider buying a new mattress and keep the new plastic on it until you are better. You should probably suspect your bed and pillows are irreversibly infested after 1-2 months if you are still symptomatic. Bed cleaning spray items just didn?t work to stop/kill the mites on the bed.
    My opinion.

    Take Benedryl 50 mg to sleep at night. Reduces itching.
    Prednisone Taper (Prescripition of 60 mg daily for 3 days, 40 mg daily for 3 days and 20 mg daily for 3 days ) works to suppress residual inflammatory itching after mites have been killed in skin by Malathion, and Nu Stock Sulfur cream.

    Bottom line things that worked:
    Malathion Lotion 0.5% via prescription.
    (Expensive but covered by insurance. Use it if Permethrin fails to cure you.
    It beat my highly probable Permethrin resistant Scabies, maybe now a more common problem than we think.)
    Nu-Stock sulfa cream on Amazon. Use daily for 2-3 weeks suggested.
    Your skin will peel a bit as the skin exfoliates and sheds away mite rash and debris. I believe in this stuff. Cheap and effective.
    Prednisone taper after the above treatments done. The final nail in the coffin.

    I had very minor residual itching for 2 weeks later (much much less than the time of infestation) but my skin was clear and clean once again.
    Free at last. Free at last.

    We may all have had mites, but the mites do not own us! You will prevail.
    Be strong. Try these methods. Win the fight. You will be glad you did.
    Dr. L.

    1. Thank you – I’ll try the Malathion Lotion 0.5% via prescription

  67. Charmaine

    Started itching about a month ago and started noticing red pimple like around my collarbone that turned into bigger marks. I knew then i had caught scabies. Ive done epsom salt and hydrogen peroxide baths but that only made them move to my head and now i feel them on my ears face eyes and my whole entire head… I’m thinking about buying Naturasil starter pack for scabies but does it really work? Its all natural and they have 90 day money back garantee. I’m starting to feel helpless and I’m seeing more marks coming every day. Please help…

  68. I’ve been dealing with this for months now. As someone into natural/holistic stuff, the day after I figured out I had Scabies I was at Whole Foods buying all the natural stuff I researched and found online. I think we have all seen the video of the gal talking about coconut oil and tea tree oil for two weeks. Well, after just 5 days of using oil all over my body I was done with that messy stuff, and it was irritating to my skin.

    I’ve tried just about everything, including cayenne pepper (don’t do this) on the skin. My poor skin – so many times it has been so painful from various treatments, and the scabies. My back was in terrible shape for a few weeks because I could not get to it.

    After the first 5 days, my doctor friend prescribed Perm and I did that. To make a long story short, I’m now doing Permethrin every day and Ivermectin every other day, at 1.7X dose and I still am not conquering this beast. I have used DMSO & Turpentine at a 1:5 ratio on the mite burrows with some success, but at the end of the day, one of the challenges we all face is skin sensitivity. My skin is very allergic to tea tree oil, for example. I was using neem oil (found studies showing it worked in India), but now my skin is sensitive to that. I still use some sulphur cream on specific areas.

    A friend suggested oregano oil – how I found this page, interestingly, as I was searching for scabies & oregano oil.

    Eric’s suggestion to try Malathion Lotion 0.5% via prescription looks interesting. Considering I’ve gone through probably 12 tubes of Perm and taken Iver at least fifteen days already, I need some new strategies.

    Sorry for the ramble – it’s late.

  69. Timothy L. Spriggs

    I tried Permethrin for my Norwegian scabies and it wasn’t effective at all. I finally tried Nu Stock, which is on amazon. It is 73% sulfur + two kinds of oil. It worked pretty good, but I wanted still more knock-out punch. So I added a bit of mineral oil from Wal-Mart and a small amount of Benzyl Bezoate, which is on amazon as Kill Itch. (gotta be careful not to add too much of these liquids though or it will be runny. You want it to stick) That combo is working very well indeed and I’m very close to being clear. I just wanted to share in case others had the dreaded Norwegian type.

