Welcome to my guide on how to get rid of scabies for good – a real home treatment that works. This is based on my own scabies experience and I really hope it will help you too. This guide is quite long but if you’re suffering from scabies I promise it will be worth it! I know how bad scabies can be but everything you need to know will be in the guide below. If you have questions, just leave a comment and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can. Best of luck!
Let me guess.
You’ve been scratching like crazy, you’ve got little bumps all over your body and you went to the doctor to ask what the heck is wrong with you. Then he told you the bad news: Scabies.
Now you’ve been up all night reading about how to get rid of scabies on Topix, you haven’t slept through the night once and you’re pretty close to tears wondering when you’re going to get your life back.
Let me tell you: I’ve been there.
Scabies are evil, evil things. They give most of us that horrible feeling of helplessness, as they burrow through your body taking over your life. But there’s good news:
Getting rid of scabies is actually pretty simple.
I made this site after suffering from my own scabies nightmare.
I have grown up with eczema my whole life, and quite a few different skin allergies, so I took the scabies hit harder than most. My whole body flared up in a wicked rash, which shook even my dermatologist, and I was homebound for the better part of a month.
It was one of the worst things I’ve ever had to go through.
But I researched.
I read everything about how to get rid of scabies. Medicine. Natural treatments. I tried everything.
In the end, after much obsessive treatment, I managed to get rid of scabies completely within a month.
Not several months.
Not years.
Just one month.
Now I know a scabies infestation can feel like it will never end, but if you treat scabies properly, you will get better.
That’s what I’m going to help you with today.
Here’s a quick introduction to my treatment plan for getting rid of scabies within 30 days (don’t worry, I’ll show you where/how to get all the necessary treatments in the guide that follows).
How to get rid of scabies for good: The treatment plan
Day 1:
- Treat scabies with Permethrin cream. There are many testimonials online of Permethrin not being effective, but if you apply it properly, it will work. Read more below.
- Treat scabies with Ivermectin (Stromectol) orally.
- Optional: Kill scabies with a bleach bath or tea tree oil bath.
Day 2-6:
- Treat skin daily with all natural, homemade scabies cream (recipe below). This is perfect for killing any mites you may still have, but more importantly protecting and healing your skin after the Permethrin treatment.
- Quarantine your clothes/sheets.
- Optional: Use sleep aids to prevent you from scratching/spreading.
- Optional: Kill scabies with regular sulfur baths and/or sulfur ointment.
Day 7:
- Treat scabies with Permethrin cream (again).
- Treat scabies with Ivermectin (orally).
Day 8-30:
If treated correctly all scabies should now be dead. All that’s left for you to do is support your skin and immune system to heal safely and quickly as you flush out dead mites/eggs. I’ll show you some easy scabies home remedies to help you do this below.
Your scabies treatment plan in detail:
Written below is a full plan in detail. I also have a Youtube video detailing everything below if you don’t like reading:
One thing you should know before we start, is that there is a large mental aspect to this treatment. Scabies do not care about your family and you being miserable and the ugly rashes on your skin that are making you depressed. Scabies are fighting to survive in your body, and you need to fight back.
This is a battle. You against them. You need to take this treatment seriously and be in the right mindset. Do you want your body back or not?
If you do the treatment correctly, your life will be back to normal in 2-4 weeks. If you fluff around and do it willy nilly, you might still be fighting your scabies battle 6 months from now. So the first step is – get your mind right. This is war! Implement your treatment religiously and you will win. But you need to be 150% dedicated.
Before we get started: One quick tip. In fact I want you to do this right now.
Cut your nails.
This is so important and so simple, and can have a big effect on how quickly scabies spreads around your body. Every time you scratch, you pick up mites and eggs, and these get caught under your nails. As you continue scratching, you spread them. So go ahead and cut your nails now. Also try to avoid scratching the best you can, and wash your hands regularly.
Day 1:
Apply Permethrin cream
When researching how to get rid of scabies you’ll probably hear the name Permethrin quite often. This is the standard treatment prescribed by doctors in most developed nations, and is very effective if you use it properly. You can even make it at home – I’ll talk about this below.
But first let me explain what Permethrin is.
Permethrin is an insecticide. Think about what happens when you spray a roach with a can of bug spray. That’s what you’re doing to the scabies in your skin with Permethrin cream. It’s pretty nasty stuff.
Now there are two really important things to know when using Permethrin:
- You must use it properly! Most accounts you read on the internet about Permethrin not working is due to people not using it properly. They usually just slather it on willy nilly and think it will work. It won’t. You need to apply the cream immaculately, which is not difficult but will take time. I’ll explain that in a minute. Just know that if used properly, Permethrin will work.
- You need to support your skin after the treatment. Remember, Permethrin is an insecticide, aka a poison. It’s not supposed to be on your skin! So once you use it, your skin may have an adverse reaction, which can freak people out. You need to make sure you treat your skin afterwards to protect it and keep it healthy.
Of course the first step is to get your hands on some Permethrin cream. If you have visited a doctor they will prescribe it for you, so that’s not a problem. If you don’t have access/can’t afford a doctor, and you can’t buy Permethrin over the counter in your country/state, you’ll need to make it yourself. Yes, you can make Permethrin cream at home. It can simply be bought online or mixed up yourself. I have a blog post explaining that here.
Now these are the proper directions for applying Permethrin:
- You must leave it on for 8-12 hours (don’t leave it on any longer – it will damage your skin).
- You must do two applications, 7 days apart. This ensures you get all the newly hatched mites you might have missed the first time.
- You must apply it everywhere on your body from the chin down (yes, everywhere!)
Now the first and second rules are easy. It’s the last rule that most people get wrong (applying it everywhere). Let me explain this further:
How to apply Permethrin cream properly for scabies treatment
To apply Permethrin properly, you need to apply it everywhere. If you miss a spot, there’s a chance you will miss some scabies mites. Then those mites burrow and lay more eggs, and your scabies won’t be cured. Then you go on the internet and tell everyone that Permethrin doesn’t work, and people start freaking out.
Some places that people often miss are on and around the ears, the bellybutton, the armpits, between the fingers and toes, and especially under the fingernails and toenails! These are all super hiding places for scabies, so make sure you cover those areas well.
Another thing people do is they wash their hands before the 8 hours is up. You cannot wash your hands for 8 hours! This will wash off the treatment, particularly under the fingernails where scabies often are, and your treatment will not be effective.
For a thorough guide on applying Permethrin properly, read my post How To Use Permethrin Properly To Kill Scabies. I highly suggest reading this before applying the cream, or watch my Youtube video on the subject here:
Take Ivermectin orally
Ivermectin is an insecticide in pill form. While Permethrin works from the surface, ivermectin works from the inside (it’s often used on livestock).
While this is not FDA approved for scabies treatment in the US, it is used for this purpose in many other developed nations and it is effective.
As you are ingesting the invermectin I would only recommend taking it if you can get it prescribed from a doctor. The dosage is quite specific (200mcg per kg of body weight) so you need to get it right. It is very easy to take – you just take the dosage once and it’s done (some doctors recommend taking it twice, a week apart). It is particularly useful if you are suffering from scabies on the face/scalp, as permethrin shouldn’t really be used there (although rare, there is anecdotal evidence that mites do burrow in the head and scalp).
If you need help getting ivermectin, I have an article here that talks you through how to get and how to use it safely.
Day 2-6:
90% of scabies mites should now be dead. Yes, you read that right. If you take Ivermectin and Permethrin together, you will kill all or almost all scabies on your body.
There’s a chance you missed some, or some unhatched eggs survived, which is why we do a second Permethrin treatment in 7 days (we’ll get to that soon).
Your priority between now and your second Permethrin treatment should be supporting your skin to help it heal. This is something most people skip over when learning how to get rid of scabies, but it is super important. The home treatment I will describe below is ideal and very effective.
Contrary to what many people think, there are actually quite a few natural remedies for scabies. The bonus is, many of them are herbs and oils that are good for your skin too. After doing hundreds of hours of research (I’m a serious hypochondriac), I came up with a mixture of natural remedies that is perfect for supportive scabies treatment.
Everything can be bought from your supermarket/pharmacy or online from Amazon, so it’s super easy to make, and not that expensive either. I call it the anti-scabies body mask.
The Anti-scabies Body Mask:
All instructions are detailed below, but if you would prefer to see a video demonstration, I have a Youtube video here:
Here’s what you’ll need:
Tea tree oil – Tea tree oil has been shown to be more effective at killing scabies mites if on the surface of the skin (study here). It is less effective at killing mites that are burrowed deeply, but that’s what the Permethrin was for. Tea tree oil is also great for your skin.
This is the tea tree oil I recommend.
Neem oil – The neem tree is nature’s most powerful insecticide, and very effective at getting rid of scabies. A study in India (where scabies is an enormous problem) found that neem mixed with turmeric had an almost 100% cure rate as a scabies treatment. It doesn’t penetrate quite as deep as Permethrin cream, but it gets close. The bonus is it’s also super nourishing for your skin. Definitely one of the best natural remedies for scabies available today.
This is the neem oil I recommend (click here).
Neem powder – Like I said, neem is one of the best natural remedies for scabies; it’s one of nature’s insecticides, perfect for what we’re trying to do here. We’ll use powder too, as the skin absorbs oil and powder differently.
This is the neem powder I recommend (click here).
Turmeric powder – As above, it’s a good supportive treatment for scabies.
This is the turmeric powder I use, but you can use any regular turmeric from your supermarket.
Coconut oil – Coconut oil isn’t really a scabies treatment, but it is excellent for your skin. In this case, we’ll be using coconut oil as a carrier oil for some of the more powerful oils we’re planning to use here.
I like this coconut oil, but you can use any unrefined, organic coconut oil from your supermarket.
Clove oil – Clove oil has been shown to kill 100% of scabies mites within 15 minutes of exposure (study here). That is a higher cure rate than both Ivermectin and Permethrin used together! This is the most effective scabies treatment I know of and can be bought from any health store or on Amazon.
This is the clove oil I recommend (click here).
Anti-scabies body mask recipe:
- Half a cup of neem oil
- Half a cup of coconut oil
- 12 drops of tea tree oil
- 2 tablespoons of neem powder
- 4 drops of clove oil
- 1 tablespoon of turmeric
If you have any trouble finding these, you can get all the ingredients affordably on Amazon. Should cost you around $50-$60 all up:
Mix this recipe up in a bowl and you’re going to have an oily, leafy smelling concoction. The neem oil smells particularly strong, a bit like old frying oil but remember, everything in this bowl is natural, plant based, great for your skin and effective at killing scabies. It’s going to look like this:
After mixing:
The reason we are using this concoction is two-fold:
- We want to protect our skin, avoid any bad reactions to the Permethrin and Ivermectin and speed up the healing process.
- We want to kill any surface mites that may have newly hatched or we may have missed in our first Permethrin treatment.
Here’s what you need to do now. Take that mixture and go stand in your bathtub or shower. You can also just stand on a towel somewhere. Now rub it all over your body. Spread it absolutely everywhere, just like you did with the Permethrin cream. The advantage this scabies treatment has over Permethrin is it is completely non-toxic, meaning you can use it on your face and scalp. If you feel like you might have mites there, rub it on! Just be careful not to get it in your eyes.
By the end of it, you should be looking like you’ve been rolling around in the mud for an hour.
Now you need to let that sit on your skin for at least 45 mins – 1 hour. I actually left it off the soles of my feet so I could still walk around my house, even though I was naked and green and looked ridiculous. But the longer you can leave it on the better. Letting all those nutrients and oils sink into your skin will be great for the healing process. You do not want to flare up with an allergic reaction like I did, trust me! This natural body mask will help prevent that.
This body mask also contains some great scabies killers – clove oil and neem oil especially. If somehow your first Permethrin treatment missed any mites, this treatment will have a good chance at killing any that come to the surface. Tea tree oil is also an effective scabies killer.
One easy way to pass the time is take your laptop into the bathroom and just watch an episode or two of your favourite show on Netflix. It might feel weird standing in the bathroom watching Netflix, but hey, much better than living with scabies 🙂
Once the time’s up, simply wash the body mask off in the shower.
Note: If you have a history of very sensitive skin or allergies, particularly to pollen and plants, I highly suggest doing a small test of the mask first. Rub some into your arm and leave it for an hour, then wash it off. If your skin doesn’t react after a few hours, you should be okay. While it is rare, neem and essential oils can trigger allergic reactions in those with sensitive skin.
You should apply the body mask regularly – every day if you can. In my opinion, this is one of the most important parts of your scabies treatment. Remember, scabies are microscopic and it’s very easy for you to miss them. Neither Permethrin nor Ivermectin have a 100% heal rate (most studies put it between 70%-90%). Therefore it is a good idea to continue to treat your scabies every day for about a week, just to be sure you’ve got them all. However, you cannot use Permethrin every day! It is poisonous and will ravage your skin completely.
This body mask is the answer – it allows you to safely continue attacking the scabies daily. Remember, it only takes one egg or mite to be the difference between complete recovery and a reinfestation.
The body mask also serves the important role of supporting your skin to heal and avoid it flaring up (coconut oil and neem oil are both great for your skin).
If you want a more thorough guide into the natural remedies for scabies mentioned above, as well as the studies and science behind them, I’ve written about this in more detail here.
Anti-scabies moisturizer:
Again, you want to protect your skin, which is where moisturizer comes in. Any dermatologist will tell you that one of the best things you can do for your skin is to moisturize regularly. This mimics the skins protective barrier and allows your skin to heal faster and more effectively.
Dry skin is definitely the enemy here, so please moisturize religiously after your treatments.
You can use any body lotion or moisturizer you want, but try and get something that’s clean and simple. You don’t need or want any fancy smells or perfumes. I recommend this brand – it’s cheap and works great.
Each night after you’ve washed off the body mask, squirt a bit of moisturizer in your palm (about the amount of a McDonald’s ketchup sachet), and mix in 2-3 drops of tea tree oil. Then rub into your skin like a regular moisturizer and repeat until you’ve covered your whole body. Your skin should be moisturized and protected and scabies free. Niiiice.
If you really want to get serious, you can make a scabies killing moisturizer too as described in my guide here, although this is optional.
Laundry:
As a general rule, scabies don’t survive off the human body for more than 72 hours.
However, this is highly dependent on weather, humidity and temperature. I’ve written a very detailed blog post about this here.
Instead of washing all your clothes every day, which is very tiresome, I would recommend quarantining them in a large garbage bag. Every time you wear something, stash it in the bag.
You’re going to leave that bag for at least 72 hours after your second Permethrin treatment, in a hot environment, preferably under the sun.
If this is not possible, simply leave it in a hot water cupboard or in a room or closet that you don’t plan on using for the duration of your treatment.
Once that 72 hours is up, you can wash all those clothes at once. Make sure you do a hot water wash and dry them in high heat, either in heavy sun or the drier (ideally both). Scabies hate heat!
Day 7:
It’s time for your second round of Permethrin. This is done to make doubly sure you get rid of scabies, as it’s possible some mites and eggs survived the first treatment.
All the same rules apply:
Get it everywhere, even in your belly button and your butt crack, make sure it gets under the fingernails. Don’t wash your hands, have a shower in the morning. You need to follow all the rules of using Permethrin effectively.
This is your final Permethrin treatment and the final onslaught. Make sure you do it properly! After this one, all scabies mites should be well and truly expelled to the afterlife.
This would also be the time for you to take a second dose of Ivermectin, if you wish to. Again, it’s not 100% necessary but a good extra treatment if you’re willing.
Day 8-30:
By now, any scabies that have survived must be godlike or from another planet. It would be very unlikely that mites have survived the treatment above.
However, you can do the above 7 day treatment a second time if you feel it hasn’t worked. It’s very unlikely this would be necessary though.
If all is well, Day 8-30 is simply a supportive treatment time. Continue moisturizing with the tea tree oil and moisturizing cream. You do not need to continue with the body mask unless you want to.
During this time you may experience the post-scabies itch. Every time you feel the tiniest itch, your paranoia will probably get the best of you and you’ll fear the scabies has returned.
Don’t do this.
It’s very common for people to experience scabies symptoms even after successful treatment. This means you might see spots or bumps around the body, and feel the urge to scratch in the night. Try to stay calm. This is your body reacting to dead eggs, dead mites, and healing old burrows.
This means you will be itchy at times, but if you’ve done the treatment correctly be confident and don’t let paranoia get the best of you. The scabies are dead. Your body is healing. Try and stay positive and get through it.
Last step: How to get rid of scabies in the house
You might be wondering, what if there are still scabies mites in the house? What if they’re stuck in the sheets, couch, car seat, carpet?
The truth is, it is pretty rare for you to catch scabies from household items. If you do want to go all in, you can make a permethrin “wipe” by buying some permethrin and mixing it with water.
If you are using 10% Permethrin solution, simply mix it with equal parts water, and you will have a 5% permethrin spray.
Use this to wipe down the areas of your house that you frequent, such as table tops, chairs and floors. This is one of the most effective ways to get rid of scabies in the home. You can buy permethrin for this purpose on Amazon here.
Another effective wipe is bleach. Simply mix it up in a spray bottle and spray and wipe whenever you spend a lot of time on a certain piece of furniture. It also helps to be mindful of where in the house you go. Try and quarantine yourself to only the essential areas (bedroom, bathroom, kitchen) for the first 7 days of your treatment.
I know it all sounds very obsessive and over the top, and maybe it is.
