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Love hair, moisture and heat
Phitirus pubis, pubic louse, flats, crab louse. All different words for the same crab-like parasite that lives between the hairs in the pubic area. The presence of these insects results in itching: annoying, but harmless. However, you can easily transfer the louse to others. Extensive washing does not help: a special agent is necessary.
The pubic lice is a small crab-like yellow-white parasite about 2 to 3 millimeters in size. It is remarkably flat, hence the name flats. It likes to live on the skin of places where there is a lot of hair and where it is warm and humid. The parasites live mainly in the pubic hair and in the buttock crack. You can also find them in armpit hair, chest hair, a hairy navel or on the inside of the thighs. In some cases they even end up in the eyelashes and eyebrows.
To crawl
Pubic lice cannot jump, but slowly crawl around the skin and hair roots. They lay an average of two to three eggs (nits) per day that they stick to hair. The eggs do not have to be on the body to stay alive. They hatch after about a week. The louse itself can survive for two days without a host.
bites
Itching is the main complaint of pubic lice. The parasite lives on the blood and causes the bites itch. These bites leave blue-gray spots on the skin. Irritation or scratching can also make the skin red or inflamed. In addition, the lice often leave reddish-brown stools on the skin or underwear.
Contageous
Plaques are transmitted through close physical contact. During sex, the lice can overflow, but that can also happen while lying against each other. Wearing someone else’s clothes, using someone else’s towel, or being in bed with someone who has pubic lice can also result in infestation.
Diagnosis?
In case of recurrent itching in hairy areas, you should check carefully for the presence of lice and nits. Especially the whitish nits that are stuck to the hair are often easy to distinguish.
If you have found lice or nits, it is not necessary to go to the doctor. There are various medicines available without a prescription at drugstores and pharmacies. In particular, permethrin cream and bioalletrin or piperonyl butoxide spray are recommended.
To treat
The exposure time depends on the product. So always read the package leaflet carefully. The product kills the lice and nits, so you still have to comb the dead parasites out of the hair yourself. Usually one treatment is sufficient, sometimes it is necessary to repeat the treatment after a week.
Don’t forget to wash clothes and bedding at at least 60 degrees. And your partner must be treated, even if he has no complaints, otherwise you can continue to infect each other. Pubic lice on the eyelashes should not be chemically treated. You can remove the lice with tweezers or suffocate with petroleum jelly.
STD
Pubic lice are considered a sexually transmitted disease. If you have contracted the parasite through sexual contact, it is wise to also have research into other STDs. However, you cannot prevent pubic lice by using a condom.
According to scientists, pubic lice are becoming less common. They think this is because many people nowadays shave their pubic hair (short).