  70. MOHAMMED FAWAZ

    Mr. Admin,

    My whole family – myself, my wife and a baby girl. suffering from scabies.
    started using permethrin with the helf of consulting a doctor. now reached at fouth application. my wife showing good improvement. i still have some. but its my one year old baby girl who is having loads of scabies and suffering. started fading but still returning back again and again. she is also diagnosed with eczema. taking treatment for that also.
    we clean our floor with dettol hot water.
    washes clothes regularly with hot water in washing machine.
    please advise what else we can do on this

    your post is very accurate when compared to other links and misleading info about scabies

    1. Anthony Longley

      poor little girl! Listerine apparently appears to be good contains camphor apparently which the little swines detest….

  71. I?m struggling with this beasts for a few months already and have the feeling I have them all over my face and scalp (it?s at most ichy over there). The problem is I have dreadlocks and just can?t imagine to cut them. Do you know something safe I can use on my very sensitible face skin (also eyelid) and what to do with the dreads? I?m thankful for any advice!

  72. Daniel Montes

    To the public that’s suffering from scabies.

    I’m not a doctor. I’m a victim of this bug. I saw a doctor, but he refused to accept my allegation that it was scabies. He said it was a skin infection, etc. His remedies did not work. I give you my ongoing results so maybe you can find some relief.

    This bug I got from working in dirty Houston hospital. It’s resistant scabies on the tops of my hands, forearms, backs of my upper legs and tops of my feet. Bloody painful sores. The bugs are in their cycle. The following seems to break their life cycle, by killing them on or near the surface of the skin.

    After three years of trying almost everything on the internet, ivermectin, scabisan, clove oil, bleach, garlic pills, garlic raw ground up, spider spray, clorine, various oils, neem, orange oil, stuff available at the tractor store, you name it I tried it, etc.. Bleach sounds like it should help kill them, but I’ve not seen any difference. Same with food grade DE. No change.

    This is what seems to finally knock them down. This method is VERY painful and should not be used on others or children. Only you should try this depending on your pain level.

    On your body. Take a hot long shower morning and night, using a blue pan scrub pad and 10% sulphur soap, scrub has much as you can stand it. Yes, it’s going to hurt ALOT. Scrub to the point of bleeding from the sores. I think the scrubbing help dislodge the bugs from the upper layers according to another afflicted soul. With the hot water, the bumps and sores will puff up, turn white from absorbing the water. Rough scrubbing where you know they are. Lightly scrub the rest of your body with sulphur soap. Then wash the whole body good with pink Zote soap with a wash towel.

    Ok, when you get out, pat dry. You will see white little stubble hairs. Pull, pick or scrape them off and dispose in toilet. I don’t what these are, but get rid of them if you can. Remove what you can while just out of the shower.

    I’m sorry, but here is where it’s REALLY going to HURT. Using straight acetone (yes like from big box), to splash it on where the bugs are with your spare hand. It’s going to sting like fire. Try to bear it. Trust me. It’s killing the bugs. Do it until it hurts no more, say a few minutes. The acetone after it dries becomes dried benzyl alcohol which is known to suffocate the mites.

    Then debride the skin and bumps where the bugs are. When the skin is puffy by being full of water helps. Scraping the skin as much as you can to clean off and or remove as much of the white puffy skin and bumps. Be careful, take your time at a desk and lamp. I use the blade of a box opener to scrape my skin. I also use the sharp tip to dig on the bumps and dig the bugs out. It will get bloody. Have some wipes handy. The alcohol version will hurt, but will help keeping away infection.

    The acetone will evaporate quickly. Once dry, then wipe on an anti-bacterial cream called clotrimazol. Similar to what’s used against ring worm. You should see a reduction in redness and bug activity after one day. Keep doing this cycle daily until it’s all gone and do it more just in case.

    Also, when you feel the things crawling all over, fill the tub with hot water and salt it heavily. Soak and rest. When you get out, pat dry. Don’t rinse off the saltwater. The salt seems to dry out any bugs that might be on your body. Yes, you becoming a pickle. I’m thinking besides these remedies the only way to kill these bugs is to kill the host. I just cannot think of anything else that could help kill them. I did not try lindane, since its been banned globally. I do the salt bath about twice a week.

    Your environment. If you have carpet, not sure how to help you guys. Maybe a really good vacuuming of everything, throw the bag out. The following remedy is for all tile or concrete floors. What I noticed that seemed to kill whatever might be walking on the floors is salt water. Like as salty as you can make it. Get the salt to dissolve in the bucket and mop on the floor, let dry. The salt I think dries out any mites walking around. As to linen, the well known technique of HIGH heat dryer works. I even soak my linen and clothes in a bucket of salt water say for an hour or so. Then drop all into washer, add borax. There aint nothing crawling on those sheets after that.