Like I said, catching scabies outside of skin-to-skin contact is rare as they don’t have time to burrow into the skin. In fact, one study showed that only 4 out of 270 people managed to catch scabies after sleeping in a bed where scabies were present.
How diligent you want to be is totally up to you. If you’d like some tips on cleaning your house for scabies, I have a blog post about that here.
You’re healed!
That’s it. You have won the battle with scabies. It’s an intense treatment but it’s a small price to pay for getting your life back. This scabies treatment worked well for me and was based on many hours of reading and research, so I hope it will work just as well for you. Don’t be spooked by stories on the web of people dealing with scabies for years and years. If you treat them properly, you will be cured.
Get started
Here’s a quick resource summary to get your treatment started. Everything can be ordered easily on Amazon using the links below.
For the scabies body mask:
Remember you should also moisturize regularly with a little tea tree oil added to keep your skin from drying. This moisturizer is perfect.
As for the prescription treatments, you should really get them from your doctor. However…
IF you need Permethrin over the counter, read my post about how to get it here.
IF you need ivermectin over the counter, read my post about how to get it here.
I’d also like to say that I know how crappy this situation is, but the best advice I can give you is to get started right now.
Scabies does not get better on its own.
You need to treat it or the infestation will simply take over your skin and that is serious misery waiting to happen.
So please do get started today and BEST OF LUCK. It would also be great if you’d come and report back on your results. We’d love to hear.
Lastly, I have one small request. I’m planning to build a Youtube channel so I can show you on video exactly how all these things are made and how to use them. If this site has helped you, I would really appreciate it if you would help me out by clicking the subscribe button below. I need 1,000 subscribers to get a channel approved!
Thanks so much and hope you return to health soon!
Jon
If you have any questions, please leave a comment below. I’ll get back to you as soon as possible!
Do you recommend bombing the house with anything ?
You can do. Most flea bombs contain Permethrin which is effective against scabies. However it is more important to quarantine all your clothes and sheets in garbages bags though for around 4-7 days (the mites can’t live off the human body for more than a couple of days). You can also clean the areas you frequent with bleach, like desks, chairs, floors, cabinets etc. Hope that helps!
Thanks that helps
Hi John, I have a family of seven (five kids, one is an infant) and I’m wondering about the laundry aspect of this. I plan on laundering car seats the day before we begin our treatment and then leaving them in our cars for days. It is hot outside especially in the car. Aside from that, do I need to put everything of everyone’s outside in a plastic bag or can I launder everything the day after we have used the permethrin? (I plan on having them sleep in the permethrin, can they wear clothes after it’s applied?)
I ask about laundering because I have stripped us down to bare essentials and have enough blankets for each child for one day and i wash them daily. Just need to know what the best plan of action for laundry is since I have so many people in my home.
It will not be safe to cover baby seats with plastic bags. Regular dusting of food grade Diatomaceous Earth on dry furniture, car seats, etc., will kill scabies soon after contact by dehydrating or suffocating them.
Did your treatment work? I am a Mother with 5 children. 1 is an infant 3 months old. Did you apply the permethrin to your baby? Did you apply to the babies face?
I just read on the package insert for Nix 5% Permethrin cream that it is not recommended for anyone under two years of age, and that even 3- and 4- year-olds should be put to bed with long sleeves and mittens on immediately after applying Nix, to make sure they don’t get any in their mouths.
I’m using 10% sulfur ointment on my three-year-old and myself. You might want to look for less concentrated sulfur ointment for a baby. Everything I’ve read says sulfur is safe and effective for scabies but you have to apply it three nights in a row and leave it on overnight, not just once like Permethrin.
Hello Jon
I am in Australia
Am a grandma
Would you please advise how to treat the scabies on my head
Have not had a sexual partner for more than 14yr
In last month
I now travel in a van
I go to laundromat daily and use hottest cycle on dryer for sheets blanket and clothes
Permethrin- applied on Saturdays
Moxidectin – three weeks ago according to my body weight
Nutritional supplements daily and Vit C up to 10,000mg daily
There is a type of mite that most everyone has and when we age they can run rampant. If no one you know has scabies look into this. I know because we had 3 types of mites infestation at the same time.
Demodex and brevectis( sic spelling ) are the natural follicular mites I’m speaking on. Also studies show if you’re infected over 3 months, moxidecton is more effective and only on dose lasts over a month as it remains in the plasma longer and skin. I used the equine version from our feed store.
Hey Jon, Hope you see this comment.. None of your links are working. I don’t see a link for your YouTube either. I appreciate your research. Can you email me to get the information that would be in the links by chance? Also the pay now button isn’t working.
Thank you so much!:)
Thanks so much for letting me know. Fixing it now.
Just wondering if anyone felt the scabies get drawn out of the burrows while applying the body mask? I felt and wiped away numerous mites/bugs of my skin while doing the application. It was really weird.
Hi john! Thank you for your helpful information and advocacy on behalf of this. What should I put in scalp overnight if they are present? I did your body wash and treatment with permethrin and ivermectin now trying to heal my skin. This is my second round of treatment. I am a mental health worker and to be honest this has taken a toll on my life. However, I try to believe that everything messed up that happens to me is a lesson to learn from and grow. It’s people like you and all the supporters who make a difference.
The body mask is probably safe for scalp if you don’t have any allergies to the ingredients. Permethrin isn’t to be used on scalp per standard doctor’s advice, but you could double check with your doctor and see what he/she thinks.
Thank you dearly Jon. Very grateful for your information. I was recently diagnosed with having these little creatures. I did 2 treatments of permethrin & have seen some improvements, but there are some areas I am still concerned about. So like you said, hit them with everything you can. Thus I applied your mask last night, & put some clove oil mixed w coconut oil this morning on the target areas. I’m feeling optimistic & will update with progress. Thank You again
—Thomas
I want to know your progress too. I’m also suffering with scabies and it is uncomfortable
Did it help you?
THANK YOU SO MUCH. amazing work you do !
You’re welcome!
What if I can’t find the oils in my country?
Thank you for this article, it gives me hope and peace of mind.
What country are you from? Does Amazon ship to you?
I will try your remedy i did first dose with dr. Script i have it in my hair and will do this. Had it six weeks before a dr. told me what it was. Went to med station twice! Second dr. Said i need to go to a dermatologist dr. So i did and he treated me with permethrin cream. Thanks for recipe!
Sorry to hear that. In your hair is a difficult place to have it. I’d recommend using the natural treatment but also internally with ivermectin. Hit it as hard as you can. Good luck!
Is the natural treatment the one with the permethrin in it? I thought you said you could not use it on your head? If so how long do you leave it?
Yes you shouldn’t put permethrin on your head. Natural treatment should be okay to use on your head, but test a little on your skin first and see if it irritates before you do the full body.
Hello
I am 22 years old and i am not sure but i think i got this scabies on my face as tiny bumps occurs in lines and its itchy too soo what to do
Please help me
Hi Jon. This is my 3rd week battling against these demons. I did all of your recommendations but I think I’m up against a super bug. I have quarantined my pillows for 15 days under hot sun but there were still mites on them I guess cz the itchiness and lesion (which had already went away) came back with a vengeance. T-T I feel like crying now. But I’m not giving up!
I used diatomaceous earth for my couch and king sized bed with two toppers, I just used the puffer that came with it and got it in all the nooks and crannies, and then sat in a different place and slept in a different place for a couple of days after my Permethrin slathering night. It’s so weird, the five days when I first broke out, I was babysitting my grandchildren, 3 under 5, and snuggled them up. Nobody ever got it from me, and I have no clue where I got it. I cleared it up in one night, 3 months ago, and still have scarring on my lower legs, upper arms and shoulders. One of the most horrifying experiences of my life! LOL Thanks, Jon, for all of your information! I did get Ivermectin from overseas, just holding onto it in case!
I have scabies now and for months I been trying to get rid of them, I went to doctors and for first few months they couldn’t figure out what it is until one of the doctor said it’s scabies now how can I now be feared my whole body was killing me scratching myself from head to toe and many sleepless nights and luckily of the doctor have a medicines for scabies called anti-scabies. I put that on and was fine but I still feel like scratching myself. What can I do I am so tensed?
Can you tell me the ingredients of the medicine? Scratching after your treatment is normal (symptoms can continue for a few weeks) but it’s important to be sure the treatment actually worked. Post a photo of the ingredients if you can 🙂
Only problem I have is how I deal with clothes and bedding. I mean if I put them all in a bag,what would I wear and where would I sleep.
I am having Scabies on my penis and my scrotum. Should I apply permethrine there.
I am not 100% sure on that but yes, I believe you do apply it to the genitals. Just avoid applying it internally. I would recommend seeing a doctor to confirm, if possible.
Your website and information is wonderful and very easy to absorb and understand. Thank you for so much useful information. We started on some of your remedy suggestions today. We have been battling the Scabies infestation for approximately 3 months-it is the pits.
Great – please let me know how it goes!
Jon, we just did the first body-mask treatment. What a mess! Now my hubby’s arms have little red bumps and red areas around the bumps, on them (on his arms). Is this a good or a bad thing?
Thanks so much for “being there” for your readers.
Did you use that exact recipe? It’s possible he has an allergy to one of the oils (I’m allergic to lavender, for example). If I had to guess I’d say it’s the neem or tea tree – very rare to have an allergy to coconut. Try taking an antihistamine to see if that settles it?
Hello Jon…… I have scabies. You said that we can take bleach bath to kill scabies. I want to know that how we can take bleach bath? Which bleach should be use for bath(i mean a bleach that is used to clean white clothes or a bleach powder that is used for face beauty) ? My Second is can we spray rubbing alcohol on bed mattress, couch etc ?
alcohol is safe to spray anywhere from a human perspective (people drink it, after all) but it may damage some materials. As for bleach bath, check out my article on bleach baths: https://www.scabieshomeremedies.com/scabies-bleach-bath/
And yes it is a mess that’s why you need to do it in the bathtub 🙂 Have you used the permethrin also?
Thanks for your speedy reply. I appreciate your help immensely. Yes, I used the exact recipe with ingredients from Amazon. Yes on the permethrin (4 tubes!) We can’t get anymore without going back to the doc. I sort of think the scabies are immune to it, as you mention this scenario in your information. Hubby has been treated twice with permethrin, using the second tube a week later. Nothing has worked so far! But, we did not apply it everywhere the first time. We missed a few spots. Then I found your website and did a more complete job. The scabies still returned. This is absolutely no fun! Congrats on healing yourself.
Remember the symptoms last for several weeks after healing. You can also try sulfur ointment or baths, and get your hands on the ivermectin if not already. I think it would be very strange if all these proven treatments used together still won’t work. Also consider the possibility it could be something other than scabies, get a physician to observe under a scope and identify the actual mite. Misdiagnosis is very common. I understand how upsetting it is, don’t give up!
I am going through this right now.
My question is that what if you are scratching in the 1st phase of treatment? Would it make the situation worse? Would it lead to more eggs of the mites?
P.S. After the body-mask treatment last night, the red bumps and red areas only appeared on his arms.
Jon!! I think we got some positive results finally!! We have you to thank for this. There are some faint burrow marks still on upper arms, but no redness on the body for the most part. We plan on applying the body mask again tomorrow because it is not possible today. I will keep you posted and again, I must say, I am so grateful to you for sharing your knowledge.
You’re welcome. The sulfur baths are also helpful – I used them a few times. And of course be sure to moisturise afterwards to protect the skin.
HI Jon,
I didn’t see a reference for the sulfur to use for baths? Could you please enlighten me?
Dealing with a two fold problem of being diagnosed with scabies, then when their solution didn’t work, diagnosed with excema.. .now after using steroid creme twice daily for a month, I now have scabies hopped up on steroids!
Are you looking for a sulfur bath product? I only used natural sulfur baths (as in, actual sulfur pools in the earth), but if you don’t have sulfur pools where you live, try using the sulfur ointment instead – it’s just as effective: https://amzn.to/2EkUogL
What is good to moisture with after the sulfur baths?
Use the moisturizing cream/tea tree oil combo I described in the guide above – that’s great. Cetaphil is also a great range.
Is this treatment safe for a 2 month old baby and a 2 year old toddler?
Hi Angela, I’m not a doctor so I really cannot advise you on that. I’d go see a dermatologist and get a confirmed diagnosis, then see what they suggest for treatment. I believe neem oil is safe and tea tree oil if diluted enough, coconut oil I’m quite sure is safe, but again I’m not a doctor so I can’t advise you with certainty.
How many applications does your anti-scabies body mask make, enough for all 5 says?
No I make it up fresh every day.
Good article! I wish I read your article 4 months ago before I spend $1.000 on medication that ultimately did not worked. I used 11 tubes of Permetrin and 3 times dosis of Stromectol without results. Now I am doing Home remedy mask, focused on the scalp, where the scabies have their daily family reunion.
Thank you for your helpful tips, I already shared your link with others.
Are you certain you have scabies? I would suggest getting a skin scrape or exam under a microscope done. It would be very strange after 11 tubes of Permethrin and 3 doses of Ivermectin to still have scabies.
My biggest problem is/was that they were infested on my scalp, I was not aware of this, so after each permetrin and stromocol treatment I got reinfested after for a day or 2, this has been an ongoing story for 3 months. now that I am aware that their nest is on my scalp I started treating my scalp, Yesterday I used the clove oil on my scalp, It burnt but I felt the difference instantly, no more crawling and severe itching on my scalp.
Permetrin instruction says to treat yourself from the neck down, that is what I did so the scabies used my scalp as their hiding place.
Yes but it’s very hard for them to breed there. Did you get tested for head lice? Permethrin will kill them but there are better treatments if that’s the actual diagnosis you get.
Would like to know how long you left the clove oil on your scalp and if you had to apply a second treatment?
Jan
Two Questions:
1. If you have them in your hair, and you use Clove Oil on the scalp how long should you leave it?
2. Can you use Permethrin on the scalp if you have them in your hair?
You shouldn’t put permethrin in your scalp and it’s uncommon for scabies to be in hair. It may be hair lice. Try and get a skin scrape done. I left my natural treatment in my hair for around half an hour, didn’t put it there every time though.
HI im afflicted with the same problem as you. Theyre hiding and nesting in my scalp too, can you share whetehr youve recovered or not and what did you do to resolve this? Tq
Actually, apparently this is quite common. Even when I got my latest permethrin from the pharmacist, he told his assistant to get the head scabies cream (he spoke Chinese and I live in HK). Yes, I’ve been infested right by the hair line front and back, again and again. I can feel them crawling in my hair , so I cut a real short pixie style so that I can easily apply lavender to ease the itch. It hasn’t. Tonight I will start with the permathrin again, then follow your instructions directly.
As to just applying chin down, I totally disagree. And make sure to lather on the soles, they keep biting me there!!! Especially when I wear shoes, so that I used insecticide to spray the insides of my soles.
This is really not funny
Thank you for your tips . Much appreciation. Have liked and subbed to you on Youtube too.
JKMK may be sleeping with an animal. Mites can stay alive on the animal hair for 3 days. Long enough to pass it back on to you.
Would you please give the ratio of water to permethrin for the spray you mentioned? Same for the bleach
spray. Thank you for all the information!
For the bleach spray I usually use about a quarter bleach and 3 quarters water. For the Permethrin spray, it depends on which Permethrin you get. If it’s the 10% spray, mix with half and half and you should get a 5% mixture.
Thank you!
Hi Jon:
I have scabies its been one year and 5 months it is so bad that I had to shave my head bald. I have done permethrin, ivermectin and many natural oils, plus some other stuff. Since last week a new problem has presented from my head I have nits raining on my face and body non stop everyday. I have try many things to stop them from raining on me. I now can’t go out to do errands because the nit keep on raining all over me. I have to change my clothes 3 to 4 times because it’s full of nits. Is there something I could put on to stop them from raining on me. I would appreciate your help.
This sounds unlike scabies. Have you had a professional diagnosis?
This is a wonderful site. Thank you. I’ve been fighting this for a month very diligently but I think my problem may be the pillows themselves. I have been cleaning sheets and pillowcases daily , but it just occurred to me that the pillows may hold mites that can easily crawl through a layer of cloth over the course of the night, drawn by our warmth. So I will either rotate four pillows , or cover them in plastic . Thoughts?
PS I know for certain it is scabies as i was able to examine one under a microscope and show the doctor . I never let it go long enough to see tracks.
Quarantine the pillows for a week. Put them in a garbage bag and leave them in the sun if possible. If there are scabies in them they’ll die after a few days.
Hi, regarding quarantining clothes, bedding, etc. I have read elsewhere that the mites are also sensitive to extreme cold, ie, putting clothing, etc in a bag in the freezer for 3 hours or so……do you agree?
Also, would you recommend getting rid of your mattress? Mine is 6 years old. But it doesn’t sound like it is easy to clean the mattress well, and then, if you succeeded in killing the mites, you’d still have a lot of mite excrement left there.
Thanks for your help,
Susan
If you can, leave the mattress out in the sun for a few days. Should nuke them.
I’ve put my pillows in garbage bags and sucked the extra air out with a vacuum and just wash the pillow case without having to worry too much. A lil noisy at first, but we got used to it by now. Hoping to be rid of this soon as everyone in the house agrees to treat. Texting this link 🙂
Good luck!!!
If scabies hates heats, would dry sauna be affective to kill them?
You could possibly kill some surface mites, but it is rather difficult to get a sauna to a high enough temperature to be effective.
