If you’ve got scabies, you may be worried about the possibility of scabies scars. Scabies doesn’t always leave scars, but sometimes it does. We’ll explain why scarring sometimes occurs and how to post scabies treatment can help prevent scars from developing.
What Causes Scars to Develop in People With Scabies?
It’s typically not the scabies mites themselves that cause scabies scars. The scars occur when people scratch their irritated skin too much, causing breaks in the skin. Sores can develop and they may leave scars, particularly if you continue to scratch. Breaks in the skin can also lead to secondary bacterial infections, which increase the risk of scarring. Unfortunately, scabies often causes intense itching and it’s hard to resist the urge to scratch.
Preventing Scabies Scars
The best way to prevent scars is to avoid scratching, regardless of how much it itches. Of course, that’s easier said than done. To reduce itching, get treatment for scabies as soon as you realize you have the condition.
You should also get treatment if anyone in your household has scabies, or if you’ve had close contact with anyone that has the condition, even if you have no symptoms yourself. Scabies is highly contagious, so if you’ve been close to anyone that has it, you probably do, too. It can take two weeks or more before you start experiencing symptoms, though, so don’t wait to see if you do. Once you start experiencing symptoms, it can take up to four weeks for the rash and itching to go away, even if you get treatment.
Tips to Reduce Itching
The itching that accompanies scabies is due to an allergic reaction to the mites burrowing beneath your skin. That reaction can continue for up to several weeks even after you receive treatment to kill the mites.
To reduce itching:
- Take a cool bath or shower before bed. The itching is often at its worst at night and this may help.
- Add baking soda, colloidal oatmeal, or tea tree oil to your bathwater.
- Bathe with sulfur-lavender soap, like that made by Naturasil, to soothe irritated skin.
- Apply a soothing lotion such as Calamine lotion or Naturasil topical cream.
Post Scabies Treatment For Scars
There are many products on the market purported to reduce scarring or minimize the appearance of scars. Many expensive creams advertised to get rid of scars don’t really work, though. Many scars do fade on their own in time.
Web MD recommends using sunscreen on skin that has scars to prevent the scars from becoming even more visible. Some people feel applying vitamin E oil or cocoa butter to scars reduces their visibility.
Wound Care And Scar Prevention
Good wound care is an important part of scar prevention. Keep wounds clean and dry, don’t pick scabs, and see a doctor if you notice any signs of infection, like redness, significant drainage, or fever. Applying things like vitamin E oil or cocoa butter to open wounds may increase the risk of infection, which in turn would increase the chances of scarring.
Our Preferred Treatment For Scabies Scars
Our preferred treatment for scars is Naturasil for Scars. Made from all-natural ingredients, it contains chamomile flower oil and helichrysum flower oil to reduce inflammation, rosehip seed oil, and carrot seed oil to regenerate damaged skin and other plant extracts which work together to heal traumatized skin and reduce the appearance of scarring. It also contains ingredients like tea tree oil that contain antiseptic properties that help prevent infection, so it can safely be applied to healing wounds. To learn more about other Naturasil products for the treatment of scabies and to relieve the itching caused by scabies, follow this link to the Naturasil Website.