    Your family, friends and loved ones. Do not sleep with them in the same bed, don’t touch them, no hugging, no skin to skin contact, no sharing of towels nor blankets. Yes, I know this sounds cruel, but you do not want to give what you have to them. This is like a military grade bio weapon on and in your skin. As to sex. I recommend not to, but how I did it is to take a good shower like above, really concentrate on my private areas with lots of sulphur soap and scrubbing. I cut some socks with holes where the toes go, and put them on my arms with my fingers sticking out. As you make love try not to touch with your hands upon your partner. Yes, use condom. I did this for 8 months with my girlfriend and she didn’t get my scabies. So, I guess it helped.

    So far after two months on the acetone method and above, that my scabies is down 75%. This is the best it’s been. There was some promising results with straight clove oil, but for some reason it was not strong enough to knock them out. I will continue until they gone and keep on just to make sure. They slightest hint, back on with the remedy.

    I hope this helps. I’m sorry. There’s no simple pill. Maybe one day a researcher or company will find an easy way to kill them.

    If you have any questions or comments to please reply to this thread. I will check it and answer any questions that you might have.

    Daniel.

  73. Hey guys! I know you all crazy with your scabies so I want to share my own story, but please I am not a doctor, so don’t take anything serious. You will find very good information!
    Last year we had a wedding and after honeymoon I started to itch especially at night. I don’t know where we got it, bc in our wedding we hugged a lot people, maybe we got it from Asian countries. So I was so embarrassed and didn’t tell my husband for more than one week, I had scars on my legs, arms, chest, knees. Finally I went to the doctor in my home country, she said I had an allergy and just prescribed me Speragal (This is for scabies) and some cream for itchiness, and suggested me to visit her after two weeks. I felt well, everything healed, i stopped to worry about it, and we focused on moving to US. I didn’t visit my doctor again. As soon as we moved there, I noticed new itchy bumps on my back, thigh and stomach. Then I understood that it was scabies. I was crazy and didn’t know what to do. Bc we are now in another country and here prescriptions and doctor’s visit are extremely expensive. I literally was upset and wanted to go back to my country where I can do all this process so fast. I found benzyl benzoate cream for scabies in America and ordered 5 tubes. I ordered again sulfur soap, and tea tree oil, neem oil omg. My skin turned dark bc of all those chemical stuff. After treatment in a one day I had rashes all over my body, you know why? Because I started to put every chemical creams on our body and we got dermatit. That time I freaked out, finally went to the doctor. She said I need to take antihistamine Benadryl or Zyrtec, plus Iverm 8tab in total and two tubes of perm. As we didn’t have any health insurance, I printed coupons for prescription and it saved a lot of money. After those treatment, I was like paranoiac about any bumps and itchiness, I had crawling and pinprick sensations, its ok don’t worry, it is bc of chemical creams. So after 2 month I got again new 2 bumps (with fluid) everyday and they disappear next day. So there was no itchy, no itchiness at night, just bumps, I was again crazy why they are on my skin. I thought maybe I always got them. So after 3 month of having new bumps I went to the skin center to test new bumps for skin scraping. The test didn’t show any scabies mites, and doctor said that he would prescribe me iver 14 tab just to for my peace of mind. And again I got them and I thought one thing is wrong here. I remember my doctor in my country did an ultrasound of my liver and said that I need a diet bc i eat chocolates, nuts and fat food all the time. So I started to stop eating peanuts, honey, chocolate, citrus and dairy products, and you cannot believe I didn’t see new bumps Thank god. If you have problems with your liver you may also have rash and bumps bc of it. You need to test your liver too.

    So my tips for you guys:

    1. Never ever self diagnose scabies without a doctor. Please go to the doctor, it’s better to do skin scraping so you will be sure.
    2. After treatment If you still have itchiness at night for more than 1 month please don’t buy again creams and don’t put creams all the time. It will not help you, you will have dermatit. Please go the doctor again.
    3. But if you have few bumps but you sleep ok at night then you might not have scabies. Remember there tons of allergies that look alike scabies. You may have problems with livers, etc.
    4. Use your own towel and keep everything clean. Put your clothes in a plastic bag for 7 days. Buy new underwear and pajamas. Stay at home, take some day-off.
    5. Don’t be nervous, be patient. Its true that stress affect skin.