So, talking about bedding and things like shower towels, do you quarantine the sheets and the towel after every time you use it? Bedding after every night and towels after every shower? Or what would you recommend. Also after the first night with permethrin, do you quarantine the sheets after?
Do I need to also clean and disinfect my mattress and pillows before starting this process?
Thank you!
Yes, I do all of that. Quarantine everything for a week after the first use. It might be overkill but it’s just safer.
I am confused on the actual logistics of it all. I just went to the clinic and have been told I have scabies. but Im also seeing the first step is the cream, but im supposed to wait until tonight to apply. But I want to get started on getting these mites out of my house. so do i strip everything now? Or wait until after I have applied the cream and showered the next morning? And then will I do all the washing tomorrow as well after Ive had the cream? cause If I wash today, and dry, and then touch it, but Im not treated yet, couldnt I reinfect it?! and then once I strip everything down am I just not sleeping with pillows for a month? I feel pretty dumb, but the actual step by step logistics of it all seem to be overwhelming me…
Generally people wash every day during the initial 7 days.
You shower, then dry, then put permethrin on, go to sleep for 8 hours, get up and put bedding in bags, do needed laundry, vacuumed house and mattresses and cloth furniture, ALL WHILE THE CREAM IS ON. Then shower. You can leave the cream on 8-15 hours. Do Jon’s body mask every day for 45 minutes. Then 7 days after first application of permethrin, put on 2nd application. Clean bedding again. Get new pillows. $5 at Walmart.
Hi Jon, I only have two pillows per family member. does that mean not sleeping with a pillow for a week while they are quarantined?
I’m wondering how we treat our animals. I have a cat and a bunny. The cat is just in misery however I don’t have the money to pay for the vet’s office and treatment. Is there anything else I can do?
Hi Annette, you can check out my article here: https://www.scabieshomeremedies.com/treat-scabies-dogs-animals/
On this – the flea treament Bravecto have been shown to also be effective against Scabies in new studies 🙂
Hi John. So I understand that cats cannot get human scabies but that they can pass the scabies to us if it is in our home. I have not been allowing my cats in my room, I did treat them, so how long do I have to keep them from cuddling with us?
HI Jon…have been following your web page ….thank you for all the info. I have mixed your potion with all the ingredients and have done it twice but my mask is not thick? I had some left over and want to know if I can use it again today.
Yes all those ingredients have a long shelf-life on their own so there is no reason they won’t when mixed together. It doesn’t need to be thick like mud, just not watery so it doesn’t slide off your skin. It can get messy, use a bathtub or stand on a towel!
Thank you very much for your website. it is calm and methodical at a time when I am feeling anything but. Do you have any insight with regards to ingesting the oral drug? I have read the importance of not washing afterwards for. 48 hours. I’ve taken the oral once last weekend but clearly not successful by itself. Just took the second dose last night. DO you know exactly how the oral works to kill this menace.? I did not use cream because I cannot reach my back which is where the menace first showed signs on my body. I’m back sleeper so think sharing bed with my partner is the source of the malady. I must say it’s been stressful trying to figure out it’s origin. I live alone. MY partner lives alone. Our jobs do not have physical contact. ITs been incredibly boggling and frustrating.
There are no studies that show oral ivermectin is 100% effective. You really need to use permethrin cream and ivermectin together for the best chance at eliminating all mites. If you can’t reach your own back, you’ll need to find someone to help you, perhaps your partner, or you can even go to a clinic and get a nurse to do it. Please don’t leave it too long – it only gets worse. Best of luck and don’t hesitate to ask if you have more questions.
I use a piece of plastic wrap. Spread the cream on the wrap and then put it over your shoulder and use two hands to move it over your back one over your shoulder in one behind your back.
So true! Don’t leave your back untreated! I put the permethrin cream on the rounded side of a long serving spoon to rub on my back, get every square centimeter.
Hi Jon……thank you so much for all the useful information. I have used your natural treatment 6 times so far, will continue a couple of more times. I too have suffered with exema since I was a kid and have never experienced anything like this type if itch. But I do have one question……do you see what looks like blackheads on your body…….if so what is that? I don’t see them everywhere but mostly on my back.
Thank you so much for all of this useful information you have shared…..I am now in the healing process of occasionally itching at night.
Blessings
Barbara
No I can’t say I’ve seen that, but I know it’s not the scabies mites. Even under a microscope scabies are very difficult to see, with the naked eye it’s impossible. Be careful if you have eczema, if you have very sensitive skin the body mask can irritate. If it does, just rest for a few days and then don’t leave it on as long the next time. Good luck!!!
What are the ingredients I tried everything Nothing works
Your website here is a lifesaver. We caught it early with my family thanks to my incessant internet scouring and even though the doctor could not verify that it was scabies, she went ahead to give us the permethrin which I used exactly as you described. I followed up the next day with the body mask (though I replaced turmeric with yellow sulfur powder because I didn’t have turmeric at the time) and take baths with drops of clove and tea tree oil. Last night my 3-year old and myself slept like a baby, and my husband only woke up at 3am to tell me he had forgotten to take his “oil” bath and whether he should do it then! So basically, your clear precise steps have been a godsend. My only query was how and when exactly to Wash the linens. We had just changed the linens on Monday, and Monday night was when we applied the permethrin. So I didn’t want to change the sheets last night! Instead I sprayed them with a homemade concoction of all the essential oils. Seemed to work fine last night and I will continue with the body mask this morning. Is this okay?
I prefer to change the linens every day for that week, and then garbage bag them in the morning. Then I leave them in that garbage bag for at least 7 days, preferably in the sun, to let any mites die. It’s really up to you, my dermatologist said there’s no need to change your sheets after your first permetherin treatment, but I just prefer to be extra safe. So glad the info helped, hope you return to health soon 🙂
How many set of sheets you have ???
I only have 2 . There’s no way I can change them every morning and leave them in quarantine for 7 days.
Great and simple to understand , I can afford day 1 plan but your day 2 is off my pocket.Is their any other single oil that covers all above mentioned ingredients
Pls let me know
Ty
I would say sulfur and tea tree oil are the best ones if you’re using them alone. But if you’re on a budget definitely permethrin is going to be your best bet.
Couple of mistakes:
1. Mites can live anywhere from 4 days to even 7 days in some very rare cases (the last type is what I’d qualify as a horror…).
2. Reinfection from surroundings is *very* common, be meticulous in your cleaning. Pick up old laundry with latex gloves or similar and quarantine it. Freezing is also an option.
Mites dies at:
-20 Celsius
+60-100 Celsius
Thanks so much! I am so tired of boiling everything for the past months. I only have 2 sets of bed clothes. Have already bought new pillows once. Have just put my bras in the freezer! I wonder for how many days?
Picking stuff up with plastic gloves is a great idea!!! I wonder whenever I take stuff to boil if I got the scabies on my hands as my fingers itch some days.
Thank you
Hey I can’t use premethrin or ivermectin I have a liver complication which does not permit me to do so. I was advised to apply sulpur ointment to cure scabies so what regimen should I follow ?
Hi Surpiya, follow the guide above and skip the permethrin and ivermectin part. I also have a guide to sulfur treatments here: https://www.scabieshomeremedies.com/treat-scabies-sulfur/
Let us know how you go!
Stumbled across your site and can’t wait to get started after a two month battle. Thank you for sharing this vital information.
Great news – come back and let us know how it goes 🙂
I have 2 doubts: the recipe for the body mask is just for one day? And how much is a “cup” in mL?
Than you. This guide is cooler than all the doctors I visited altogether.
A cup is around 240ml. As for how many days, it just depends on you. If you’re a large person it might last just one day, if you’re a small person it might last 3. It’s the ratio of the ingredients that’s important!
How do I get my hands on Ivermectin to use it at the same time as the permethrin?
It is hard for us to totally vaccuum/clean the whole house since we are doing renovations.
We have done the permethrin twice one week apart, but I am positive that I still have the evil things. I get relief for maybe 12 to 24 hours after the cream, but then the crawling sensations in new areas starts again, and in a few days those new areas also have itchy spots.
Thankfully, the first dermatologist that I went to took me seriously enough to do a skin scraping on a new spot, which showed the eggs, so she prescribed the permethrin, although she had originally started to brush it off as just some other skin problem.
I say a different dermatologist this week. She told me that I was definitely cured if I had done the permethrin cream treatment twice, and prescribed a super expensive cream to alleviate the itch. I do not do a lot of scratching since I have a very good ability to resist the urge, but with the itching, and especially the “crawlies” waking me up at night, I am going crazy!
I explain how to get ivermectin in this post: https://www.scabieshomeremedies.com/ivermectin-for-humans-scabies/
As for the permethrin, if you’ve done it twice it’s highly unlikely you still have scabies. Using permethrin repeatedly is bad for your skin so try using the body mask as follow up treatment instead. Good luck!
Jon, first I wouldlike to express my utmost THANKS. Your site is a life saver.I got it from work (took care of a misdiagnosed patient and was not on proper isolation prec).It took a while especially mentally to accept that I have it.It started last friday with itchy lil bumps on both my arms, then thw itching intensifies as days went.I saw my PCP yesterday and she said it’s not 100% scabies but she prescribed Permethrin just to be safe.Waiting for hubby then i’ll apply the cream Asap.I will order the concoction on amazon too and will follow up.Do i apply it everyday for 5 days?What does the post reaction look like?I’m still so paranoid and I’ve been washing everything like crazy.I have a 5 year old that’s why my paranoia’s x 1000 at the moment.Thank you so much.
Apply it once, see how your skin feels and then apply it again each day unless your skin starts playing up. Either that or just don’t leave it on too long. Be very careful with your five year old, I would actually suggest treating him/her too, it’s possible you had live mites well before symptoms arrived. Sorry you had to go through this but diligent treatment should clear it up 🙂
Hi Jon!
Just an update.Me and my husband had the permethrin treatment.We went to my daughter’s pedia and was advised to apply the treatment once I see bumps, they still want to be cautious since permethrin is a low dose pesticide (as per md).
I’m still doing laundry (I can’t count how many loads I’ve made) and still changing sheets, vacuuming everyday.My order arrived from amazon and will be starting the body mask today.
I noticed the bumps are slowly drying up/disappearing but the itching is still there.
Thank you again so much.
Hi Jon,
It’s so nice of you to be so helpful. This is something most folks don’t like to talk about. I’m a stay at home wife/mommy so this craziness has got me feeling like a pissed off pecking hen. We’ve been at it for a week and still itching like crazy. My 3 year old daughter and i have very sensitive skin so that makes it worse. I am going to try this mixture of yours. I don’t know how I’m going to keep up the house cause we are always here. I did find a product i can spray on certain things made by Sawyer. Hopefully it will help. Thank you so much for your help.
Hi, Jon.
Thanks so much for everything you’re doing here! My poor preschooler was finally diagnosed after 4 months of misdiasnoses. The rest of us have been suffering for 10-12 weeks. Now we are treating the whole family and we will all hopefully get relief. Did permethrin as directed yesterday and have spent hours washing and vacuuming. So glad to have found your guide. My husband and I each found it independently within hours of the diagnosis. As I type this I am doing a patch test for the body mask yo treat our skin and will test in the kids tomorrow. My middle schooler is sensitive to tea tree oil, so she may get a modified version, but we are hopefully in the road to recovery.
Sorry you’ve had to go through that. Definitely do a patch test especially for the kids, ivermectin is always good too to treat internally. I’d recommend using a diluted bleach spray to clean – that’s works well, you could even mix some permethrin in there. Best of luck!
Hi Jon,
We have done two rounds of permethrin treatment 13 days apart.. as we couldn’t get the refill in time and I was skeptical after reading about natural success.
I have done similar treatments to your recipes as I have been waiting onbplajn neem oil.
1 week post second treatment my 4 year old has new bumps, several, and red lines!
I am assuming this is a sign of active mites.
Would you agree?
I am highly surprised after a thorough treatment a week ago with intense cleaning of clothes,bedding and towels.
Our doctor has said the insane washing is a waste of time as they die off quickly.
Kids have been taking homeopathic sulfur and I wonder if this is pushing things out..
No ivermectin yet..
Any thoughts?
13 days is a little too long to leave it. Also need to be sure your child didnt go toilet/wash his hands/scratch etc during the permethrin period. Pairing with natural treatments is best done at the same time, rather than doing treatments spread out one by one, need to really throw the full apocalypse at it at once. New spots doesn’t automatically mean new mites, can just be an allergic reaction to dead mites/eggs under the skin. But hard for me to really say…If you do decide to do permethrin again, make sure the second round is done within 5-7 days.
Thanks Jon. I think we will wait on another round of permithrin until it seems more obvious we are reinfected. I liked your suggestions for the all natural treatments. Especially with little kids involved. Do you suggest starting daily masks for 1 week combined with fresh bed linens,clothes and towels daily? What about the mattress pad and pillows?
I like the trash bag suggestion around the pillows in an earlier post..
Daily vacuuming and wiping down of things…??
This is so much work 😓
Thanks for being so supportive
How can I clean my clothes if my washing machine doesn’t not have a hot water option and I have no dryer ?
Stuff them in a garbage back and leave them for 3 days, preferably in the sun. Then wash as normal.
Hi Jon, thank you for this informative article. I recently underwent scabies treatment and the rashes seem to be disappearing. It’s been almost three weeks since my second round of permethrin and ivermectin. Today I was concerned that I saw some translucent burrows on my skin around my foot and ankle. The burrow looks shiny and when I touch it, it has a gummy texture. I went to the dermatologist today and he doesn’t think I still have scabies but he didn’t give me a clear explanation as to what these apparent burrows are. I asked for a skin test because of my concern, so he did a biopsy but the results come back in a week. Is this a sign that I still have the scabies or is this the body “healing the burrows”? I noticed more presented burrows after the first round of permethrin and ivermectin that looked similar to this. Again I am not clear as to whether that was the body healing the burrows or an indication of their presence still. There is so much conflicting information about scabies it’s hard to discern. Thanks again for the work that you do!
Hi Olivia,
It can be hard to tell sometimes. Scabies symptoms are known to continue for 4-6 weeks after all mites are dead. You cannot use permetherin or ivermectin regularly for safety reasons, but the natural treatments are completely safe. That’s why I recommend to continue using them if you have doubts that you haven’t cleared the mites completely. Hope that helps.
Hi again Jon,
Thanks for replying to my post from a few days ago.
Would you be so kinda as to reply to my second post about laundering and cleaning … mattress pads and pillows etc
Many many thanks!!
I’ve been told hot water wash and high heat dry for the mattress pad.
Pillows can be run through the dryer on high for about 20 mins. The mites, it is said, cannot stand the heat for more than 10 mins. I did mine 30, just to be sure! Same with non-washable blankets (I have a Pendleton Wool blanket that I ran through the dryer. No problems there.
Good luck! I hope you’re doing better by now.
Aloha Jon, Thank you so much for this exhaustive treatment plan and the natural suggestions you offer to do in partnership with the others. I have done the Permethrin 3 times, and tomorrow will do a second does of Ivermectin. I’m a little too late to do your 30 day plan, but will use the body mask for the next 7 days. The first dose of Ivermectin made a big difference, but as I’m writing this new blisters have begun to show up on my fingers. This has been going on for about a month, trying to knock out an infestation that was misdiagnosed for about 3 months!!
Anyhow, I wanted to ALERT you that all your product links take one to the AMAZON homepage. They no longer link to any products. NOT ONE OF THEM…
Malama pono and Mahalo for your intensive, helpful work. Your clinical study links were very informative.
Kiki
Hi Kiki, thanks for letting me know. The links seem to work for me? I’ll double check but they seem ok.
Excellent article, but I can’t believe no one mentions aloe vera! This was proven to be just as effective at killing these nasties. Look it up there are several studies done on this subject plus it’s excellent for you.
Also I would opt for just using a 50/50 vinegar mix in a spray bottle in lieu of the bleach. Much safer and it doesn’t bleach your furniture.
However, if you live in a jail I would definitely go the bleach method 😉
Hey Tommy, got a link to any studies? I’ll look into it
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/ptr.2614
Hi Jon,
How are you?
Your website is amazing! I’m going away this week to have some time for my daughter and I and to stay away from people. I work as a nanny and Primary teacher and have been reinfested twice, after being free!! I’m a very positive and happy person but these scabies can make you depressed!! I’ve spent so much time and money washing everything and yesterday someone stole doona!(maybe they’ll get scabies).
Is it possible I still had them or just got reinfested?
Do you suggest buying new pillows?
Also I can’t leave my sheets and clothes for a week as I’ll run out of sheets and clothes. I can’t afford seven sets of sheets!
Would it be possible to do a hot wash and hot dry and then I can use them again?
Worst few months of this year! I unfortunately picked it up from a back packers.
How long should I stay away from the familes I mind? I keep asking the families I work for if they have been itchy at all? One family only let me know when I was there.
I was initially diagnosed with tinea and then dermatitis, untill a natural path said it was scabbies. At this stage my daughter had it everywhere. Poor thing.
Does stress help the mite to spread?
Do you spray your bed each night?
Thanks so much for your help!!
I’ll let you know how I go 🙂
Enjoy your weekend!
Thanks,
Jen
Hi Jen,
Really the only advice I can give is to follow the guide as closely as possible, make sure you get the permethrin and ivermectin and please use the permethrin guide that I linked to so you can be sure you’re using it properly. Scabies is usually not difficult to kick if you treat it properly but it is a big inconvenience. Follow the guide religiously for a week and hopefully you should be okay!! Let us know how you go.
