How to Treat Body Lice: Infestation, Surfaces, on Body (2025)

Body lice are tiny insects that live in clothing, bedding, and other fabrics. They feed on human blood and then return to the fabric to live and lay eggs. An infestation is generally associated with inadequate hygiene habits and can be treated with regular bathing and washing clothing and bedding in hot water. In rare cases, a prescription is necessary to treat body lice.

How to Get Rid of Lice on Body

Treatment and prevention of body lice (singular is "louse") involve improving personal hygiene and routinely clean clothes and bed sheets. This can be challenging for people who don't have regular access to hygienic facilities, clean clothes, or a laundry.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to get rid of body lice, wash your body and change into clean clothes at least once weekly.

People with body lice should wash their clothes, sheets, towels, and other worn fabrics in hot water (130 degrees F or above). Dry on high heat after washing. This will kill the lice and remove any eggs and nits.

A healthcare provider can prescribe a bodywash or skin cream that contains malathion, permethrin, or benzyl alcohol. In rare circumstances, an oral medication may be needed.

Body Lice Self-Care and Home Treatment

Body lice bites can cause itching, redness or discoloration, and swelling. It may also result in a secondary infection from germs entering the bites after scratching.

Use topical corticosteroids and oral antihistamines to treat the itching and swelling from a body lice bite.

Secondary skin infections need to be treated by a healthcare provider. They may prescribe oral antibiotics to treat a bacterial infection.

Bedding, Mattress, and Toy Eradication

Unlike pubic or head lice, which live on the skin, body lice live in the seams of clothing or bedding. Therefore, the best way to eradicate body lice is to bathe regularly, wash clothes and bedding in hot water, and dry on hot heat.

Clothing, bedding, or other fabrics that cannot be washed should be dry-cleaned or sealed in a plastic bag for two weeks. Do not share bedding, clothing, or towels with someone who has body lice.

Fumigation or dusting with chemical insecticides is an option to control and stop the spread of body lice.

To Keep Body Lice From Returning

The best way to prevent body lice from returning is to maintain adequate body hygiene. This means washing bedding and clothing at least once weekly and showering or bathing regularly.

The body louse life cycle starts as an egg (nit), develops to a nymph, and finally becomes an adult louse. They feed between one and five times per day and can live up to 60 days. Body lice cannot survive when they are separated from a human host and will die within a week after separation.

When to Get Provider Involved

Generally, body lice can be treated at home without a healthcare provider. However, if home treatments are not successful in eliminating body lice then it's time to contact a provider.

A provider can prescribe a medicine called pediculicide that can kill lice. It needs to be used exactly as directed.

If the lice bites become infected a healthcare provider may need to prescribe an antibiotic to treat the infection. Signs of an infected lice bite are:

• Redness or discoloration
• Swelling
• Pus or liquid drainage

Body lice can spread diseases to humans on which it feeds. These diseases are trench fever, epidemic typhus, and louse-borne relapsing fever.

Summary

Body lice are tiny insects that live in bedding and clothes and feed on human blood. Their bites can cause itching and bumps. To eliminate body lice, bathe regularly, wash all clothes and bedding in hot water, and dry on hot heat. This method is typically successful in removing the lice; however, if the lice are persistent, contact a healthcare provider for prescription medications.