    Guys hope you will find my story very helpful. Soon you will be ok. Get well soon.

    Regards,
    Nella

  74. For all the people suffering with scabies, I am one of the “survivors” in a fairly short time (more or less 8 weeks). I self diagnosed scabies when I started feeling so itchy that I wanted to die and the guy I was seeing started complaining about the same. Went immediately to the doctor, who confirmed my diagnosis and prescribed 2 stromectol doses based on my weight. The following 3 weeks were hell. I was incredibly itching, I was washing my sheets and clothes everyday just to be on the safe side. But warn you, I never took too many precautions: I was never using gloves when touching potentially contaminated textiles, I never used special products to wash my clothes, nor on my skin. I only would use washing cycles of at least 60oC and properly dry them in the dryer. I used a self made 10% (in volume) of tea tree oil in almond oil everytime I would shower and I would spot treat itchy areas with pure tea tree oil…until I realised I was irritating my skin even more!!! Even eating chocolate, cheese or drinking alcohol in general (especially red wine) would trigger intense scabies-like itching and even bumps!!! I was so paranoid I thought I had new bites everyday, but in reality was probably extra allergic reactions and my skin fighting the contamination. What had changed as well was that my skin would turn red on a more extensive area compared to the original bites. I went along with two treatment of tenutex (self medicated) due to my paranoia. After the first treatment, the itching was so intensified I though I was one of the horror stories I read on the internet. That’s when I started realising that anything would trigger intense itching such a fly just laying on my skin for a few seconds or having something that would trigger higher histamine levels (e.g. alcohol). I was using a hemp body cream that helped incredibly. Whenever my skin was too dry, too warm, exposed to a unsooting textile (anything other than cotton or jeans), or I had dead skin cells accumulating (i.e. sweating without showering right after), my skin was on itching fire. Until it kinda just stopped. I had already stopped to wash my stuff everyday for the last two weeks of the war. I was moving to a different country and I was sure I would have to treat myself again once I had settled down. Instead, I had only to trust the medications from the first time and had a bit of patience. I am pretty sure I delayed my recovery with the tenutex treatment. Scabies are not that miraculous. Stay calm and treat your skin with nourishing products, not borax and definitely not bleach. Your skin will be so irritated it will take even longer to recover until you feel you will have scabies forever. I still itch btw some days, but it is so much more of an isolated event that I know it’s just my skin still trying to fully recover. Good luck everyone, and trust your medication!

  75. Maybe all the pesticides in the environment and all the treatment have made these fockers so much more resistant. Big pharma is so polluting from its manifacture, bi product disposal, disposAl, excretion, thats its destroying the water and soil. Too bad us crunchy granola earth lovers are so outnumbered by the pharma pollutor care about nothins.

  76. Wow so sorry to hear about your scabies problems! I remember being young and having them! I hated it! Yep soaked in a tub with bleach. Tried to use anything to get rid of those pesky buggers! Thankyou to the doctor who FINALLY helped me! PLEASE DON’T get a massage either when your infected! This will cause your therapist to be infected by you! ?

  77. Hi all,

    Just wanted to share my story and how I seem to have gotten rid of scabies *fingers crossed*.

    My doc diagnosed me with scabies about 3 weeks ago when I went to see her after I almost ripped my skin off for about 4 days straight prior. She prescribed one dose of permethrin and told me to use mild soaps and moisturisers such as QV or Cetaphil to keep my skin moist and healthy, take antihistamines twice a day to combat the rash and itchiness and to wash my bed sheets and clothes in hot water and throw them in the tumble dryer on the highest setting.

    I went home from the doctors via the supermarket and stocked up on pesticides. I bug bombed my room and sprayed Bosistos dust mite spray on the carpet and mattress before vacuuming both. I also bought Eucalyptus washing liquid to wash EVERYTHING in – clothes, sheets, shoes, anything that I could stick in the washing machine.