Hi Jon,
It’s still super itchy and day five! I’ll do cream again tomorrow or sunday.
I’ve had a few weeks off them over the last three months. But this time seems….worse…I thought I was going ok! Is it still meant to be super itchy on day five?
I don’t have enough money to buy heaps of sheets. If I hot wash and hot dry each day is this ok for sheets and clothes?
Or should I bay clothes up? I’ve used the same blanket all week but washes if daily! My three year old tells me it’s ok and tell the dumb bug to go away. I’m getting really depressed!
I can’t afford to keep having time off work….as working as a nanny I’m working with children as well as teaching.
I’m not sure what I’m doing wrong?
They won’t prescribe me the tablets as it is for crusted scabbies. I just have constant little red bites that keep popping up.
I’m really unsure of what I’m doing wrong? I’m washing daily….I’ve done the cream.
Can I see people after treatment or stay away from everyone for a while?
Can I teach after treatment?
The body scrub was lovely!
Please help!!:)
Thanks
Hi Jon,
Thanks for all of your help…
I seem to have scabies on the back of my neck going into the hairline and the back of my scalp. I can feel small bumps in the scalp area and some feel more like a line of bumps . Very itchy especially at night. I am wondering if I should do your natural protocol treatment only on that area and the scalp, or also on my whole body even if I don’t have anything there?
Thanks very much for answering my question.
Hi Adrienne. Assuming it is actually scabies, I’d treat the whole body. Symptoms don’t always show up right away, so best to be safe and full treat.
Hi Jon,
So happy I found your blog about this, been asking everyone I know for advice but feel it’s definitely best to get it from someone who’s been through it!
My 15 month old son apparently has scabies. 🙁 Pediatrician didn’t tell us super specific instructions on how to apply the Permethrin but we applied all over his body like he said to (scalp, face, and all) but missed under his nails, which could be why new bites have been popping up. It’s also hard cuz he’s a baby…the body mask I feel would be hard to keep on him for an hour without getting it everywhere or him rubbing it off, etc. He’s been extremely itchy (as have the dad and I…but that just might be in our heads?) Any specific suggestions on how we can help our baby get through this? 🙁 I want this to be done and over with!!!! However I also don’t have the luxury of taking off from work to make sure we stick to the guide as it’s written! Your thoughts would be so greatly appreciated. 🙁
You and your husband MUSt treat yourselves also. There’s a very good chance you have it (symptoms only show after 4-6 weeks). Just follow the guide as best you can, it works. Let us know how you go.
Hi, can I just apply Tea Tree Oil all over my body ?
That is likely going to burn or irritate your skin. Definitely mix the tea tree oil with a moisturizer or coconut oil first.
THANK YOU JON!!! Whoever’s this, you’re suffering is over! THIS. REGIMEN. WORKS. All I did was the Permethrin (I was doubtful), the body mask, and a one-time dose of Moxidectin which I’ll talk more about in a second. Whether the perm. has worked for you or not, just try it in combination with this regime, it can’t hurt. I chose to omit the Moisturizer but everybody has their preferences/needs. In regards to the body mask, instead of using 5 drops of Clove Oil, I used 10; and instead of 12 drops of Tea Tree Oil, I just used a whole tablespoon. Finally, let’s talk Moxidectin:
DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT ADVISE THE USE OF MOXIDECTIN. THIS IS MY EXPERIENCE. INFORM YOURSELF AND MAKE YOUR OWN DECISION.
Moxidectin is an alternative to Oral Ivermectin. It’s been approved by the FDA to treat river blindness in humans and they are currently TRYING to approve it for treating human scabies … that said until they do, this treatment is off-label and completely at your own risk. ONE dosage of Moxidectin stays in the body 9x longer than Ivermectin, “suggesting” that a single dose is enough to treat a case of scabies because it breaks their life-cycle and the life-cycle of their offspring. PERSONALLY, I’ve used Moxidectin to successfully treat TWO cases of scabies. If you plan on experimenting with Moxidectin INFORM THE CRAP OUT OF YOURSELF HERE—-> https://www.greendept.com/maximpulse/permethrin/moxidectin_01.html
In conclusion, Jon’s recommended treatment plan in combination with Moxidectin worked for me within a matter of days.
Love you all! You’ve got this!!!
Thanks for letting us know, great to know you have recovered.
Hi Jon I’ve just been prescribed Malathion liquid by the doctor. I will do this twice instead of Lyclear which means I can also include the scalp. I have also ordered the ingredients for the body wash and may give my daughter an extra dose of Lyclear first as she is the one who is suffering the most. Have you heard of Malathion before? My doctor says that only the hospital can prescribe Ivermectin..
Never heard of it sorry…
Hi Man. Thank you so much for the hope you’ve given me. I am fighiting scabies like crazy for 4 weeks now. I am an doing everything I can. All doctor here in Ireland are like “this will be easy to get rid off with Lyclear”. But I am doing it everything right trust me. Bleached the house entirely, and twice daily, used lyclear very carefully twice, took stromectol as well… But it’s so easy to miss a a tiny spot in the house, or on your body, behind an ear, your house keys, that winter jacket… anyways. We’ll see. I will now use your home remedy.
Here is my advice and opinion : nothing really proves this concoction really works. But sure, why not. I have tried it all. My doctor now wants me to take steroid so boost my immuno-response. But I am not ready for that, not before I see a specialist. So I will try the concoction. BUT no one here says “this cocction 100% worked for me”. And you are amazing, but you are not doctor. I would LOVE you to approach a doctor and say “Hey Doctor Specialist, I am XYZ, I am 100000 unique visitors on my website, and 30% use my home remedy”. Can you please tell me what YOU think about it, and what the latest studies you know would say to this”. Let’s mix the best of both worlds. YOUR AMAZING tenacity and genuine care and self made knowledge, with a real expect doctor.
I think this would be the next step for you man.
And thanks again.
Many doctors are surprisingly uneducated on the subject. I email the studies in this guide to my GP and he didn’t know about any of them. All the ingredients in the guide have been studied and tested, so they work, and all the studies are linked above. So have faith!
Jon.,I was only giving you advice how YOU can turn yourself from a “caring blogger”, to an actual guru and take it to a next step, and help even more people and better.
You say “have faith”… but it’s not about faith ! It’s about Science. Yes GPs know little about it, but there are specialists about it.
You do give the link to studies, and thanks for that. For the “Aloe Vera” quoting a Study from 2003 in Nigeria on 30 people! We are definitely talking about faith here !
That’s what I am saying : you could take it further, and bring science/ medicine more than beliefs into the game. Contact a Skin Specialist, contact a national Scabies specialist, or a research center. They will be so happy to talk to you, given you support base and experience.
I personally stopped the tumeric/cayenne/neem powder, they wreck my bathtub, towels. It’s a mess. And it might not even help (beliefs again).
So I am using the Aloe Vera and neem Oil and glove bud oil and tea tree oil. No stains.
Don’t get me wrong, your blog gave me hope. And I thank you immensely for it. You did a tremendous and incredible amount of work and cross-check. It’s so so beautiful and amazing of you. I guess that’s why I wish now you could take it even further. And make something grandiose out of this.
Thanks again for your help.
I have scabies right now and have had them for
Almost six months. The first three I thought I was
Having an alerfic reaction to my laundry detergent. My hips and down the sids of my upper leg itched like crazy. The itch was so bad that I ended up bruseing my legs on both sides. About theee months ago I took my 7 year old son and myself to the Er after I finally realized that I could possibly scabies. A neighborhoods daughter had them about 4 months prior and I used to clean his daughters room and do her laundry she also spend a great deal of time in our home. I was unaware how contagious they were at the time
So I was given the cream and I applied it to my son and myself. I had just done a whole house deep clean due to a flea infestation. Now I had to do that ALL over again.!! UGHHH!!
I apparently didn’t apply the cream everywhere because new red itchy bumps started showing up again. I had mad an appointment with my primary care physician and she prescribed me another tube I applied again and apparently didn’t then all because more bumps kept appearing! At that point they covered my stomach, both arms , hips, sides of my breasts and a couple on my upper legs. The skim on my hips and thighs is thicker than normal almost leather like. That is completely unusual because my skin has always been extremely soft and supple. I had great skin and great skin tone. So at some point prior to the second treatment I stated picking a the bumps because I could feel what felt like splinters in my skin. I spent hours and hours picking and picking determid to get every last freaking parasite out.!! I went back to my doctor and she gave me the pill form and I took that apparently that didn’t work because I still have them after I took the second pill seven days later. At this point I’m Absolutely miserable!! I had
To wear long sleeves on sunny hot days due to all the marks I made on my arms I picked and Picked until I’d start to bleed.and then I’d pick some more. The eggs from time to time came out however what ever it is that feels like a splinter took me several attempts to get out if at all. It was so Not satisfying so o kept
Picking. Like I said I spent hours and hours picking. OH MY GOODNESS!! Now I’m waiting to get into a dermatologist because my Dr doesn’t know what to do at this point. I’ve been using Coconut oil daily to keep my skin soft and for the most part my body is soft except for all the bumps. I’ve beem using tee tree oil directly on my skin and it’s helped with the itching. This whole time my son didn’t seem to have it however now he has a couple eggs under his skin. I’ve also been changing the bedding daily and all clothes washed if even I just tried it on and
Took it right off. I’m exhumed, I feel disgusting and my body hurts from my excessive picking. But I can’t stop!! I want them out of my skin!!
I will try your body mask and let you know how that goes. I really wished I read your post before applying the cream for the third and fourth times so I would have done it right. Oh bye my fingers and hands are covered with bumps now. More bumps showed up on my breast and now a new area my shoulders and back. My legs are now couvered with red bumps and the areas where they have either died or whatever happens I have a dark spot I look just awful and right at this moment I feel them crawling!! I’m sure that’s in my head but I still wonder if eggs hatched again !! I’m absolutely feeling defeeted and feel as if they will never go away!!
Thank you for your tip regarding putting clothes in bags for the 72 hours that’s going to save me so much time doing laundry. I am not exaggerating at all when I say this, I’m doing laundry EVERY DAY at least 3 or four loads and I still have piles
In front of the washer …
I honestly can’t rememer life before the itch began…..
Hi Chrisann that sounds miserable. You do need to get a scabies scrape done by a dermatologist and make sure it 100% is scabies – if you think you can see the eggs or mites then it may not be scabies because the human eye definitely cannot see them without a microscope. In any case make sure you hit it hard, I would recommend doing permethrin 3 times in one week, make sure you read my guide and do it properly, and also take ivermectin, plus the body mask daily on you and your son. Let us know how you go.
Jon. I have scabies since early March of this year. Now it’s December. 9 months. I have been applying a mix of coconut oil, tea tree oil and clove oil. It keeps it under control. But not cured. Scabies started on my hands and feet. And it spread up. I used to touch my neck a lot. So it is on the back of my neck and hairline + back scalp too now. I’m a female. I shaved my head to apply permethrin. Going to apply tomorrow night on face, scalp, ears, neck and whole body. Please tell me if permethrin can work on back of scalp too? I can’t buy ivermectin. Not available here. Will the mites run to hide inside my ears or nose? What do you recommend? Will lying down rub off the permethrin lotion from body? I threw away my bed and sleep on the floor with a sheet on. Can 3 rounds permethrin alone cure me at this point? I am only 23. Pls help. Pls answer all questions.
Hi Aish. Sorry you are going through this. Yes, if it were me, I would apply permethrin to the scalp. No need to apply inside the ears or nose but do cover the ears well. Do try and find some ivermectin. It is fine to wear clothes after applying permethrin. Be sure to wash off after 8 hours.
Hi Jon, what do you recommend for post-scabies itch when it’s really itching.
Thank you😊
Either ice packs or exercise!
Hey Jon ,
Thank you for writing this website. I am also a little obsessive and was getting really frustrated that all the things I was researching would contradict each other. I started thinking nobody actually knows anything about scabies!
Boyfriend and I were diagnosed with scabies about 5 weeks ago. We did one round of permethrin, put all our clothes in plastic bags, bought new towels, sheets and clothes to wear while doing treatment. After two weeks we did our second application of permethrin as told to by our doctor. All the bumps had gone away and I thought we were in the clear. I took my clothes out of the bags (it is snowing where we live and I wanted to have my sweaters and coats, not to mention having to wear sports bras because I can’t wash/dry my normal bra on hot). A few days after the second treatment I saw one bump, told myself maybe it was a spider or mesquito and tried not to panic. The next day I had 37 new bumps show up across my chest and nipples. We still had some Permethrin left over so we did a third treatment. Put all our clothes back in bags and went back to wearing only the things we could wash and dry on hot. Everything seemed good, then in another 2 weeks like clockwork my chest is covered in burning itching bumps again. Went back to the doctor and asked for the pills this time. We took them last night but when we did the cream my bumps felt instantly better the next morning, and now after taking the pills the bumps are still angry, red, look like huge welts and they BURN. I’m hoping the body mask will help.
I don’t understand how they keep coming back. Something must have been missed or we are reinfecting ourselves somehow. I am a total clean freak and thought I had done everything 110% but I must be doing something wrong. The doctor said if they show up again to go to a dermatologist because she doesn’t have the equipment to do the scrape test, but I do think it’s scabies since the bumps have gone away after doing the permethrin treatments, they just come back.
We have a cat and Permethrin is deadly toxic to cats so it has added a lot of headache to trying to treat ourselves and our house. Clove and tea tree oil are also toxic to cats. We are going to leave our house for 3 days tomorrow and leave the heater cranked to 80 (it is snowing and freezing where we live right now so I feel like that may be helping them to stay alive) and spray everything down with permethrin spray so hopefully if we were missing something in our house it will take care of itself over the next few days.
My questions are:
I couldn’t find any Neem powder at any of the health stores within a 4 hour drive of my house and the amazon link on the website says the one you recommend is no longer available. Do you have an alternative one you would recommend? Can I do the mask without the powder in the meantime while I wait for the powder to be shipped?
If I spray my clothes that cannot be washed on hot with permethrin spray will they be safe to wear? I just bought new clothes because I thought I was in the clear and now I feel like it is reinfected from trying them on at the store a couple days before bumps started showing up again. I would really like to wear normal clothes as I am going to Harry Potter world for the first time tomorrow, have been super excited and know there are going to be a lot of photos taken. I am so upset that I am having to deal with this at this time, also because I’m going to have no money for Christmas gifts after spending all my money on doctors appointments and everything else that comes with trying to get rid of these little bastards.
Our doctor flat out told us she doesn’t know too much about scabies, she is having us do the treatments 2 weeks apart. Would it be better to do them one week apart instead?
Thanks for everything.
Kate
Because you’re not actually ingesting the neem powder, the brand doesn’t matter so much. You could try this one: https://amzn.to/2CcwTUu
You can even do the mask without the powder, yes.
I can’t say for sure whether permethrin on your clothes is safe, but I would have no problem wearing them personally. Probably a better solution is to wash your clothes with a little permethrin added.
As for permethrin cream, two weeks apart is definitely too long! I would suggest doing at least 2 and maybe even 3 treatments (if it’s really bad) within a 7 day period. Two weeks gives them far too much time to reset their breeding cycle.
Make sure you follow my guide to using permethrin very closely when applying it: https://www.scabieshomeremedies.com/how-to-use-permethrin-cream-to-kill-scabies/
Good luck and let us know how you go.
Jon – You were my LIFE SAVER!!! After being misdiagnosed twice (I told the doctors I thought it was scabies based on my research) the third doctor believed me and we were off to the races. Like you I had a horrible reaction to the Permethrin cream. I followed your treatment plan above to the “T” and was itch-free within a month or so from the initial treatment…the paranoia lasted a little bit longer. All in all I am very thankful to have found this site!
For anyone going through this, hang in there…you will get through it! Stay on top of the laundry! I have clothes that couldn’t be washed in hot water so I had system with 3 trash bags: 1) dry-cleaning, 2) wash on hot and 3) cold water. My work clothes went in 1) and were taken to dry cleaners after wearing one time (this lasted a couple of weeks and yes it get’s pricey). The second bag I washed pretty much daily with towels/sheets on hot and dried on high. The third bag stayed sealed for 2 weeks after I was itch-free, then washed as normal on cold.
We also had the house professionally cleaned early on so that all furniture was vacuumed. I wiped everything down constantly with cleaner (ie door handles, counters…etc. anything we touched regularly). I used Permethrin spray on the furniture and mattress (mostly because of paranoia) and had a homemade spray of tea tree oil, clove oil & peppermint oil mixed with water that was safe to spray on anything/everything (we have no pets or small children to worry about).
So great to hear – pretty much exactly how it worked out for me as well. Thanks for coming back to share.
Jon …
1. Did you get scabies on your back? Where did your scabies bumps appear? …
2. After applying permethrin and when you lie down to go to sleep, don’t you think the lotion gets rubbed off by bedsheet?
*One important thing for anyone who read this, if you get scabies even if only on hands and feet, and if you apply a mix of coconut-clove-teatree on your whole body neck down, be careful. As months go, the scabies mites will go towards the neck to escape treatment. Only use the oil after you start killing them will Permethrin. My experience. I have read many similar stories on forums.
I got them mostly on my torso, but if you apply permethrin well, wait a while and then just put on a tshirt to sleep, it shouldn’t affect the treatment.
