5 Ways to Get Rid of Crabs

1. Confirm That You Have Crabs

Intense itching is usually the first sign that you may have crabs, which are also called pubic lice. If you examine your pubic hair, you may find these insects. They have three life stages--nits, nymphs, and adults--and you may see one or more of them.

The nits are the eggs of lice. They are tiny, yellowish oval objects attached to the hair shafts. Nits hatch into nymphs. These are easier to see and look like tiny crabs. Adult lice look like crabs, too, because two of their six legs look like giant crab legs. Adult lice are usually a dirty-white color. Nymphs and adults move quickly and can be difficult to catch. You're more likely to see the stationary nits. If you see nits, nymphs or adults, consider the diagnosis of crabs confirmed.

Crabs sometimes migrate to the eyebrows and eyelashes. If you find them in your pubic hair, check these areas on your face, too.

2. Purchase a Lice-Killing Product

You can usually treat this infection yourself. Drug stores carry lice-killing products that you can purchase without a prescription, and they are the same ones used to treat head lice. Make sure that the product you buy has permethrin 1% cream or pyrethrins with piperonyl butoxide. You will also need a nit comb. These medications come with detailed directions that you should follow carefully. Note that these products are never used on eyebrows or eyelashes.

Before you start, wash and dry your pubic area. Follow the directions for application and for the duration of treatment, which is usually about 10 minutes. After you rinse off the medication, you may find nits still attached to the hair shafts. This is normal. Use the nit comb or your fingernails to remove them.

If the medication you purchase at the drug store without a prescription does not get rid of the crabs, make sure that your partner has not reinfected you. If this does not seem to be the case, see your doctor or go to a clinic. You may need to use a prescription medication called malathion 0.5%, which goes by the trade name Ovide.

3. Clean Your Clothes and Bedding

Put on only freshly laundered underwear and pants after treatment. The lice can live in clothes for a few days, so it is important to launder your clothing and bedding thoroughly. Use hot water, not warm, to wash your clothes and bedding, and dry them on the highest possible temperature.

4. Talk to Your Sex Partners

Tell your sex partners that you have crabs, and urge them to examine and treat themselves as you have. Don't have sex with anyone until you are sure you have gotten rid of the crabs completely. If you have crabs, you may have other sexually transmitted diseases, so consider tests for other infections in consultation with a doctor or nurse.

There's some evidence that Brazilian waxing has reduced the prevalence of pubic lice.

5. Take Care of Your Eyebrows and Eyelashes Separately

Do not use lice removal medications on your eyebrows or eyelashes. If you find lice in these areas, your only option is to remove the nits one by one with your fingernails or a nit comb. If this doesn't do the job, see your doctor, who will recommend a special ointment that's safe to use around your eyes.