    The first day after I used the permethrin I had some relief. I could sleep through the night without scratching. The next day I was back to wanting to scratch all my skin off. Particularly on the back of my thighs, my waist, my shoulders, underarms and between my shoulder blades. I’d read some stories about how some people had suffered for months or even years and I was determined to not let that happen to me. Thus, my nightly routine was born.

    Firstly, I’d have a cold shower – the cold alleviated the itchiness and I read that it’s not ideal for the little suckers as they prefer a warm body to do their thang. I exfoliated my skin using a loofah and QV shower gel. Not vigorous scrubbing, but firm enough to get the dead skin cells off.

    After I dried myself off, I’d apply a 20% tea tree oil solution (this was before I bought pure tea tree oil) to anywhere that was itchy – this immediately calmed the inflammation down and eased the itching (somewhat). Then I applied Eurax cream to where the itchiness was, which helped get me through the night.

    Every night, I would change my bed sheets – I gave up on using a duvet cover and pillow cases because they were just going to be changed the next day anyway. So, I’d use a flat sheet which I used to cover my mattress and my pillows. I stayed away from my dog. I wasn?t about to exacerbate the itch by playing with him when he spent so much time getting into the dirt outside. I also sprayed his house and bedding with animal safe insecticides whilst he was out at the groomer.

    I bought a hand-held steam cleaner. Why? Because I wasn’t about to let the little buggers ruin my life and my clothes! I’d read about how many people had to cycle through 3 or 4 outfits every week. I couldn’t handle that especially when I spend so much time in jeans and we all know how often jeans are supposed to be washed! (hint: not that often!).

    I used the steamer on jeans, my wool coats (it’s winter here in Australia), shoes, curtains and added another step to my nightly bed routine: Steam cleaning my carpet, mattress, pillows and duvet. After steaming my duvet, I threw it into the tumble dryer mainly to dry it out, but also to be doubly sure that the mites would be gone. I?d change my PJs every day, wash them in Eucalyptus wash, tumble dry them and then leave them for a couple of days before wearing again. I?m sure I went through every single set of PJs that I owned!

    Every morning I?d repeat the cold shower and Eurax application (leaving out the tea tree oil step). I would also use a corticosteroid ointment I was prescribed for my eczema (doc encouraged me to use it). I washed my hair with Head & Shoulders ? I wasn?t sure where to get Sulphur shampoo and I knew that H&S has sulphate in it so I thought it?d do. I?d bring both the ointment and the Eurax cream to work with me in case the itching got too out of hand.

    A week after my first permethrin treatment, I decided to do another (even though I was told to do it only once). I?d read about the 3-7-day cycle of mite hatching and didn’t want to take any chances. I continued with the new sheets, steam clean, vacuum, exfoliating, tea tree oil routine. I’d also read that some people were successful in killing the buggers with rubbing alcohol so I sprayed my mattress and carpet until it was saturated with it, steam cleaned it and then let it dry during the day.

    It’s now my third week and I believe I’ve gotten rid of the nasty little things. I have since added 3-4 drops of neem leaf extract to one pump of moisturiser every morning to keep my skin moist and hopefully kill off any mites that may have survived. I do get the occasional itch and “crawly” feeling on my skin, but nowhere near as bad as it was. I think it’s now just “post scabies itch”. I haven’t taken an antihistamine in about 3 days but continue with the neem moisturiser, changing my sheets every 2 days and using Eurax sparingly ? only when the itch gets annoying.

    Hopefully, this might help some of you. Besides being diligent, I think being determined and having the mind-set that you will overcome it really helps.

    Good luck!

  78. Judy Mathis

    In February of 2018 I noticed 3-4 spots on my belly and they itched so I cleaned them applied a little neosoporin on them nd thought of it until my whole stomach and groin area was covered and hurt every moment of every day. I went to a doctor, she gave me meds for scabies even though she wasn’t sure I had scabies she was treating just to be sure. Seven doctors later and hundreds of dollars later I still have not been told what I have. My body is a mess. I don’t go out much, people do not like to see me. Plus I have little black dots that fall off me so I can’t in good conscience do that to another person. I am covered in what looks loke a doughnut and in the center where the hole is there are different stuff that comes out such as pus, black dots, blood that smells etc. If anyone has an idea of what I have or even a good Dr. to see please help me. Thank you for listening. Judy