I see there’s a section on treating dogs for scabies/mange if they are infected, but what if I’m the one with scabies and not my pet. I am following your treatment plan and also cleaning my bedding/clothes/bedding daily, but would I also need to treat my dog for human scabies for fear of him re-infecting me, or can he not even re-infect me at all in the first place? As far as I know he doesn’t have mange or show any signs of itching; I’m just wondering if I need to do anything about him when only trying to deal with my own human scabies, because I would like to avoid doing anything to him unless I have to.
Probably best to treat him just to be safe.
Once I was cured of scabies initially, I petted my cat, and within a few minutes, I got reinfected. Pets can not catch human scabies, but scabies can hang on to the hair of a pet temporarily but scabies will soon die because human scabies can not survive on pets. Once I was cured of scabies, I stopped petting my cat for two weeks to make sure that any scabies on my cat had died. I think I probably could have stopped petting my cat for 3 or 4 days, but I just wanted to make sure any scabies that may have been on my cat were dead, so I waited two weeks before petting the cat again.
Jon are you sure the permethrin treatment will be effective even if I lie down to sleep after applying medicine? Scabies spread to thighs also now. I am concerned it may rub off and not be effective at all. Or that the mites will go to skin where medicine has wiped off. What was your experience regarding this?
Were you careful to sleep in a position that won’t let scabies affected skin to touch mattress?
Yes, it will be effective. Try put it on 30-60 minutes before you sleep so it has time to penetrate the skin.
Based on your research, do you think scabies mites get immune to the permethrin lotion over time due to too many uses?
It’s possible. That’s why natural remedies are an effective complement.
Jon, that Martins perimithin doesnt say what other 90% of ingredients are. Have you researched & are they safe? Just don’t understand why they aren’t required to list. Thank you so much, we’re starting your plan. We’re desperate to get rid of these evil bugs.
I would assume it’s just water and preservative. But I can’t be sure – if you’re concerned you could email Martin’s and ask, I’m sure they’ll tell you.
I was diagnosed with scabies last week. I was only given the Permethrin cream.I applied it the same night. Clean sheets and clean nightgown. Have ordered the stuff you recommended from Amazon. Should I use it as soon as I get it or wait until my next Permethrin cream treatment? The itching has improved some. My skin on my arms looks like bumpy leather. The areas on my back not so much. I sleep on the couch.What can I treat my couch with? I have a small dog that sits on my lap most of the day she shows no signs of itching. Should I have her treated. She has very long thick hair. When I put on body mask do I leave it on for a whole hour each time for 7 days ? I live with 2 adults son’s that refuse to use the treatment. I warned them. What is aloe vera gel for if I am using cerave tree oil ? Thanks so much for your trouble.
Hi Amy. In many cases, permethrin is effective alone but depends on the scale of the condition. I would highly recommend ivermectin too as a one-two punch. The body mask should be left on at least for 30-45 minutes. Don’t need to do it every single day but do it when you can. It’s a natural treatment so difficult to overdose on it. Your two sons should use permethrin at least. Otherwise you may be in this cycle again in a month or two. The aloe vera is mostly as a recovery treatment, you will likely have scarring. But it clears up nicely after a month or two, aloe vera helps.
Jon, I was diagnosed with scabies in early May, went undiagnosed for almost 2 months, and have completed 8 permethrin applications before I found your site. I strongly believe I applied the cream properly each time but I am still in this position. I have been putting my sheets and clothes in the dryer like crazy, sprayed my truck seat down with permethrin spray as I am in and out of my truck all day every day for work.
I started your plan on July 12 with another application of the permethrin cream and the ivermectin pills which I was able to get from a second dermatologist. I applied your scabies killing concoction with all ingredients exactly as you said every day for an hour head to toe. I even went to another house (it was vacant) for 4 days in hopes if there were any in my house they would die off in 75+ degree climate indoors. The red itchy bumps on my inner thighs, buttocks, and private area subsided for a few days and now have all returned again. This same scenario has occurred after each of the permethrin treatments I made before, they would mostly go away and then return again after a few days.
My morale for this battle is as low as it’s ever been. I will be taking my second dose of ivermectin tomorrow along with the permethrin cream application. I am trying my best to remain optimistic but I am not sure what options are left for me if this does not work. Thank you for this site and doing your best to help us unlucky ones.
Remember that scabies symptoms continue even after all mites are dead. It’s your body reacting to the permethrin, dead mites and eggs. 8 permetherin treatments plus the natural remedy concoction should surely have killed them, if not, it’s possible you have something other than scabies. Did your dermatologist do a skin scrape?
Hi Jon, when you say the scabies symptoms persist, does that include breaking out in new bumps?
Yes that is possible.
Hi Jon, thanks for your post — I’ve read through most people’s questions but was still wondering. Should I put on new bed sheets every night? I’m currently on night one and just use the Permertherin and plan to do it again in 5 days. Going to get the rest of the ingredients for the at home remedy.
It’s up to you, I personally did change sheets every day for the first 7 days but after that it’s up to you. Risk should be much lower after second dose of permethrin.
Okay great thank you for the advice. Do you recommend also using a new towel after every shower? Is there any other items that I should be cautious about to ensure that I don’t spread it anymore?
Please tell me if it is in any way possible to get scabies from a table or papers someone with scabies has worked on/with. I was told “no” but the only place (only place!) where I come in contact with people is at a private school for elementary age kids. I never touch them, but work with their manuals and papers as I tutor them. One student showed up with what looks like a scabies rash on both cheeks, but he wouldn’t tell me what it was. The director is not taking me seriously that any child who has been exposed or shown signs of scabies “should NOT come to school!” I cannot afford to give up the job, and she, apparently cannot afford to give up any parent’s payment. I cannot fathom where else I could possible have gotten these. Did two back to back permathrin treatments – the day I got home from being diagnosed and that night, then another the next night again, because I had a few new bites on my face, some bumps on my scalp that didn’t itch, so I tried to get the permathrin on my scalp. Did my best but this morning I have a new bite on one finger, one on my chin and one in the corner of my eye. I’m scared! No kidding. I cannot afford to wash bedding and clothes or buy more plastic bags. On SSI and can hardly afford living expenses. Most of my first bites cleared up to my relief, but what now…with the few new ones. sorry for the long letter.
Unlikely to get it from tables and papers (but possible). Imo it’s not worth worrying about where you got it, it could be from anywhere. Just treat as vigorously as possible and as fast as possible. Hope that helps!
Jon ~ I have just finished reading your article on how to get rid of scabies. PLEASE ~ assure me no one will know who I am. This may be a long comment, so I hope you have time to read it. Can I tell you I have had this horrible affliction for some 4-5 years now. I can tell anyone, anywhere almost anything they want to know about these horrible parasites!!! I have only had myself to depend on thru the years to get rid of them. My husband is now deceased – he convinced my children I was just crazy and did not have any such thing as a scabies mite, in spite of the fact that my daughter in-law (also deceased, car accident) brought them back from Spain during a trip over there. I started itching, went to a dermatologist who would not even get close to me, and only told me that I had dry skin and to wash with a milder soap. This diagnosis only served to make my family think I was losing my mind. I continued on with the itching and huge terrible spots on the back of my neck from my constant scratching. (The itch started on my upper back shoulder area.) I had a doctor friend who prescribed Lindane shampoo, but I didn’t know what I was doing and the Lindane most likely only served to poison my system. The itch continued, I had a bout with cancer (almost stage 4), but survived. It wasn’t pretty, and I was scared. The years go on I see several other dermatologists with only one of them prescribing permethrin cream and an antiitch ointment. While the doctor was out of the office for a moment, the nurse practitioner was telling me of a time she had attracted scabies from someone at the emergency room where she worked. As she was assuring me I was not thru with these monsters the doctor returned, and, well, she had to shut her mouth quickly. She just gave me a “I hope you are going to be OK look”, shook her head and walked out behind me. Again, I got cancer, a bad one, and needed surgery. I was sicker than the first time, and it took me almost 6 months to heal. As I was trying to get well, my husband was diagnosed with stage 4 liver cancer and I was trying to take care of him, take care of me, and I was trying to read everything I could on how to get rid of these things. No luck. I knew about Ivermectin, but as you said, no luck in getting any of that. To try and finish here, I know I have a very bad and desperate case of these BUGZZZZZZ:( I would like to thank you for the time you have put into informing the public AND me. I prayed and begged for years. My prayers have been answered because after talking to my guardian angel, it seems as though I can’t stop finding all of the helpful information I have so desperately been seeking all these years. I have lived in fright of getting my loved ones infected; an sure I have given the darn things to my animals, cats, dogs. For the first time in my 60 years I am ashamed for anyone to see me in a pair of short because of all of the scars I have acquired from scratching myself for so many years. You have been a God send to me, truly a wish fulfilled. I’m so excited to start my treatment as you have prescribed, but also anxious and a bit impatient. I was truly hoping that I was only going to need to take the Ivermectin I just received today; however, after reading your advice and knowledge, I know this is not the case. I just hope I don’t do a “willy nilly” job becasue I just want them gone. I need desperately to try to hold on for just a few more weeks to cure a 4, 5, perhaps even a 6-year problem. God Bless You. Oh, one last item. I read about the ink test to let you know if you are positive for scabies. Not always a 100% test, but a good test, nonetheless. You might want to just mention it on your site. You color yourself with a washable dark maker, then use alcohol on a cotton pad to rub the ink off. If scabies are present you will see the classic S shape the of the mite and at one end a dark spot may be present. This is typically where the mite burrowed under the skin, and may be there, as well. Thank you, again, for your help and most of all for listening and believing in the folks around the Internet that are suffering. No one should have to go through this; especially when they do not know where, when, or even how this happened to them, or why.
Can cryotherapy kill scabies? Please respond. I have them for 7 months and I can’t kill them with ANYTHING. No amount of Permethrin and Oil works.
I haven’t seen any evidence that it does, sorry.
I have mites but think they originated from an influx of turkey buzzards that decided to make our property their roosting place and this has been going on for two years and I am going crazy. My head and hair have them also. They are almost microscopic. I cant find anyone to do a skin scraping test and I live near Columbus GA
Will your ultimate guide work for bird mites? I have mites but think they originated from an influx of turkey buzzards that decided to make our property their roosting place and this has been going on for two years and I am going crazy. My head and hair have them also. They are almost microscopic. I cant find anyone to do a skin scraping test and I live near Columbus GA I need help
I have no idea about that, sorry.
Thank you so much for such detailed guidance. I think I have got rid of this evil as it’s been more than a week that no new infection has appeared on my skin. You’re a lifesaver. Thank you once again
How I cured myself in 14 days:
I ordered Moxidectin horse paste from Amazon.com and I took 2.3 ml which was sufficient amount to provide me 0.4 mg moxidectin/kg bodyweight (the dose amount recommended on the horse paste instructions) I weigh 109 kg, so 0.4 mg x 109 kg is 43.7 mg. So 43.7 mg is approx the amount of moxidectin that was contained in the 2.3 ml of horse paste that I took.
Moxidectin has been tested on humans using doses of 3, 9, 18, and 36 mg. The study determined that moxidectin “was generally safe and well tolerated,” at the doses administered in the study. The dose I took was 43.7 mg which is just slightly above the maximum dose used in the human study. I want to make sure that it is clear that I took the moxidectin only one time (one dose of 43.7 mg). I took one dose on day 0 and on day 14 I was cured, just like the porcine scabies study.
Below are the relevant resources/studies I studied.
https://maximpulse.com/permethrin/moxidectin_01.html
https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/c04c/043e7695e424fc02e261816e8e81b6f9505b.pdf?_ga=2.90888153.2111001783.1570813562-1678437550.1570813562
https://journals.plos.org/plosntds/article?id=10.1371/journal.pntd.0005030
https://journals.plos.org/plosntds/article?id=10.1371/journal.pntd.0004389
https://journals.plos.org/plosntds/article?id=10.1371/journal.pntd.0005920
Great info thanks
Is this gel safe to consume if I follow the correct dose as described by you?
https://www.amazon.com/BND-030177-PFIZER-EQUINE-Dewormer/dp/B009P7117A/?tag=scabies09f-20
I am suffering from this for 1 year and have tried everything. This seems to be my last way out from this menace. Please reply.
Rajesh,
I determined after reading the links I provided above, that the Moxidectin horse paste would be safe for me. I will not tell you or anyone else what to do, I can only tell you what I did. I had no side effects, but everyone is different. You may have some mild side effects or you may have no side effects. Should you decide to take the horse paste, I recommend purchasing the 3ml syringe because you can make more accurate measurements.
The article from https://maximpulse.com/permethrin/moxidectin_01.html states:
“Another method is to squirt the paste into a disposable 3cc (3ml) syringe and then use the syringe’s markings to measure a dose. Each gram or ml of paste is a dose for 101 lbs, so it’s approximately 0.1 ml per 10 pounds of body weight. For example, for 130 lbs, the dose would be 1.3 ml.. For 250 lbs, the dose would be 2.5 ml. If you have a sensitive enough scale, you could weight a dose, but not many folks have that sort of a scale, and disposable syringes with blunt tips can be very cheap.”
I’m providing the Amazon links to both the Moxidectin horse paste and the 3ml syringe that I ordered:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001CCW8SM/?tag=scabies09f-20
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06Y2JWDQ3/?tag=scabies09f-20
I don’t know how much you weigh, but as per the instructions above, you would take 0.1 ml per 10 pounds of body weight.
Feel free to message back if you have any more questions. Also, please message back here with your status after 14 days. If it works for you as it did for me, then you will be cured in 14 days.
Joe
For anyone that takes the Moxidectin horse paste, I recommend that you mix the horse paste with a big glob of strawberry preserves or your favorite flavored preserves.
Thank you so much for publishing all of this! We will win this battle!
My question is – it’s winter where I live, and we have/had scabies. I have down comforters with cotton covers that zip. I’ve washed the cotton comforter covers in hot water, dried in a hot drier, etc. What about the down comforters? Do I have to quarantine those as well? I don’t have enough of them, and I’m hoping that washing the cotton covers correctly will be enough.
What do you think??
Usually it should be okay. If you wanted to be 110% safe then yes you can, but SHOULD be okay if you don’t.
Tips!
If feet are target, wear dog poop plastic bags over foot and use cream or paste to keep from rubbing off. Also keeps footwear from having to be cycled as much.
Direct clove oil is harsh but does work to spot treat reoccurrence.
Break open burrows if possible once treatment has started. They become softer and will open to get meds in.
Re apply permethrin during treatment. Clothing will rub off or use plastic over body to keep drug on skin at full strength over target areas.
I tried caster oil and almond oil as substrates for essential oils and were not great. Will try coconut in future.
Hot bath opens pours to allow treatment to penetrate.
I was missiagnosed for 3 months… I found your website and am going all in with the treatments and the natural mask and all of it. I ordered the invermectrin off Amazon and need to wait a week to get it. Deep cleaning my apartment and bagging everything. Sheets and clothes daily washing… People need to remember to turn up their water heaters… Most now have anti scold that drops it to 125… I turned mine up as high as it goes and can get 145 out of it now… Washing with boraxo detergent as well as I heard it can break down the mites…
I made up a few batches of your neem oil tee tree concoction… First time I slathered it all over It was runny… Looked like the jolly Green giant… I have taken to refrigerating it and it goes on much better… Plus the cool of it helps with itching. Next weekend will be my 4th permethrin treatment in 2 months… I plan on taking the invermectrin as soon as it comes in and again 5 days later when I do a 5th permethrin treatment. I am gloving up every day and spend every minute I can cleaning and spraying permethrin on everything . I really hope this works. But thanks for the information…
I was diagnosed rather quickly about 5 weeks ago. Went crazy with the treatment. Perm, then iver. Was told not to do the perm cream again unless I had a recurrence. I still applied it a second time 3-4 days later anyway. Went crazy cleaning the house with an essential combo that included most of what you recommended. Steam mopped with it too. Then I applied a lotion with essential oils (tea tree and clove) daily for a week. All seems great until I started itching in the usual areas again at about the 4 week mark – nothing too crazy though, just enough to make me think. Then 10 days after that I noticed the tiny fluid fill bumps on my knee where the whole thing originally started. There seems to be very tough skin on that spot and I was wondering if I happened to aggravate any left over scabies skin/dead mites/feces that were left in the thickened skin, which is what caused my body to react to it again??? I promply purchased all natural remedies and started treating myself again, then made my own perm solution just in case – leaving town and staying with friends in a few days and don’t want to bring it to them. I have a 2 yr old and husband that, by the grace of God, haven’t caught it. What do you think? Reinfection from coworker that hasn’t been treated – although she hasn’t experienced symptoms in over a month…or my body reacting to old left over scabies remnants??
Unless you’re itching as badly as before, my guess is they’re gone. If your skin doesn’t react badly to the natural treatment, keep using it. But stay off the permerthrin where possible.
Jon, a full month after applying Permethrin twice, a week apart, my full-body scabies infestation has finally lifted! I did some of your suggestions here as well. I had read many accounts of how it hadn’t worked for some people, and was very depressed, because, not only was I in constant pain, but any sleep at all was totally impossible. Your empathy and your support was a lifeline to me, I just wanted you to know that. Thank you for your work!!
Happy for you!
I have done Permethrin twice as you said. I also used topical creams and antihistamines to relieve the itch as directed by my doctor. Ivermectin was also taken twice with a gap of one week.
