Scabies… the word just makes you want to cringe. Scabies is an incredibly itchy, irritating skin infestation caused by the host specific mite referred to as Sarcoptes Scabiei Hominis. This eight-legged bug is so tiny that you can only see it through a microscope. Individuals contract Scabies when the mite burrows into the surface layer of the skin to feed and reside. These creepy crawly bugs travel from one infected person onto the next, and most people develop Scabies through prolonged direct, skin-to-skin contact. It is also a possibility for Scabies to spread through bedding and clothing.

Scabies is roughly estimated to affect 300 million people world wide, and around 100 million individuals in the United States. They can live on your skin for up to 2 whole months.

Common Signs & Symptoms of Scabies

  • A rash that resembles hives or pimples (the rash often forms a line)

  • Burrows are the epidermal tunnel created by the moving female mite (appearance is grayish, thread-like elevations in the superficial epidermis ranging from 2-10 mm long)

  • Intense night time itching

  • Thick crusts on skin (which is the most severe type of Scabies called Crusted Scabies, Norwegian Scabies)

Killing Scabies

Natural, holistic treatments to kill Scabies will not work. To put it frankly, they do not pack enough punch to get rid of these parasites. Scabies burrow deep into the epidermis and create protective enzymes in their spit, that they cover their burrows in. This keeps the Scabies safely sealed in, and the attempts at killing them useless. The best way to get rid of them on your skin is using oral Ivermectin, or a topical Permethrin cream.

In order to fully banish these parasite from your household, you need to disinfect and clean your environment. Keeping your household clean is a major part of killing these suckers. There can’t be anything worse than recovering fully from effective treatment, to get the infestation all over again. Carpet cleaning, especially steam cleaning, or the hot water water extraction method is the best choice. A thorough, deep cleaning is a must. That means using extremely high heat to help ensure these nuisances are killed.

If you have carpets or rugs, roll them up if you can. These mites can potentially hide in the fibers. Shoes and socks are a common place to find these mites, and it would be beneficial to clean your carpets in order to decontaminate.

– A checklist of things/places you need to deep clean –

  • Your house

  • Your clothes

  • Your car

  • Your pets

  • Your mattresses

  • Floors

  • Tabletops and counter surfaces

  • Your work office

  • And anything else you come in contact with

In a study, high heat 122° F for over 10 minutes killed all the mites and their eggs. Also, keep a disinfectant spray nearby, to clean anything that you might have touched. Avoid scratching your skin like the plague, this will only worsen the problem for you. It only increases the likelihood of you spreading mites across your body.

Getting rid of Scabies may be quite the challenge, but with diligence and consistency you can kill them, and get your household back to normal. Patience is a must.