  79. Thank you so very much for your time on this. I is such an experience to deal with and unless you go to a dermatologist, you might not get the proper diagnosis which then leads to a tremendous outbreak that is seemingly impossible to control.
    That is where I am at now. I am extremely fortunate that I live on a border town and have access to Mexico where I can get 4 pills of 6 mg Ivermectin for $10 and Permethrin lotion for $4. With all the political stuff going on now, I am not making a statement; just saying I have access to the meds without having to continually go to the doctor for more scripts; because one or two dosages is was not enough. Some of it I think was user error. I think that the application of the cr?me requires use of the entire tube (I tend to be cheap and think I can save some for the second dose). And I think that a good shower after the 12 hours is very necessary.
    Unfortunately, my Dad had a stroke during this time which caused me to delay seeking medical treatment. Big mistake! Never in my wildest did I imagine the ugly consequences which resulted.
    On my hands the bugs did seem to crust thick. The dermatologist does not think I had the crusted version, but the meds did not work for the simple case either. Maybe again it was user error.
    But because I take care of Dad, I just can’t afford to go on with the slow and go, getting an appointment, taking time off, spending hours waiting in the doctors office, ditto for getting meds from pharmacy, that I just hopped across the border (not exactly easy and the lines are unbearable as well) and got a whole big load of meds for me and my family. My poor dog, I gave that little boy my scabies as well. It was so horrible seeing him go crazy one night scratching. Ugh and sadness.
    Well to the point of my post, because you have done a great job as well as the others that have posted. My hands that seem to be thick, crusty and leather-like. . . I burned the areas that never responded to meds entirely. Helped and always looked like they were going to get better and the smaller easier areas would get better. . . but always seems that there was where there were hidden colonies.
    Now, for those of us that are or having battled these buggers, we get a little nutty. I recognize I might be just at my minds unimaginative end. But, I can’t continue so I heated up a single hole puncher I had in my office and holding it with a potholder heated it over the gas stove. Now it wasn’t a really big stretch for me; because I have burned myself plenty of time taking casseroles out of the oven. So I know it hurts. But I took that hole puncher and in quick strokes burned those areas of my skin. Usually white pus comes out of the boil that develops from a 1st and 2nd degree burn, for me that is. In this case it was yellow and I though, “yea I got you!”.
    I am posting cause I think it helped, but I AM NOT SURE YET. YOU THINK YOU GET THESE INSECTS AND THEN YOU REALIZE YOU DON’T.
    So you are a better expert than my Board Certified Dermatologist and thought I’d post. Please I know it’s a crazy time with these things controlling your life, but if you are not a stable person or if this infestation has made you into a not so stable person, DO NOT DO ANY CONTROLLED HURT ON YOURSELF. SEEK MEDICAL ADVICE.
    I just can’t stand the thought I am forever going to be re-infecting my Dad even if I try so hard and use gloves and clean . . .

    1. Well I am in my 4th week of treatment and that burning of my skin DID NOT WORK. Don’t do it. Those bugger just burrow under. I was making progress with treatment until I slept in a long sleeve t-shirt. My infection was in my hands and forearms, but that night it easily moved to my upper arms and now they are around my neck. I am re-grouping and back to listening to the words of advice from this website and entirely agree. Ivermectin and Permenthrine is the only way to go. I just think that I am not soaking every morning enough and scrubbing out the left over lotion from the night before. I did get some sulfur soap to help me out.

      I think I will invest in a hand-held steam cleaner. My dryer is going out. Go figure.

      Trying not to lose my mind. God bless you.

  80. God bless us all. I’m in my fourth month of Scabies Treatment. I was told I had a “really bad case.” Within 6 weeks of being exposed to scabies, I had to shave my head. I had a scalp that was swollen and misshapen with eggs. I”m almost better. I only have had a few new bug bites each day. My head is almost normal shaped. Go to the doctor! Your case may look different than everyone else’s. Ivermectin and Permethrin are the most effective cure. In my case, I followed the CDC recommendation for crusted scabies and combined them with Benzyl Benzoate.

  81. Macky Gutierrez Dominguez

    The easiest and efficient cure is blow drier, set it at a max temp at blow dry your entire skin up to the highest temperature you can tolerate, do it every other day for 1 week. The mites will die, trust me.