But each time when I stop using the topical cream and antihistamines after 4-5 days permethrin treatment was done, new rashes and blisters appear. I’m aware that itching persist for even 6 weeks after treatment, but what about new rashes appearing? Does that indicate the failure of treatment?
What topical creams?
You’re an F’n genius, Jon. I have been suffering for over a month now. I went to Urgent Care and eventually Emergency after misdiagnosing myself at first thinking it was psoriasis and then thought it was ppssibly ringworm…even though I got scabies twice in my early 20’s(!)- one time having it for 3 months (3 months of living Hell) – I’m in my 50’s now. I’ve told my friends and family over the years that my biggest nightmare was to get it again. Somehow I did. I have been so depressed I considered ending my life several times this month. I have used Premethrin cream 3 times and Ivermectin twice. During all of the first 2 1/2 weeks I was also using tea tree oil and Castille soap. I believe I had a major allergic reaction to the soap and rushed myself to Emergency because my neck was so swollen breathing became slightly hampered. I got over most of the visible signs of intense allergic reaction being diagnosed and told to put only Triamcinoline cream on it (wgich I did for 4 days straight). Well, as you can imagine, part of the rash disappeared but then the scabies came back tenfold. I finally got my Medi-cal approved and saw a Dermatologist who immediately thought it was scabies (like I had thought most of the time). I used Premethrin cream twice and took Ivrmectin tablets a week and a half apart. I think I was re-infecting myself through most of the month through a not-perfect management system when washing clothes and bedding. Our dryer broke halfway thru the month and only produces air now. Which is my biggest problem since I have nowhere else to go, a limited amount of clothes and no extra bedding other than one of each (sheet, pillow cases, mattress cover, etc.) I still do. By diligently following your advice I am now seeing better results waking up today with all of the rash on the decline or nearly gone where I saw it yesterday. Fingers crossed I can get rid of it this time. I have limited funds and haven’t been able to purchase/use all that you suggested. But thanks goes to you for keeping my head up, getting a battle-strong mental outlook to fight this, for listing all the do’s and don’ts, and for the list of prescription options and herbal remedies, many I didn’t know. I pray this will be over soon. Take care.
Hang in there!!!!
Hey Jon, As others have said, thanks for your invaluable work here! It’s helped us SO much as we recover. I wanted to suggest that you give a quick mention to the fact that turmeric is very staining – it’s actually used as a fabric dye. So a lot of us would want to keep the ingredients of the body mask contained in the bathroom and use rag towels only to clean up. (We were still yellow after washing it all off with gentle soap!) Thanks!
Oooh yes I thought that was clear that’s why I said stay in the bathtub or bathroom!! Even the neem might stain. But certainly keep it away from any expensive towels or clothes or sheets in general while you’re doing the mask.
Hey Jon!
I’m on my 25th day of your method now. The 1st week after I did the perm+ivermectin+mask, I feel completely relieved from that “Insanely” itch (which I haven’t felt for a long time). Somewhere in the middle of my 2-3 week still felt a few itch but very tolerable (which probably is a post scabies itch as you mentioned above). But I observed around my 21st to 25th day of this method the itch is getting bad again, started on the back of my leg, palms of my hand, on the side of my torso and back of my neck. I’m starting to get paranoid that it might get back again. I’m not sure if it’s normal since I haven’t reach my 30th day. Jon please help 😔
Hi, did you do a second round of permetherin/ivermectin? Also the itch is pretty normal, what you don’t want to see is new burrows in your skin (can be hard to distinguish between rashes and burrows).
Yes I did the second round of perm/Iver on the 7th day. Everything works perfectly fine after the treatment, except the past 4 days, it starts to itch again.
If the itch gets worse would you recommend another round of treatment?
Should I also avoid foods like seafood, chicken or other foods that triggers allergic reactions while healing?
Thank you so much, jon
Yes I did the second round of perm/Iver on the 7th day. Everything works perfectly fine after the treatment, except the past 4 days, it starts to itch again.
If the itch gets worse would you recommend another round of treatment?
Should I also avoid foods like seafood, chicken or other foods that triggers allergic reactions while healing?
Thank you so much, jon
Hi Jon God bless you I will be purchasing
the things you suggested soon I have spent $300 on the cream !
I tried the javex bath and have done the sea salt bathI did get a steamer and steamed my mattress adding javex
I did notice an improvement but still getting bit
Crawling and in scalp I dipped cloth in javex
during night I discovered they were going under my watch !
Thanks so much for all your info
Gloria
Hey Jon,
So this is gonna be a weird story. About 2.5 years ago, one of my friends got scabies she went to many doctors and dermatologists. She was told it was eczema they gave her various creams and pills to take however nothing was helping. Then all of a sudden myself and another friend ( not the one with scabies ) started to get itchy pimple like bumps. I have had various allergic reactions to many things so I know what hives look like. As the itching progressed I then got hives everywhere. My friend and I thought we got it from the friend who has been itching for months. We did some research and we thought it was scabies. We then both did the Permth cream then again 7 days later. We then told our friend that gave us scabies what she has and that Permth will help. She didn’t believe us, she said the doctor doesn’t know what it is how do you know. We then said we both got what you have and have started treatment. She then started to feel bad and said her family was starting to get it also (She lived in a household of 9, so lots of people). She then did the treatment as did myself and the other friend. I ended up doing two treatments then realized I live with my mom which she did not have any symptoms but thought I would do it with her one more time knowing that there will be no re infestation. It probably took about 4 months for all the bumps to heal and go back to normal skin. my hand between the thumb and index finger area was covered in them almost looked like crusted scabies but only in that area. As I started to heal, I found a boyfriend and I never wanted to tell him about this cause it was a new thing and it would be done quick if he knew. I know it’s not an STI but it’s not a good look telling your new boyfriend this. So I watched his skin for a while to see if he gets it. Even tho I’ve done 3 bottles of Permth, usually after one your not contagious. Anyway after 4 months when I did the treatment my skin was my skin again. I could sleep again. I was healed for about 2.5 years. And my boyfriend never got anything and was fine also. However 2.5 years later, there back? I am a full time student so I get stressed easily because of exams. At first I thought the bumps on my hand were due to stress. But nope. They still here. I eventually told my boyfriend because I thought if I’m getting them again he will definitely get it this time. But no symptoms for him. However this time around it’s different. It’s not all over my body, just on my hands primarily. I get these little black spot blister like pimple. Some are itchy some are not. I can sleep at night, there is no intense itching. No allergic reaction this time. I went to the doctor myself and explained why it’s not the same as the first time around? He didn’t have an answer just gave me another prescription for Permth. So I did Permth again with my boyfriend so again there was no reason for re infection. However, on the box it says majority of cases only need one application. So because I thought the infestation was small because it was only appearing on my hands, I only did one application. Thought I’d wait it out like last time cause it took me 4 months to actually heal. However it’s been over a month since the application and I’m still getting new bumps. I learned about clove oil so have been doing spot treatments on my hands and they do die quick but in 1-3 days new bumps pop up in a different location on my hands. It’s so annoying because I was healed for 2 years and all of sudden they are back? I was reading some stuff about winter gloves that someone didn’t wash there stuff properly and wore a pair of winter gloves and got scabies back. So that’s what I think happened to me? But I’m not sure. My boyfriend is over me talking and complaining about it and honestly I am Feb up too. I’ve now done 4 bottles of Permth within 3 years. Should I try again but do two bottles 7 days apart? Why did they come back? Why only on my hands? Why doesn’t my boyfriend have anything? My friends who got it 2 years ago with me don’t have anything to this day that I know of? I mean it’s not everyone’s favourite subject to talk about so maybe they do but don’t wanna fess up. I’m just tried I suffered for 7 months the first time around and now it’s getting close to 5 months. Also I live in Canada so Iverm is not available here. I have read that iverm is very helping for females because we cannot put Permth on/in our private areas. Throughout the 2 years, it was always in the back of my head. Every time I had a itch I thought they were back. My paranoia got to my head here and there but no actual bumps throughout the two years. I’m just confused with why it’s different this time around.
Hi.
Is your treatment plan only for those suffering from a scabies infection, or will it work for other types of mite infections?
I wouldn’t be surprised if they worked for other mites, but I can’t be certain as haven’t done any research on that. I certainly don’t think it would be harmful though.
I can’t describe how much I hate these mites.
This might be a stupid question, but what’s your advice on exercise during treatment?
I’m a fairly active person and not being able to train is making me extra anxious both physically and mentally. At the same time my skin is inflamed red and uncomfortable and I’m worried I’ll irritate it further by sweating.
(I don’t plan on going to the gym and potentially exposing other people, I’d just like to get a nice long run to deal with my frustration)
Haven’t seen any evidence that exercise makes it worse. Should be safe.
Hi Jon. Excellent article. By the way i subscribed to help you out. Anyway I had my second bout with scabies just yesterday. I did the Permithrin thing again per your instructions this time. I want to know how i quarantine things I touch everyday like eyeglasses, laptop, sleepers, shoes, wallets. You know the everyday things. Also my shower is always damp and humid after showering. Will the scabies reside there. Remember I used that shower to wash the Permithrin. Thank you so much.
Will scabies live there?
Very unlikely scabies will be on things like your wallet, glasses, especially after you’ve done your first round of permethrin. But you can wipe them down with permethrin each day if it gives you peace of mind.
Bless all of you dealing with Scabies, and thank you Jon for the site.
There are many terrible stories on the internet (all true) and a lot of products that don’t work as well as advertised. This is not an advertisement for anything, only my personal nightmares and successes. Scabies can make you lose your mind quickly. I apologize in advance for the lengthy post.
I have had scabies twice (traveling overseas) and am now on my 3rd case. <–ready to cry
Thought I would share a couple of my experiences and ask a couple questions to Jon.
Things that worked for me:
You have to plan a bit to do the below all at SAME TIME. This is a process that needs to be done to break the cycle. Plan on taking a whole day if possible. This is war. If you miss or skip something, you have to start all over.
1) You need to set a plan and clean everything (before you treat your body). If not, they will just jump on you again after treatment. Think of everything in your house and start backwards. Floor, carpet, clothes, bedding, etc. Wash and dry everything possible on highest heat possible. Hot water and Hot air kill mites/parasites. Dry clean other items if needed. This is a process and you have to be systematic about it. It sucks, but you will likely have to do this a few times. Maybe a trip to the laundry mat so you can wash many loads at once. Wear gloves when touching anything dirty and cleaning. If you cant wash something immediately, put it in a sealed plastic bag for 2 weeks minimum. Longer the safer.
2) Bedding and clothing is a hot spot for Scabies. Strip everything off bed and Wash. Then have your mattress either steam cleaned professionally, or vacuum yourself and then spray it down. Top, bottom, bed frame, etc. Wash your bed sheets daily for at least first week. If you cant wash it, at least put everything thru the dryer on HIGH for at least 20 minutes. Longer the better. Also wash any clothing that you have touched since first since of infestation. Then all clothing you wear after each day. This includes all beds and everyone in the household. Even pets, dog / cat beds etc. If they are in the house, they are infested or soon will be. Treat entire environment and everyone in it!
3) Vacuum, Vacuum, Vacuum everything you can as much as possible. At least daily. Use a HEPA vacuum if possible and change the filter/bag often. Wear gloves and be very careful when emptying bag. Some say tape the opening of bag before removing from vacuum. Low humidity in house also helps, 40 % or lower.
4) Furniture, if it can be steam cleaned, (fabric) have a professional do it with the mattress. (Stanley Steemer etc.) They can do hard floors also. If it is hard surface, spray it down multiple times. counters, toilets, etc.
5) Pets, this is a difficult one. I have two small dogs. You need to bath them well. I have tried flea and tick shampoo, lime dip, and Revolutions. My Vet said the drop of Revolutions should be enough, but the only sure fire thing is to take them out of the environment for a week or more. Pets in general cant get Scabies, but they can transport them off an infected couch/carpet/bed etc.. on then back on you. You must clean everything systematically. But please be careful with any pesticides or chemicals around pets.
5) Cars are tough also. Spray them heavily and set them in the hot sun for as long as possible (windows up/sealed). If it is winter time, leave them outside in the freezing cold. Temperature kills the mites. Extreme freezing cold or prolonged heat ( 145 degress or higher)
6) After your environment is clean, you are ready to treat yourself. I have had good luck first 2 infestations. (10 years apart) using the Permethrin 5% cream. A doctor must prescribe it. Use it sparingly, a single 60g tube should be able to treat an adult twice. Use as directed, apply head to toe and leave it on for 12 hours. I have also used Ivermectin pills. Ask your doctor for both. My process is use the cream once, wait 5-7 days (if you can) then apply cream again and take the pills at same time. Benadryl is good to take at night for the itching.
I feel your pain. These Scabies are horrible, but you CAN beat them. It is a process and you have to be diligent.
Questions for Jon:
Have you or your readers had any experience with:
-Steri-Fab?
-Premo Bed bug and mite killer?
– Cedarcide?
– Scabiblast?
I am trying all of these items since they say safe or non-toxic. It makes me feel better to use them but sadly cant yet report if they are really working or just wasting my money.
Last word on your environment. If you fail in cleaning you can call an exterminator for extreme infestations. They can vacuum and spray … or use a newer method called heat treating. Basically they heat your house up to 145 degrees for 4-6 hours. It will kill everything. Its expensive.
Don't loose faith, you can win the battle. God Bless
I’m living with my grandparents at the moment and unfortunately it seems like my grandmother has picked up some scabies. It doesn’t seem to have affected my grandfather or myself at all. The Dr gave her some of the permethrin cream but she didn’t know that she was supposed to apply it all over her body, so she just did bits. She went back to the Dr later and he gave her the invermectin tablets instead to take, which she did.
Every day just about, they wash the bedding, or just put it in the drier. Her clothing as well. She claims they “bite” her and shows us the bite marks on her skin. I didn’t think this sounded much like scabies and I wondered if it could be something else as well? I didn’t think scabies bit, or drew blood.
Part of the problem is the psychological effect. Every day just about, she claims she sees the scabies or the mites on her clothing, her bed, her chair etc. Everytime I go and look it is mostly lint. Fine lint or cotton and not scabies at all. But she won’t be told otherwise.
She went back to the Dr yesterday and he gave us permethrin for us ALL to put on overnight, just in case, as he says it must be coming form somewhere. (Actually he said for myself and my grandfather to use the permethrin and my grandmother to use the ivermectin tablets again).
I am kind of reluctant to use it, as I feel totally fine, can’t see anything on my skin etc. And after reading your article and how it is poisoness, it kind of puts me off. I am wondering if I actually need to do it at all….
ps, a friend of the family works in a retirement home, and apparently they use Gaviscon to treat the scabies with. Yes, the pink liquid for indigestion. They supposedly slather this all over them. Sounds a bit weird to me, but there you go….
I would use it, scabies take sometime to “incubate”. Also, you cannot see scabies, they are microscopic, so you can tell your grandma she’s definitely not seeing the mites! If it’s drawing blood it might be bed bugs? Scabies don’t draw blood generally, at least not the mites themselves (the scratching might).
hey, i have been suffering from scabies for 7 months now. had every treatment still i have bumps on my scrotum and buttock line. what to do?
Have you had it examined to make sure it is scabies?
we have scabies for more than 2 years now and still going specially at night or wearing tight clothes or pants that touching my ankle. And we went to couple doctors and they didn’t think we have scabies but never really test us, i had skin sample where the bites at and dr said yeah it is a bug bite, that is it. i am so miserable and tired from washing, mopping, cleaning, showering, ton of tea tree oil and other treatment, our saving just literally go to this problem and we did pills twice in the last two years and maybe more than 5 or 6 tube of Per cream and seem like better but no they are still here. Especially, whenever the weather change from hot to cool or humidity is high. the crawly and biting will act up. is it really solution out there for this or it will be a 7 years itch mite deal?
You will need to see a different derm and insist they do a skin scrape and confirm 100% a scabies diagnosis. It’s possible it could be something else, especially if you’ve already done 6 permethrin treatments without success.
Something I wanted to pass along regarding the “scabies mask.” The turmeric, regardless of which brand you use, terribly terribly terribly stains everything including clothing, towels, the tub when you shower it off. Also, there is no “off” for the turmeric. It stains your skin, fingertips, face, wherever you applied it so that both you & your towels and clothing have a liver poisoning yellow glow for days.
Rinsing diligently in the shower worked for me. Does take some effort though.
Can I mix clove oil with neem oil & apply everyday before bath?
How long should I keep it before washing during bath?
Yes, every day is fine. A good 15 minutes is good at least. But ideally up to 45 mins if you’re treating active scabies.
Jon, thank you for making this website.
It’s been one month since I was diagnosed with scabies (two different dermatologists scraped my skin and confirmed under a microscope that I had eggs and mite droppings on me), and after using Permethrin twice according to your guide my condition has improved substantially.
However, I have noticed a few bumps today and yesterday on the fingers of my left hand after not having had any bumps at all for weeks. There is no itch, but they are raised and contain fluid like when I first had the infection. Is this normal?
I should mention that I meticulously cleaned my house and quarantined myself to two or three spots for 3 weeks; I have only begun going back to living normally a few days ago. I even threw out all bedding and furniture I had used before treating myself, and slept on an air mattress in my basement with a sheet and pillow for 3 weeks, washing this sheet and pillow on hot water with bleach literally every day. I bleached every single surface, item and floor, and then quarantined any items that could fit in plastic bags for about the entire month. I am virtually certain my house is clean.
