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Will Soap and Water Wash Away Lice on the Body?

Washing with soap and water is a good first step in eliminating lice from the body but it is not always 100 percent effective. Using soap and water with very hot water temperatures, and washing repeatedly, can remove lice from skin areas. Lice cling tightly to body hair however and if your infestation has spread to any areas of your body that have dense hair, such as your head or pubic region, soap and water alone are not likely to be effective.

  1. Body Lice

    • Lice are parasites that live on human hair. Washing with soap and water can remove the lice from areas of your body that are are hairless but washing with soap or non-medicated shampoos is not generally effective at removing lice from body hair. If you wash with soap and water, it is recommended that you follow up with a anti-louse cream applied to the entire body.

    Head Lice

    • Your head is part of your body and if you are experiencing symptoms in other areas, such as redness, itching or bumps, you may also have head lice. Soap and water will not remove head lice no matter how often you wash or shampoo. Head lice requires specific medications to be applied, or used as shampoo, to get rid of lice. Check with your doctor before using any product designed to eliminate lice. Some of these products can cause irritation or even allergic reactions and must be used carefully.

    Pubic Lice

    • Pubic lice on your body should be treated with the same medications as head lice. Soap and water alone will not eliminate pubic lice. Pubic lice and pubic crabs are often confused and cause similar symptoms. Talk to your doctor if you think that you have pubic lice and ask about appropriate treatments.

    Lice in your Environment

    • If you use soap and water alone, be sure to use very hot temperatures. In addition, wash all bedding, sheets, clothing and other personal items on hot and dry on high heat. Regular laundry soap is sufficient if temperatures are high enough. It is easy to become reinfected if your environment is not properly treated.

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