Effective Body Lice Removal: Symptoms, Treatment & Prevention

The parasitic bugs known as body lice are small, wingless parasites that gain their nutrients from your blood. Body lice are generally found on clothing, but can be transferred to furniture and bedding. Your clothing acts as a breeding agent, which body lice use to lay their eggs while moving to the skin to extract your blood. If you are suffering from the main symptom of constant itching, properly clean yourself and contaminated items, and take other precautionary measures to destroy your body lice infestation.

Things You'll Need

• Soap
• Washer
• Dryer
• Plastic sealed bags and containers
• Nix Lotion and RID Shampoo
• Permethrin-based insecticide

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Instructions

• 1

  Clean yourself thoroughly with soap and hot water. If the body lice persists, use over-the-counter lotions and anti-lice shampoos such as RID or Nix.

• 2

  Seal clothes that cannot be washed in plastic bags for up to two weeks. Two weeks is the estimated lifespan for body lice and, without nutrients from your blood, they cannot sustain reproduction.

• 3

  Soak your clothes and other washables in hot water or a washing machine. The temperature of the water at 130 degrees Fahrenheit will kill any remaining body lice on clothing, towels, and blankets. Use "High" heat for a minimum of 20 minutes in the dryer.

• 4

  Use a permethrin-based insecticide or a prescription lotion from you doctor as a last resort only if the previous steps fail to do the job. According to Mayo Clinic, lice-killing products can be potentially toxic to humans, so paying attention to directions and warning labels is crucial.