Scabies on the face (causes, symptoms, treatments for scabies on face)

Scabies is medically defined as an intense itching skin condition caused by tiny mites called Sarcoptes scabiei. These mites hole the upper layers of face skin and leave their eggs, saliva there which cause an intense allergic reaction resulting intense rash and itching. It’s highly contagious in nature and spreads via close physical contact with the patient.

Scabies is basically of two types as below:

Ø Classical scabies: Classical scabies is the most commonly occurring scabies with symptoms like pimple with intense itchy rashes on the face.

Ø Crusted or Norwegian scabies: Crusted or Norwegian scabies is seen rarely. It happens usually to those people who have a suppressed immune system (like HIV/AIDS patients), or who are on immunosuppressant medications. It may also seen in elderly, dementia or Down's syndrome patients.

Causes of scabies:

Scabies caused by tiny eight-legged mites called Sarcoptes scabiei that is less than 0.5 mm length. Scabies’s life cycle starts when a female Sarcoptes scabiei burrows into the skin and leaves her eggs there. A larva is produced from these eggs in 3-10 days and these get converted into nymphs. The burrowing of mites causes intense itching due to allergic reaction under the skin.

Symptoms of scabies:

Scabies is diagnosed based on the most common signs and symptoms mentioned as below:

Ø Pimple-like burrows or rash on the face.
Ø Intense itching on and around the rash.
Ø The itching is often get worsen at night, after a bath or shower, or on hot skin.
Ø Sores, scaling and redness caused by continuous scratching.
Ø Along with itching and redness, scabies may also be associated with nodules or bumps, which may be filled with pus at times.

Treatments of scabies:

Scabies is curable and is generally treated with an insecticide creams or lotions. As scabies is contagious in nature, so it is high recommended that all your close contacts people you live with will also need to be treated, even though they don't have any scabies associated symptoms. The commonly used scabies treatments are mentioned as below:

Ø Prescription medication like permethrim (5%) cream or malathion (0.5%) lotion.
Ø Ivermectin: It is an oral medication which has been proven to be effective in scabies.
Ø Antihistamines: In most cases, an uncomfortable allergic inflammation and itching can be easily treated with antihistamines medications like Promethazine (Phenergan), Hydroxyzine (Atarax), Cetirizine (Zyrtec), etc. by applying on itchy spots.
Ø Lindane 1% lotion: It should be applied at bed time and washed off in the morning.
Ø Topical steroids: Various topical steroids also used at times to treat scabies.

Additional comments:

Before you apply the treatment, you must make sure your skin is dry and in cool stage. You must not apply the cream or lotion preparations immediately after a shower or bath. You must wash the cream or lotion off thoroughly with normal cool water once the treatment time has passed.