  82. LOOK@THIS!!

    Ever heard of “Teds Borax Remedy”? Take borax, hydrogen peroxide, & distilled water.
    Take the hydrogen peroxide & put it into a plastic jar 1/3rd way up from bottom. Then fill the rest of the jar with distilled water. Then, put into this 4-5+ tablespoons full of borax & stir with either a plastic/wooden spoon, (NOT METAL!). Stir until the borax stops dissolving. The mix is now known as ‘saturated borate’.

    Apply this sparingly from your face on downwards to feet. All over! Except Your Hair>”IF you’re brunette (your hair will be blond in 2-3 weeks!) For your hair, use a product called Selsun Blue Shampoo (sulfates in it kill mites!) This will keep them @ bay & you can go to work NO itching. You can wash your eyelids, ear canals, up your nose, etc. But STAY AWAY FROM YOUR HAIR & EYEBROWS. (Put Vaseline in eyebrows/eyelashes with a Q-tip 1st.)

    (Note; I wash my hair in a.m. with Selsun Blue, & also use it as a body wash to kill bugs on
    skin from night before. Then rinse. Then apply borax/hydrogen peroxide solution for the rest of the day. Let air dry before putting on borax treated clothes. Borax does NOT stain clothes!)

    (Take 1/4th teaspoon of borax, & put it into a quart container, fill with purified/spring water, stir, & sip throughout the day. STOPS the itching!!)

    Take a large pot, fill 3/4 way with HOT water, then add just Borax. Add more & stir until borax doesn’t dissolve anymore. Then soak the clothes you’ll most likely be wearing this week. Then drip dry. Wear the now Dripped DRY shirts, underwear, socks, dresses & pants on top of the treated skin via borax/h.p. solution. As it will DRY OUT ANY Mites crawling on your clothes/skin during daytime. “Do this for sheets/pillow case’s” during day, let drip dry. Mites can not survive DRYING OUT!! (Borax is also used to dry flowers intact.)

    IF, you want a ‘cure’, use a product called KLEEN GREEN. Also known as KLEEN FREE. But DO NOT, “GET IT IN YOUR EYES”!!! (The product has warnings on label about this.) Do a search
    for naturalginesis.com for unsolicited testimonials. It TRULY works wonders! Some stores sell it..

    KLEEN GREEN is SAFE for Pets, (this includes dogs, cats, & birds). It has the G.R.A.S. certification from the F.D.A. But is registered by the E.P.A. as a cleaner, even though it’s formulated to be a natural pesticide. (It’s made of natural enzymes!) Just KEEP IT OUT,
    of Pets EYES, as the enzymes will slightly corrode the cornea of its eyes, or YOURS!!

    (RELAX! The cornea self repairs in a few days. Just DON’T do it…)

    You might want to do a search on ‘ understanding Kleen Green ‘, (its from biconet.com)

    Put on a pair of clear vinyl gloves. Get partner to fill gloves 1/4 way with borax/h.p. solution.
    Leave gloves on for over 15 minutes. Rotate hands for even wetness. Then slightly drain in sink. When mites appear under gloves, ask partner (or friend/family) take a smart phone & make a short video for doctor to show you’re not delusional!!

  83. Sara koshnood

    Can you please explain why you say that you must wait 3+ weeks before bringing out clothes that are bagged up?

    How long can they survive off of a human?

    1. They can survive a couple of weeks, especially if they have skin debris to feed off. 3 weeks is just an extra precaution.

  84. Chouinard Patrick

    You give excellent advice! After having dealt with scabies for almost a year and learning much along the way I can say this is one of the best guidelines I’ve read. The only thing I’d add is that Moxidectin is even better than Ivermectin. I followed this man’s suggestion and used Moxidectin (20 mg × 3 doses one month apart). The pet issue is important too. I was very thorough at first but kept getting them back from my cats because, as he says, human scabies can live on cats for a couple of days and reinfect us. That’s what happened to me for months. Finally I took Moxidectin and treated my cats with Advantage Multi (which also contains Moxidectin). I continue to use Sulphur, Tea Tree and Neem in soap and lotions (in ointments containing penetrating oils like Sweet Almond, olive or coconut) . Keep in mind that itching can persist for up to 45 days even if all the mites and eggs are dead. Don’t give up!

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