My dermatologist told me a week ago I am 100% cured and not to worry, but why would I be getting these bumps?
Scabies symptoms can still persist (usually from dead mites and eggs under your skin) for up to 4 weeks. I know it’s hard to deal with it because scabies is so traumatic but generally symptoms after treatment are a false alarm. Keep your head up! Ccongrats on your treatment!
Hello,
I followed the plan here and am so grateful for it! I probably got infected at an air bnb about a montha go and was diagnosed with scabies a little over two weeks ago. It started out like contact dermatitis on my right arm and got worse until I couldn’t ignore the rash anymore (still only on one arm though). I went to urgent care and they diagnosed it and prescribed 5% permethrin cream. I found this website and followed it as closely as possible:
Day 1:
-Applied permethrin cream all over the body. I put it in my scalp and hair as well just to make sure. It does not affect your hair, since permethrin is also used to kill lice. This website suggests using the ivermectin pill, but I was not prescribed that and so did not use it.
– Started doing a ton of laundry: beds & clothes and bagging things up.
Day 2-6:
– Cleaned the whole house (got a professional company to disinfect the house).
-I used the body mask here (substituted coconut oil with almond oil). I think the almond oil made it more drippy, so I definitely had to stay in the shower. I ended up doing some yoga workouts while waiting.
– I use the moisturizer (often almond oil) + tea tree oil combo recommended here ALL the time to keep down the itch and help the skin heal. During the day, before bed, after showers, etc etc.
– The rash got better, but was still itchy and bumpy. I also got a ton of tiny little bumps on my left arm and chest. I thought this meant that there had been scabies there I didn’t know about, but after a few days I realized this was likely just a reaction to the permethrin. These little bumps didn’t itch and went away.
– I put some permethrin spray and sprayed all of the shoes in the house and the inside of our cars
Day 7: Second permethrin treatment. Have done more laundry, but still a lot of things in bags. Washed everything I wore or used every day. It also helps that you can just put clothes in the dryer for 30 minutes to kill things (good for clothes you can’t wash etc) because that moves things through more quickly than a full wash and dry cycle. Did some more of the body masks from this website.
Day 12: My arm is so, so much better. I do still itch and still see some bumps. But I am pretty positive this is the post-scabies rash. Overall the skin is less itchy and looks mostly smooth again. Such a different picture than when I started treatment. I will probably do another permethrin treatment on day 14 just in case. However, I feel like I’m almost 100% better. Getting rid of scabies relatively fast CAN be done if you go all out with the treatment the first time.
Anyway, this blog post was SO USEFUL. Thank you so much. Good luck to everyone out there dealing with this.
Thanks for sharing!
Hi, I have been dealing with scabies for 4 months now. Have used the perm cream 4 times seven days apart. Washed and disinfected everything in house and clothes. I keep getting new bumps every other day and am waiting for the results from the biopsy that the doctor did. My mom told me about the tea tree oil and did a tea tree oil bath and got new bumps after. The bumps are not all small like others have described but look like welts or hives. Is it possible to keep getting g new bumps and not still have the mites or is the bumps a sign that the mites are still there? Doctor says I shouldn’t be getting new spots and thinks its something else that’s why she did the biopsy. If the mites are gone would it hurt for me to do another dose of perm and start your mask? Should I wait until I hear from doctor o biopsy before doing g another dose of perm and your mask? I also have a sterile cream doctor gave me that I use for my eczema and take antihistamine daily for itch. When the itching gets to bad I also use ice packs so I am not itching. My husband used the perm cream but he didnt have any spots until after he used the cream. Is it possible that he has had it all along and I kept getting it from him even after using the cream 4differdnt times?
Your information is great and I have washed All clothing g and bedding in tea tree oil so hopefully this will help too.
You mentioned to apply the cream everywhere, does that also include well the Anus,and P=male reproductive ?
Yes
I cant seem to find the recipe for moisturizer . it was cream and 1 tbs neem oil and 12 drops of tea tree oil and clove oil but cant recall how much clove oil. can i use this longer than 7 days stopped for several weeks and now skin is crawling again
Just a few drops as clove oil is very strong. Shouldn’t be an issue using over 7 days, but it depends from person to person, if your skin starts becoming irritated you should stop.
Hi there…Totally awesome site. Thank you for sharing this wealth of information. I have seen scabies affect my dogs. What does your research reveal about that? Thank you… Linda
I had mites on my moving boxes. They sat in a hot dry truck for a week. They’re still biting. Same ones that were under a mattress cover I removed. No one had been in that room for years. Last person there came from Bangladesh. Must be a different mite.
Well I must have something it looks and acts like scabies on steroids! These things live in my laundry, my car seats my truck seats my mattresses the floor and the walls! Day have made a thicknesse at the very tip of the crown of my head and they keep coming out and coming out and coming out and coming out! I have used all the remedies above and then some! I use 50/50 bleach water solution, I put 10% Permethrin straight on, I’ve dusted everything with diatomaceous earth, Gold Bond and boric acid, use borax and peroxide, I’m about to use gasoline next! It’s been about 6 months and I am just getting worse and worse!
Hello Jon. I have used permectrin 4 times, but the last time I also took ivermectrin with the treatment. They said to take the ivermectric one more time in one week. Shouldn’t I also use the permecthrin with it one more time? I get more bumps each time a few days after each treatment. Initially I was using neem oil (alot of it, cold pressed organic) along with tea tree & tumeric. I was mixing that with an oil & rubbing it all over my body twice a day. I got a huge rash on my back & chest & still continue to get new bumps on my belly & arms. I thought I was allergic to the neem oil since I was using so much. I changed to clove oil & mixed it with caster oil & rubbed it all over. Still got more bumps. I am going to try your treatment now (although my skin needs a break for a couple days I think) . But basically I am asking about the permecthrin one more time with the ivermectric. It seems using them together is the best way to use them. I have also been washing everything (clothes, towels, blankets, sheets) every day until my washer broke yesterday. What I dont wash I put in bags. Thank you so much for your help. You are an Angel
Yes, I would definitely use them together.
my doctor said only to take the ivermectin & dont need to do permethrin with it, but i really wanna make sure this treatment gets them gone (have had them for 6weeks, tried permthrin on its own 3 times and they came back) my skins pretty bad from all the scratchin. want to be rid of it so bad. do u reckon i should do the permethrin with the ivermectin regardless of what the doc says? They arent always right anyway. By the way Im super greatful to find your site and thank you for taking the time and effort of putting this info together for us suffering with this
I would definitely do both.
Should I still feel them moving around on me? After 3 doses of permethrin? Last one last night and they never stopped moving last night. Is that normal?
Often it’s the itch you’re feeling and it persists for some weeks after clearing the mites (due to dead eggs and mites under your skin).
Hi, I am wondering if by any chance scabies live on the walls of my apartment. You have to use a magnifying glass to see them. They were here when I moved in. So, unknowingly I have been dealing with scabies for a year now. If you look at top of ceiling they are lined up around the areas I’m mostly in. Also it looks like my walls and ceiling are also infected. How can this be, I didn’t think they could survive without being on a human body. They are everywhere. I don’t know what to do. Do you have any suggestions. Would calling an exterminator be a good ideal and would it help eradicate them.Any help would much be appreciated.
Scabies are microscopic. Even under a magnifying glass you can’t see them. It’s a different mite you are seeing.
Does it make any sense to you that my dad has gotten scabies for 3 years in a row. The outbreak is always in June, after he does the treatment (oral and cream) they are finally gone until the following June.
First year biopsy and diagnosis of some type of bug. Second year positive biopsy for scabies. Third year, 2 biopsies, nothing conclusive but it looks like scabies so they are treating him for that. He is about to take third oral treatment, they are almost gone.
Question, how does he avoid these coming back next year?
Needs to figure out where he is catching it from!
Recently diagnosed for scabies have done 2 treatments of permethrin 7 days apart and then was prescribed Ivermectin the NP would not give them together. I also have done bleach baths and sea salt baths I’m 14 days out and still really itchy and I see the red lines around hip, back and abdomen which seemed to get worse after applying tea tree oil and coconut oil is this a re-infestation or is it the post scabies itch. I love your vast amount of information on this evil parasite!
Hi Jon,
Thank you for this site! I wish I would have known about it sooner. Unfortunately, I have been suffering for months, and it has almost been one year!! I made the mask you wrote about above, and did the patch test. It turns out I am severely allergic to Neem oil. I made it with Olive oil instead, and did not react. I am hoping this will be as effective, however, if you think it won’t, do you suggest anything else for me?
My other question is, if I normally take my shower in the evening, do I apply the mask on top of the Permethrin treated skin, or do I need to take two showers that day?
Thank you much!
Without neem oil won’t be as good but may still work – still I would pair with permethrin and ivermectin if you can get it.
EVERYONE LISTEN UP!!
One extremely important thing this EXCELLENT webpage hasn’t brought up, is the importance of optimizing your immune system. This will make your body much stronger in fighting off the scabies.
Take 8000 IU of Vitamin D3 every day (plus vitamin K1 and K2, same pill), except for the days you’re out in the sun. Take 500 mg of vitamin C twice a day (morning and evening), making it 1000 mg per day in total. Also take Zink, Magnesium, Vitamin A, Vitamin E, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12.
Read up online on how you can optimize your immune system. As soon as I started taking these vitamins daily (without exceeding safe upper limits) I felt less itching, as if the scabies were struggling. My natural immunity AND all of these solutions on the webpage now did the job.
It’s a scientific fact the reason most people don’t get crusted scabies, is because their immune system fights off the scabies and keep them at a low number. If you make your immune system as strong as possible, this will work even better.
Isopropyl alcohol kills scabies when sprayed. I was even thinking about taking a bath in it every day in my bathtub, but it irritates the lungs a bit and is very flammable, so it might be risky. Maybe something to consider for people with crusted scabies, though. You can also breathe in a CPAP-machine or something similar to avoid breathing in the alcohol while in the bathtub.
A footbath in isopropyl alcohol is very effective after applying the full body mask with lotion. I skip applying the lotion on my feet and stand in a huge saucepan filled with isopropyl alcohol instead, in front of the TV. It’s great, no scabies on my feet anymore.
Anyway, best of luck everyone. Let’s keep fighting these fuckers.
CORRECTION: Sorry, I meant isopropyl alcohol kills scabies on SURFACES when sprayed (such as furniture, floor etc.) not on the skin, unless you’re literally bathing in it for some time and let it sink in (it dries out very quickly). If you have scabies on your skin, it might kill them on the surface of the skin by spraying etc., but not those burried IN the skin. To do that you must keep the body part surrounded by the liquid for some time, like mentioned above (a footbath or so).
Well, this is our second time getting scabies, and both times were from hotel rooms! Which means we got it from bedding. Either a very unlucky 4% or it’s become a lot easier to catch that way now. If you look up scabies and hotel rooms, a lot of people seem to get infected this way. I saw some comments even thinking they got it from an airplane seat.
I know it for a fact we got it from the hotels, because we really don’t interact with anyone or go anywhere else! My fiancé has eczema, and I think it must make him more prone because of his impaired skin barrier. Both times he has gotten the scabies first, and then a few weeks later I get it as well.
The first time was 4 years ago after going to a resort. We both only used the permethrin cream twice and did all the cleaning and it went away pretty quickly. After a month we were clear.
I’m more concerned this time because the scabies made his eczema flare so bad that he had to be put on steroids and the doctor said his skin might not be able to handle the cream. So, she only gave him ONE dose of the ivermectin. She would NOT prescribe the ivermectin to me, thanks to people trying to use it for COVID. So I just used Permethrin again. I know one dose of ivermectin is NOT going to be enough for him though… He goes to a dermatologist Wednesday, so hopefully they will give him more then because the GP was NOT very helpful at all.
I keep trying to get him to use tea tree oil because it is honestly THE ONLY THING that helps my itching at all. But he is very particular because of his eczema and doesn’t want to make the rash worse. For me it clears my bumps almost right away or at least makes them smaller and flatter. I don’t even add it to coconut oil, I just apply it straight on! I have had no irritation from it, only cooling relief. Some nights I’m dying to sleep and the itching is so bad. So I take a hot bath, slather on tea tree oil and then I’m good.
I have read Lysol and/or rubbing alcohol is good to spray on things like furniture to kill any scabies that get on things. I sprayed it in our shoes, carpets, mattress, everywhere. I boiled our brushes, threw out razors, put all my make up in the freezer overnight, threw our laundry bin away and only using trash bags at the moment. Everything has been washed. Lysol has been sprayed on literally everything. This place has never been cleaner. I just hope it’s enough in the end.
I’m never, ever going to a hotel again unless I have to and if I do have to, I’m spraying everything down with Lysol first and bringing my own sheet to sleep on top of.
Ps. My pamphlet for permethrin said you could leave it on 8-14 hours. I left it on the full amount of time. It always makes me feel really weird like I’m tripping out when I have to use it. I guess cuz it is a poison. I must be getting some kind of toxic effect from it. I loathe having to use it and it’s always a super uncomfortable night for me where I barely sleep at all. But, with scabies, not sleeping much anyway!
A lot of conflicting things saying to use it on your whole head and others saying only from the neck down. I did put some on my face but I did miss my ears and did not do my hair.
Everything this man says is 100% true. i had scabies and got rid of it with Permethrin and then got reinfected. I went to the nurse practitioner and she re prescribed Permethrin. After reading all of this, the puzzle finally is complete to why i got scabies again. i will take my next dosage 6 days from now and i will not make the mistake that i made the last 3 times i have applied the cream. I am now positive that permethrin works 100% if used probably. you must cover ever spot below the neck, including behind your ears. it takes me 20 to 30 minutes to apply the cream. if you do it in less time, you probably missed a spot. my nurse practitioner told me that i was doing everything properly. There are 2 things that you shouldnt do. First, never let anyone put the cream on you. No one should be touching you anyways. You could give it to them. Second and most important thing that i was never told and it isn’t listed in the directions, after applying permethrin, DO NOT WASH YOUR HANDS FOR AT LEAST 8 HOURS. i cant stand the grease from the cream and always washed my hands after applying it. i try not the scratch, but i always do and this is how i spread the eggs back on my body.
As far as the cleaning, its ok to try and kill other things but that had nothing to do with scabies. You have to rid your body of them. If all you had to do is stay away from your place for 3 days, it should be easy to get rid of scabies. i could stay in a motel for a week. they would be gone. to get rid of scabies, you must extract it from your body. that’s the only way to get rid of them, so all the other points are pretty mute when it comes to cleaning and fumigating. As i wrap this up, i already have the tree tea oil but need to go purchase the other things, so i can be set for the next 6 days. This man is a genius.
Hi Jon,
I have contracted scabies at work(I work in a long term care center), I’m bout to embark on your 30 day plan but am concerned about going forward working in an environment where scabies are present. The facility I work in are doing there best to treat the outbreak but I’m aware that it is very difficult to eradicate scabies in a care home setting.
Please can you advise me of what I can do to best protect myself going forward.
Many thanks.
I’m not sure to be honest. The home would need to do a site wide treatment of everyone.
Hi Jon,
My girlfriend and I have treated Scabies for the past 4 days. We did not use permethrin because of side effects, etc. and went with a natural routine. After seeing your guide, and still experiencing itching (which could be post scabies itch…not sure), I’m having second thoughts. Here is our routine:
*wash all bedding, and dry on high heat every day. We leave the vinyl mattress cover on and vacuum and spray with disinfectant daily.
* first day of treatment we washed our bodies in sulfur soap, scrubbed everywhere, and then coated our bodies from head to toe in coconut and clove oil, twice a day for two days, followed by a neem butter, took a bleach bath on the third day.
*wash most clothes and then dry on high heat. We dry on high heat everything every day. So sometimes we’ll put towels and socks in the dryer instead of washing. Is this okay or is it too Willy nilly?
* We steam cleaned couch, basement carpet, hard wood floors. We have cleaned the hardwood floor every night except last because we were so exhausted from all the cleaning every day.
*Just yesterday we started wearing gloves, and replace each time we touch something that could be infected, and after we re-disinfect a surface. It is nuts. I hear you on being obsessed.
It seems the best approach to this is to just assume everything we touch gets infected so as to thoroughly eradicate the infestation.
Just last night the itching is the worst it’s ever been. It seems odd to me that these things would still be alive and causing intense itching after everything we’ve done.
1.Did you experience more itching after you started treatment?
2. Do you think we need to start over, starting with the premetherin?
3. Also you mention putting clothes in a bag for 72 hours after the 7th day of treatment. What about the first? What clothes would we wear if they’re all in the bag?
4. We have been off work for the last 3 days. It’s getting more difficult to get dr notes and such. I feel like it is best to stay at home as long as we can. What amount of days do you feel are best?
5. Do you think doing that bed treatment is enough? Do we need to stay off the mattress entirely and buy an air mattress or something? It’s not hot out here so we can’t use the sun.
We have been mentally and physically exhausted from this. It is truly nuts. I appreciate that you put this guide together.
I know my post is longer than most people’s. If you’d feel up to it, I’d be happy to talk it over with you on the phone and compensate you for your time as that might be quicker than writing back a response. We are struggling. Thank you so much!
