Scabies is most common in places where living conditions are crowded, however individuals of any class or race can contract scabies. Scabies can be difficult to treat, keep reading below for more options for treating scabies infections.

What scabies look like

Scabies is caused by the creature known as the Sarcoptes scabiei. These mites are too small to be seen by the human eye, and when viewed by a microscope, they can be identified by a round body and eight legs (1).

You can’t see scabies, therefore they need to be identified by the rash they cause. Below are some key indicators: 

The most common symptoms of scabies are intense itching that gets worse at night, and a visible rash. The scabies rash looks similar to blisters or pimples and sometimes appear in a row. They are pink, raised bumps with a clear top filled with fluid, some people might also experience scaly red patches.  Scabies can also cause gray lines on your skin along with the pink rash.

While scabies mites attack the entire body, they particularly target the skin around the hands and feet of individuals.

Scabies looks similar to rashes caused by:

• syphilis
• other parasites and critters, such as fleas
• poison ivy
• dermatitis

Your doctor may prescribe additional medications to help fight itching and inflammation, and to help relieve some of the uncomfortable symptoms associated with scabies.

Itching and symptoms may continue for weeks, even if the first application of medicine is effective. Be vigilant for new tracks or bumps, as a second round of treatment is needed in some cases.

Home treatments

Many natural at-home treatments are available to help individuals deal with the symptoms of scabies including:

• cayenne pepper
• clove oil
• tea tree oil
• neem
• aloe vera
• Tea tree oil

Tea Tree Oil

You can apply this by adding tea tree oil to a squirt bottle and spraying it on your bed linen and sheets. Keep in mind that tea tree oil is not as effective at fighting scabies eggs deep within an individual’s skin.

Neem

The neem plant is known for easing inflammation and pain in humans. Additionally, it has some antibacterial properties. Neem can be purchased as an oil, as well as in the form of soaps and creams for the body.

Aloe vera

A small scientific study found that Aloe Vera gel was as effective as prescription-strength medication at combatting scabies. If you you choose to use aloe very gel, ensure that you buy pure Aloe Vera gel that contains no additives or chemicals

Cayenne pepper

But when applied topically, cayenne pepper can reduce pain and itching, however there is little evidence that cayenne pepper can exterminate scabies mites in humans.

Before using products made with cayenne pepper or the component capsaicin, one should always preform a skin patch test in order to test skin’s reaction.

Clove oil and other essential oils

Clove oil is an insecticide and and has been proven to exterminate scabies mites taken from pigs and rabbits.

Other essential oils may also have the potential to treat scabies, however more in-depth research is needed to be sure. Some oils that you can try include nutmeg, lavender and thyme.

How scabies breed

Scabies eggs are laid under the skin and hatch into larvae. In about four days, the mites are fully grown and ready to lay the next group of eggs in the skin. This cycle continues until the mites are exterminated.

Scabies can be present and breeding in an individual’s skin for several weeks before the immune system has an allergic reaction and symptoms become present.

Can bed bugs cause scabies?

Bed bugs do not cause scabies, as scabies is specific to the Sarcoptes scabiei mite, which is different from bed bugs. Bed bugs don’t live in human skin, instead they feed on blood from humans and animals and are the most active at night. Scabies, in contrast, must live in human skin to feed and breed.

Scabies mites are also generally smaller than bed bugs, when fully grown, each mite is no bigger than the size of the point of a pin. Bed bugs can grow as large as 1 to 7 millimeters, and as a result are visible to the human eye, unlike scabies.

When scabies is severe

The thought of scabies mites living in one’s skin is uncomfortable. While scabies mites don’t transmit additional diseases, extensive scratching could cause secondary infections and conditions.

In some rare instances, Norwegian, or crusted, scabies can become present in individuals. This more severe version usually only results from a weakened immune system or when a scabies infestation remains untreated for an extended period of time.

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1 What does scabies look like?