10 Home Remedies For Scabies
Scabies is a condition caused by tiny mites. These mites can infest the skin by burrowing underneath, causing the patient to experience a number of unpleasant, itchy rashes. In most cases, people with scabies will need to go seek medical help to fully get rid of the scabies.
There are a number of unpleasant symptoms that are associated with scabies. In addition to red, itchy patches of skin, scabies can lead to blistering and bumps on the skin. Some of the mites can even leave little trails where they burrowed underneath the skin. The extreme itchiness and discomfort associated with scabies can leave people scrambling for anything to help them manage the problem. Since scabies is caused by an actual infestation by organic creatures, it’s important to get help from a medical professional.
That said, seeking help from a doctor doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t use home remedies. Home remedies can be useful for helping to speed up recovery, for helping to ease some of the symptoms while the medicine works, and can also be useful if a person becomes resistant to traditional treatments for scabies. In this article, we’re going to outline some of the most common and effective remedies that you can use for helping to ward off scabies and the related symptoms.
Home Remedy #1: Tea Tree Oil
Tea tree oil is one of the most popular and well-studied essential oils on the planet. This ancient medicine has managed to prove its efficacy for a huge number of different ailments, and one of the things that it’s been proven to help manage is scabies.
Tea tree oil is most effective at helping to get rid of some of the itchiness and discomfort that occurs in people struggling with scabies. Unfortunately, it might not be powerful enough to actually kill the eggs that can get buried in the skin. For this reason, it’s important to continue using any traditional treatment while you’re using tea tree oil.
Home Remedy #2: Aloe Vera
Aloe vera is one of the most versatile and popular methods—natural and otherwise—for helping to manage skin conditions. It’s very well-known for its ability to help soothe discomfort, cool down burns, and help to speed along healing of lots of different conditions.
Aloe vera has also been shown to help manage scabies. In fact, the one study that compared it to clinical medications found that it was actually just as strong as one of the most commonly prescribed scabies-fighting medications. Aloe vera can be found in many lotions and creams, but if you’re able to get the whole plant, you’ll experience more benefits from just applying the stuff to your skin.
Home Remedy #3: Neem Oil
Neem oil is extracted from the leaf of the neem tree. Neem oil is regarded in the Ayurvedic system of natural medicine as one of the most powerful and versatile medicines for topical use. It’s known to function as a painkiller, it can help fight bacteria and microbes, and it can reduce inflammation.
Neem is powerful enough to actually kill some of the mites that are known to cause scabies. While this hasn’t been tested on humans in clinical studies, neem is known to help kill mites on animals. Neem oil can be found in many pharmacies and health food stores, or it can be purchased online.
Home Remedy #4: Clove Oil
Clove oil is another powerful essential oil that can exert a number of powerful benefits in a number of different conditions. Clove oil is known to work as a fantastic antimicrobial compound, and some evidence suggests that it can be strong enough to help kill mites.
One of the easiest ways to do this is to apply clove oil to a cotton ball and swab this onto the skin. The oil is powerful enough that it can be uncomfortable when used in its pure form, so some people might prefer to dilute the oil—remember, though, that this won’t be as effective for actually killing the mites.
Home Remedy #5: Cayenne Pepper
Cayenne pepper might not actually kill scabies, but there is some indication that it can be useful for helping prevent them from spreading. Cayenne pepper can also be used for helping to alleviate some of the discomfort associated with the condition.
Most people associate cayenne pepper with a burning sensation that occurs when they eat it. However, capsaicin—the active compound that’s responsible for this burning—is actually known to help desensitize the skin. It’s a popular ingredient in a number of topical painkillers and can help ward off some of the discomfort associated with scabies.
Home Remedy #6: Vitamin C
Vitamin C might not be a good way to actually fight off scabies, but it’s an important weapon for anyone hoping to fight off complications. Vitamin C is very important for the functioning of the immune system, which helps to fight off infections.
People with scabies tend to scratch a lot, and excessive scratching can lead to bleeding and make someone more prone to developing an infection.
Home Remedy #7: Borax
Borax is known to help ward off bugs, and it’s often used as a deterrent for household pests. There is some evidence that it can be useful for helping to ward off scabies—but it’s important to note that you wouldn’t want to use it directly on your skin.
The best way to go about using borax is to apply it to your laundry when you wash it. That said, there’s little more than anecdotal evidence to support this. If the idea of using borax in your laundry sounds peculiar, perhaps try some of these other home remedies first.
Home Remedy #8: Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar is another powerful home remedy that’s been used for everything from fighting off bacterial infections to warding off symptoms of a cold. Another thing that people have reported using apple cider vinegar for is helping to ward off scabies.
Applying apple cider vinegar to a cotton ball and generously applying this to any area where the mites have infested can help to kill them.
Home Remedy #9: Anise Oil
Another powerful essential oil, anise oil has actually been shown to have powerful insect-killing effects.
It’s a useful tool for helping people fight infections from things like scabies, and can also be useful for helping to kill head lice.
Home Remedy #10: Rosemary Oil
Rosemary oil can also be used to help ward off symptoms of scabies, and can potentially help to kill the mites themselves.
Rosemary is known to help fight off pain, especially when used topically, and functions as a powerful antibacterial that can prevent any infections that might occur as a result of scabies.