Hi Jon,
How you do yea tree oil bath and sulfur bath together? Can one do it at the same time pay putting it together and how much each of the ingredients should be put in hot water bath tub
I used natural sulfur hot pools, so not sure how much sulfur to put it in but tea tree oil you just need 10 or 15 drops.
hey did you have a crawling feeling as one of the symptoms and has it gone?
My scabies started 3 yrs ago on my neck. The doctors (even) dermatology couldn’t identify it because
I used natural cures & it did not fit textbook descriptions. Finally, they convinced me
to stop treating it & use cortisone cream. In 2 days it spread all over my body. So then I could
use permethrin. Following the protocol killed it quickly except for my neck. If I continued
more natural treatments, welts would only stay on my neck. I stopped fighting it about a month ago
thinking maybe I am a hypochondriac…Guess what? It spread all over my chest in a few days. So
I used some topical ivermectin, a very small amount of left over permethrin, and the paste mentioned here with success… except for my neck(as before). So I am adding sulfur to the mix for
my neck hoping for success… Day 2 … the welts are already shrunken.
The source of my problem was bedding that had been in a plastic bag for 3 months!!!
I was tasked with washing and drying the bedding and cutting it up into smaller pieces to be used at a pet organization. This has been an absolute nightmare and none of the treatment is working and it is like our house is infested with this so we are missing the holidays with our family. It is really awful. So what exactly can you do if none of this works??!!! We have already had two prescriptions from the doctor and dermatologist.
Dear Jon,
First of all, thank you so much for your effort in this webpage!
Second, please some advise on the following. Before, some context: I’ve struggling with this for months now. I’ve done the permethrin treatment, days 1 and 8, unsuccesfully. Done it again, days 1, 5, 10, unsuccesfully. Then atended to a dermathologist, who confirmed the diagnosis, and prescribed us Ivermectin, days 1 and 10. Again, unsuccesfull treatment. Finally, we’ve done permethrin a third time, on days 1, 5, 8 and 10 (yeah! a lot). Itching and new bumps, again…
All of the previous treatments were, of course, putting clothes, bedding and towels in quarantine (and then laundry).
I’m depressed. I find myself crying and observing my skin with a torch several times a day. I’m going mad.
I really can’t afford doing laundry and buying more permethrin cream anymore (here it costs 20 euros per tube). Also I’m afraid my skin will suffer if I continue to apply this cream.
So, please your advise on the following: if I try your two recipes (body mask and moisturizing/killer cream) ONLY -no permethrin-, should it be enough? Or the permethrin is really necessary? I know that the permethrin penetrates more deeply in the skin, but if your recipes are applied for several days, eventually all of the mites comes to the surface, right?
Please let me know what you think. I’m fully aware that you are not a medical advisor (so disclaimer really is implied), but for now I find that all the medical advise that I got was insufficient, and you were the only person that can relate on how frustrating and mentally toxic this infestation is. And also you’ve done your fantastic research.
Warm regards!
All I can say is it shouldn’t hurt to try. However it is very odd that perm and ivm haven’t worked. Symptoms can persist for 6 weeks, so not sure if it’s that, or if you are dealing with a skin allergy to all the treatments at this point. Try the body mask and see how you go – but it’s possible your skin also just needs to “rest”.
Thank you Jon for all your info!!! This really helps.
I’m day 4 into my treatment after Day 1 Per and Ivermectin, Day 2 ivermectin. I saw your recipe for the anti scabies body mask and I’m going to buy the stuff to make. And cleaning house, wearing clothes only once, and spraying mattresses etc
Please help with this…every night I feel these things crawling around in different parts of my body and it feels like there are more and the sensation is stronger!! I only feel itching on my right arm.
Did the treatment fail already? I applied Per correctly head to toe.
I’m so discouraged!! I had exposure from my patient that ended up having crusted scabies
If you’re only Day 4, give it more time. Next 4-6 weeks to see clearing up.
Hello! Thank you so much for this great information. I am wondering if it would be possible to not use permethrin and just use natural remedies. We also have added complexity of treating a family (husband, me, our 3 year old). We’ve used permethrin 3 times; my husband used both, my son and I used only permethrin. But I wasn’t treating them in between permethrin doses, though we are doing a lot of cleaning at home. Would you at all be available to answer questions over a phone or video call? I’d really like some knowledgeable guidance on making a game plan for beating the mites. Thanks!
I tried using only the natural essential oils treatment to get rid of my scabies. In brief, it didn’t work. The essential oil treatment did work to stop the itching temporarily, but it did not kill off all the scabies. My guess is that it killed the adults but not the eggs.
I wrote a longer post below if you are interested in the details.
I’m going through this at the moment and I’m so grateful I found this article! Thank you so much!
Been doing everything as you said already, on a day 7 but little black dots resurface my hands every time I rub alcohol or permethrin on them, does that mean they’re still alive?
Could be dead eggs/post-scabies symptoms. Wait and see is the only approach unfortuantely unless you go to the derm for another exam
Hi Jon, thanks so much for putting all of this out there, really helped me 🙂
I recently used permithrin treatments thrice, according to the advice of my dermatologist and thankfully things seem to be looking up. I’m trying to be as careful as possible against re-infection, and I wanted to ask about killing the mites on surfaces – is bleach effective ? In the post you mentioned it could be, but I didn’t find any literature on the concentration and so on.
Thanks a ton!
I have read online that bleach will kill scabies on hard surfaces if you spray and then let it sit for about 5 minutes. You need to mix the bleach with water to get the right dilution. The CDC suggests 4 teaspoons regular unscented household bleach to 1 quart of water. I also read that this diluted bleach solution stays effective for only 24 hours. After that, you need to mix a new batch.
I used bleach to clean my kitchen counters and the chair I sat in when I had scabies. I also used bleach on the upholstered driver’s seat in my car. I sprayed the bleach solution heavily on the fabric so that it would soak in a bit, and then waited overnight before sitting in the car again. It’s a good idea to test a small spot before you spray bleach. I don’t know for sure if there were scabies in the places where I sprayed. I did get rid of the scabies.
I was more diligent about washing my clothing and bedding. Right after I did a scabies treatment, I would wash my bedding so that I would not reinfect myself.
Just a comment to say thanks for all the info. We’ve had scabies since last September (diagnosed incorrectly twice – eczema and chicken pox) so that delayed our process getting creams etc. It’s been a nightmare since trying to get rid of them. We are currently on holidays so it’s our first time away from the house for 9 days so the little feckers better be dead in the house when we return. We are going to apply cream in the morning here before we leave holiday home and hopefully that’ll do the trick. Will reapply in a week. Fingers crossed. A very sad family with 3 young kids
Hi Jon, I have suffered with scabies for over a year.I’ve dosed with premethrin and Ivermectin several times. My family members never treated themselves, so I kept getting it. I don’t know why, but my rasdh isn’t as prominate as before. So, the doctors say I don’t have it, but at night i can see somethoin moving right underneath the surface of my skin. My house and vehicle are so bad i can see black patches. The dermatologist even did a skin scrape, and he said it was negative. I had them in 2013, so I know what the biting and burning sensations are at night. My Mom has had the same problem for three years. Its horrible and has cost me so much money. I have spread it to 4 different houses, but they dont see anything. So, they think they dont have it. I’m going to try the natural paste you have listed in your site. Everyone thinks I’m crazy, but I’m tortured every day and night.
If you can see something moving in your skin, it’s not scabies. My doctor used microscopic glasses to look for mine and even then he said he could barely see them.
May it possibly a good thing to add some SOTP to the mix. SOTP helps to cause whatever is used with it. to be absorbed into the lower layers of the skin. I have tried using the cream, the liquid that you listed above, and 10% ivermectin liquid for animals, But no help. I think maybe it’s just not getting where it needs to go. I’ve also bought 12mg ivermectin tablets but I bought them from an outfit in India, and I think like you have said the meds are fake.
You’ve had a million responses.
Can you say a but more about sulfur soak/ointment?
How does that work? And best practices?
Sulfur is shown to kill scabies in studies. Sulfur ointment spot treatments or sulfur baths (even natural hot pools are great – very high in sulfur) are all effective.
I tried using only the natural essential oils treatment to get rid of my scabies. In brief, it didn’t work.
I mixed clove oil, tea tree oil, and neem oil into coconut oil as my natural treatment. I used higher concentrations of the essential oils than are recommended in this article (about 25 drops of each essential oil per 1/2 cup of coconut oil). I tested on a small area of skin first, and I didn’t have a negative reaction to the essential oils. Other people may be more sensitive to essential oils, so I would not suggest this to anyone without testing first. I would then wait for about 1-2 hours before washing it off. I got very accustomed to the scent of these essential oils, to the point where I could barely smell them any more.
After this treatment, the itching stopped and I would usually not have new itchy scabies spots for about 2-3 days. At one point, I used this treatment every day for 8 days, and was symptom free during the treatment. After I stopped this treatment, to see if it had worked, I had new scabies symptoms in about 2 days. That was very frustrating for me, because I thought I had killed them all.
I think that the essential oil treatment must have killed the adult scabies in my case, but not all the eggs. It worked very well to control the itching while I was using the treatment, but it didn’t completely kill the little buggers.
I ended up going to my doctor and getting permethrin cream. I did the first permethrin treatment but then got new itchy scabies spots about 8 days later. I think maybe I was not thorough enough and missed a spot. I did a second permethrin treatment and did not have any more symptoms after that. However, I was so paranoid by that point that I continued the essential oil treatment every day and also did a third permethrin treatment a week after the second one. Fortunately for me, I didn’t have any negative skin reaction to the permethrin.
Only now, about a month later, do I feel confident that they are gone. It was a nightmare for over two months. I didn’t visit anyone or hug anyone because I was afraid to give them scabies. I spent most of my time alone, and got depressed. I couldn’t think much about anything but scabies.
I would suggest that if you get scabies, follow this article’s instructions to the letter. Don’t wait to use permethrin. Maybe do two or three permethrin treatments, with a week between each treatment, to be on the safe side.
Good luck!
Hubby and I had scabies and then our dog (Boston Terrier) started itching and got infected so bad that we had to take her to the vet to get medicine and the vet said that her allerigies flared up again but I knew that was only part of it. Got antibiotics for a possible allerigic infection and her (dog) a steroid shot. I put 2 drops of tea tree oil and half cup water in her medicated dog bath lotion. Well she is doing much better, the bumps have almost gone and yes she lost hair so whoever said your dogs do not get it was wrong. She was eaten up.
Anyway hubby and I have taken ivermectin and done the perm. cream 3x but he just could not get his head and beard to stop itching. We also did 3 days with your special home remedy when we noticed a week later, the itching would not stop and red bumps again so I started bleaching all his beard and hair items and soaking in hot water. In the meantime , I wear a wig for 20 yrs. since i have very fine thin hair. and they got into the wig and couldnt get them outta wig, soaked in Rid , sealed in bag for 2 weeks , then stuck in freezer for 2 more weeks. Tossed the wig out! BTW yes battle for 2 months now.
There is hope, bought a new wig became a clean freak , washed everything mop every day, 20 loads of laundry a week and started using scabsin body wash in shower and used super rid for hair for both of us now i see relief and starting to get our lives back. Been a tough road and Believe me I understand all your frustrations as the 1st time we got it ( he did) was 2015. no idea where as he is disabled and doesnt leave the house much cept DR appts. Last yr he visited a friend and broght them home and we got rid of them quickly with the usual methods iver. and perm./ This yr he went over to his friends house again for an hour and guess what??? brought them home again !!!!!!!!!! Now he is not to go there and the guy is dying of lung disease so not even going there. So thank you Jon for your website , we used it and it helped alot thank you
This guide needs to be updated:
1) Scabies do occur on scalp.
2) The instructions on the 5% permethrin cream prescription from pharmacy do say it needs to be applied from head to soles of feet.
Cheers.
Hey mate,
I’m going through this scabies crap right now, again, after 8 years since my previous battle…. hoping I’d never go through this again. I like your site and what you’ve done here, I was thinking of doing a similar thing, as there’s such a lack of quality information and help for scabies. I have been doing the natural treatments, hoping they would work (just clove oil and coconut oil, but way more clove oil than I think you were using in your mix. I’m doing about 1 clove to 4 carrier) but I feel now after about 2 weeks that this is not going to work, it provides relief, but the fuckers just start coming back and getting worse as soon as I try half a day without putting the mix on my body (and I’m spending all day every day oiled up and uncomfortable)
I am a little concerned about using permethrin again, as I feel it led to some pretty bad long term health issues for me, but I don’t see much other choice at this point… Anyway, I messaged you on FB (Earl Grey) and was hoping to chat with you about your site/guide, as it’s very interesting and maybe we can work together to help get this out to the world more.. also just like to pick your brain on this as you obviously have done quite a lot of research as well and had a similar personal experience…
Cheers mate,
Nick
Hello, I was wondering if I need to purchase the guide or can I just use the above quick guide? Also, if I don’t do the ivermectin, but do the cream 7 days apart and the other recommendations, do you think that will be adequate? Thank You!
Hi Jon. Let me start by praising you and your work: it’s beyond amazing. I really appreciate the quality information on this website. I lost the battle against paranoia a couple of times and used my sleepless nights to dig into the deepest burrows of the internet in search of information about scabies and sympathy for their victims. Your website is by far the best source I encountered.
There is one thing that puzzles me though. You say that after successful treatment, it is possible to find new red bumps on your body without being reinfected. I think that’s maybe the case in my situation and I’m very curious about your professional assessment.
After I was diagnosed with scabies, I treated myself with cream and pills on 7/12/2022 and followed the washing, cleaning and quarantine instructions as best as possible. I even broke my own heart by putting my cat in quarantine for six days. I repeated the procedure eight days later.
Around one week after the first treatment, the red bumps on my scrotum and my inner thighs disappeared like snow before the sun: the area where the severe itching circus started two months before. I thought I was cured so I was very happy (for a moment).
The itch and the rash throughout my whole body remained though. It even got worse, but that was to be expected. I also didn’t treat my skin with proper aftercare, as in applying natural ointments like your body mask: I just recently started to do that and it gives me a lot of relief. My doctor and other ‘experts’ promised me that after two to four weeks the itch should be gone.
Unfortunately, I still have a lot of itch, mostly on my arms and legs. But it’s of another level than during the hay days. What worries me the most is that since two days red bumps started to reappear again on and around my crotch. The weird thing is: they don’t itch as much as they used to!
Hence, the paranoia kicks in again. The red bumps to me were a sign of reinfestation until I read your statement that this doesn’t necessarily mean that one has scabies again. That it also could be an allergic reaction. This makes me wonder: am I ‘still’ cured or reinfected?
What do you think: should I wait a little bit more to see how my body responds or should I treat myself again with the toxic creme and pills?
Cheers from Amsterdam,
Joery
Hi Jon. Let me start by praising you and your work: it’s beyond amazing. I really appreciate the quality information on this website. I lost the battle against paranoia a couple of times and used my sleepless nights to dig into the deepest burrows of the internet in search of information about scabies and sympathy for their victims. Your website is by far the best source I encountered.
There is one thing that puzzles me though. You say that after successful treatment, it is possible to find new red bumps on your body without being reinfected.
I think that’s maybe the case in my situation and I’m very curious about your professional assessment.
After I was diagnosed with scabies, I treated myself with cream and pills on 7/12/2022 and followed the washing, cleaning and quarantine instructions as best as possible. I even broke my own heart by putting my cat in quarantine for six days. I repeated the procedure one week later.
Around one week after the first treatment, the red bumps on my scrotum and my inner thighs disappeared like snow before the sun: the area where the severe itching circus started two months before. I thought I was cured so I was very happy (for a moment).
The itch and the rash remained though. It even got worse, but that was to be expected. I also didn’t treat my skin with proper aftercare — as in applying natural ointments like your body mask: I just recently started to do that and it gives me a lot of relief. My doctor and other ‘experts’ promised me that after two to four weeks the itch should be gone.
Unfortunately, I still have a lot of itch, mostly on my arms and legs. But it’s of another level than during the hay days. What worries me the most is that since two days red bumps started to reappear again on and around my crotch. The weird thing is: they don’t itch as much as they used to!
Hence, the paranoia kicks in again. The red bumps to me were a sign of reinfestation until I read your statement that this doesn’t necessarily mean that one has scabies again. That it also could be an allergic reaction. This makes me wonder: am I ‘still’ cured or reinfected?
What do you think: should I wait a little bit more to see how my body responds or should I treat myself again with the toxic creme and pills?
Cheers from Amsterdam,
Joery
I applied the Body Mask, but I find it very difficult to rinse off in the shower. What do you use to dissolve the body mask?
Also I found the Neem also smells very bad, so the body smells quite a lot after the shower. Any tips for getting rid of the smell?
After you wash it off you shouldn’t smell much, it should fade by the next day. I just use hot water and soap to wash it off.
Hey Jon, I said I would come back when the scabies was gone to thank you for this information and the time you put into this site. When I had it bad, I used your body mask 2 or 3 times in between the treatments , the nights after i used it i felt itchier which i think meant it was killing them. anyways i then saw your moisturiser recipe and decided to switch to that. I have found it so good , for keeping them at bay , I used it religiously. I have it gone now touch wood and im still using the moisturiser, changing my sheets every 2 days and washing my stuff at 60 degrees. maybe im still a little paro, any time i have an itch now i cant think of it as a normal itch. But anyway thanks you SO much for helping me. I feel like this site and the moisturising mask really helped me to get rid of it
Wonderful news, God bless.