Pubic lice

Pubic lice: short overview

• Appearance: Max. 2 millimeters long, oval to shield-shaped body, six legs with strong claws (with magnifying glass recognizable)
• Preferred locations: Hair dress in the genital and anal area, occasionally in the chest hair, underarm hair, eyebrows, eyelashes, beard etc.
• Infection: directly from person to person in close physical contact (such as sexual intercourse): rarely indirectly via mattresses, blankets, etc.
• Common symptoms: Itching (especially at night), possibly bluish skin discoloration at puncture sites (up to fingernail size)
• Treatment options: Antiparasitic agents; Comb out with lice comb; maybe shave; Sexual partner must be treated!
• Watch out: Do not use antiparasitic agents on eyelashes! Here, the pubic lice are plucked out with tweezers or coated with petroleum jelly (suffocation death)

Recognize pubic lice

Pubic lice have an oval to shield-shaped shape and are about 1 to 1.6 millimeters (maximum 2 millimeters) long. So they are a bit smaller than head lice. With a magnifying glass can be seen that strong claws are on the six legs. With their help, the animals can cling to the pubic hairs.

Where on the body do you find pubic lice?

Pubic lice are usually found in the hair of the genital and anal region of a human. Because they like a loose, not too dense hair and many sweat glands. Sometimes, however, the parasites also appear on other hairy parts of the body, for example in the hairy chest and abdomen area in men and under the armpits in both sexes. Even eyelashes, eyebrows and beard may be infested with pubic lice.

Pubic lice: lifestyle and reproduction of pubic lice

Crab lice feed on the blood of their host. For this they sting with specially trained mouth tools up to ten times a day in the skin and suck up with blood. The bite itself is usually not noticed by those affected, but its consequences. Because like other louse species, pubic lice inject their saliva into the puncture site to prevent the blood from clotting.

However, the immune system of the body classifies certain components of the lice saliva as foreign substances and tries to combat them – it develops a local immune reaction with itching and redness of the affected skin.

The Filzlaus is well adapted to its host, the humans, and does not leave it voluntarily. The only exception is the change to another host. The female Fillloss has a lifespan of about a month. She lays down up to five eggs per day by sticking them to the shaft of the hair with a special secretion.

After about a week, so-called nymphs hatch, which in their outward appearance closely resemble adult animals. After a maximum of about three weeks, the animals are mature and begin to multiply.

Pubic lice: contagion

Pubic lice are mainly transmitted directly from person to person through close physical contact such as during intercourse. Particularly vulnerable to a Filzlaus infestation are people who change their sexual partner frequently.

It is also possible to infect with felt lice indirectly, for example by sharing a mattress, sheets or blankets with an infected person. However, this happens much less often because a louse without a host can survive only 24 hours.

Pubic lice: treatment

Pubic lice are treated in a similar way as head lice: externally applied agents are used antiparasitic agents like permethrin. Please refer to the instructions for use to see exactly how the application is done and when it should be repeated.

In addition, the infested areas should combed out after treatment with a lice comb become. Thus, the insect lice killed by the insect lice and their eggs can be removed from the hair.

Sometimes it is also recommended the hairy and of felt lice Shave affected body region, Such a shave is not absolutely necessary, but it helps to quickly eliminate the nits.

In case of an infection of the eyelashes one proceeds differently, in order to prevent a possible damage of the eye by the medicaments. Here you should pluck the pubic lice and nits with a fine pair of tweezers. Vaseline can also be applied to the eyelashes without additives (three to five times daily) for eight to ten days, in order to suffocate the parasites.

Because the pubic lice are likely to try to avoid other hairy parts of the body nearby, eyebrows and scalp hair should be treated with antiparasitic drugs at the same time.

More tips

Particularly important in a Filzlaus infestation is the Co-treatment of the sexual partner, Otherwise, a ping-pong effect will be created: The partners will keep pinning each other again and again. During the acute attack should also to abstain from sexual intercourse.

The one used by an infected person Bed linen and clothes should be washed hot (at least 50 degrees).

For the right treatment, especially with medication, you should seek advice from a doctor or a pharmacy. Because only those who perform the therapy properly and consistently, the pubic lice quickly loses.

Pubic lice: symptoms

The main symptom is moderate to strong itchingThe stitches of the pubic lice cause. At night it often increases, probably through the bed heat. The skin at the injection site may be red. In addition, it sometimes comes to the puncture sites around bluish colorationswhich can reach the size of a fingernail. These spots are called maculae coeruleae or “taches bleues” and are probably caused by small bleeding around the puncture site caused by the lice saliva.

Some people are allergic to the lice bites, which increases their symptoms.

If you scratch yourself as a result of the itching, there is a risk that bacteria will invade through the injured skin and lead to so-called secondary infections.

Pubic lice: diagnosis

If the symptoms are fully developed, the suspicion falls quickly on pubic lice. To confirm it, the affected areas need to be closely inspected. Although the lice and their eggs are large enough to be detected with the naked eye. However, they are not always easy to spot as they are barely moving and colorful in their background.

Another indication of the lice infestation may be small rusty brown spots in the underwear. These are the excrements of the animals.