Pubic Lice Treatment Online & Online Prescription

Key facts

Treated online: Yes, usually. Video assessment, with a prescription when appropriate.
Pubic lice are treated with an insecticide lotion applied to all affected hair and repeated after seven days; partners are treated and other STIs are checked.^[5]
Pubic lice spread mainly through sexual or close bodily contact, and sometimes through shared bedding, towels or clothing.
Itching can persist for a short while after successful treatment because the skin is still reacting.
Shaving does not cure pubic lice, and close contacts from the past three months should be checked.

Check before you book

Online care suits typical pubic lice. Book in-person care instead if the skin is spreading red, hot, swollen or oozing pus with fever (a possible secondary infection), or if lice are affecting the eyelashes, which need specific, careful treatment rather than standard lotions. See the referral criteria below before booking.

Can an online doctor treat pubic lice?

Yes

Pubic lice: usually treated online.

Usually, yes. Pubic lice are treated with insecticide lotions applied to the affected hair, and after a video assessment a licensed doctor can confirm the likely diagnosis, advise which treatment to use and how, and prescribe where a prescription product is needed.^[1] Eyelash involvement, secondary skin infection or an uncertain diagnosis need in-person care. Prescribing rules vary by country.

Mobi Doctor, an online healthcare service with licensed doctors, treats this without any fuss or judgement. Pubic lice are common, they are nobody's fault, and they say nothing about your cleanliness. The consultation also covers the two things people often miss: treating partners, and arranging a check for other sexually transmitted infections.

Listen: Pubic Lice Treatment Online

The audio version of this topic from the Mobi Doctor podcast. Open the episode.

How an online consultation helps with pubic lice

? Photos can help: a clear, well-lit close-up of the affected area, taken in daylight, can let the doctor see lice or their eggs (nits) attached to the hair. Photos are optional and you can upload them securely when booking, but the consultation works without them.

A discreet, judgement-free assessment:

describe your symptoms to a doctor who deals with this routinely, by video from home, with nothing to explain to anyone at a reception desk.

Exact treatment instructions:

which insecticide to use, where to apply it, how long to leave it, and why a second application a week later is what actually clears them.

Partner treatment and reinfection:

the doctor explains who else needs treating and how to avoid passing the lice straight back, so one course is enough.

An STI check, arranged:

pubic lice are usually passed on through sexual contact, so the doctor advises a full sexual-health screen and points you to the right test.

What are pubic lice, and how do you get them?

Pubic lice (Phthirus pubis), often called crabs, are tiny insects that live on coarse body hair and feed on blood, causing itch. They are most common in pubic hair but can also affect hair on the abdomen, chest, thighs, underarms, beard and, occasionally, the eyelashes and eyebrows.^[2] They are different from head lice and cannot be caught from a toilet seat in any usual sense; they need close contact to spread.

Pubic lice are passed on mainly through sexual or close bodily contact, and sometimes through shared bedding, towels or clothing. Because they are spread this way, having pubic lice is a reason to check for other sexually transmitted infections at the same time, which the doctor will advise on. The main symptom is itching in the affected area, often worse at night, and you may notice the lice themselves, pale eggs glued to the hair near the skin, or tiny dark spots of louse droppings on the skin or underwear. Some people also see small blue-grey marks where the lice have fed.^[1]

How do you treat pubic lice?

Pubic lice are treated with an insecticide lotion or cream, such as permethrin or malathion, or a physical agent such as dimeticone, applied to the affected areas and repeated after about a week.^[1]^[3] Applied correctly, treatment is highly effective. The steps that matter:

Apply the treatment to all affected coarse body hair, not just the pubic area: this can include the abdomen, thighs, chest, underarms and, in men, the beard. Lice can live anywhere there is coarse hair.
Leave it on for the full time stated in the product instructions (some are washed off after a set number of hours, others left overnight), then wash off.
Repeat the whole application after about seven days. This second treatment catches lice that hatch from eggs the first application does not kill, and skipping it is the commonest reason treatment seems to "fail".^[5]
Wash clothing, towels and bedding used in the previous few days at a hot temperature, or seal them in a bag for a few days, to avoid reinfection.
Treat all current sexual partners at the same time, even if they have no symptoms, so the lice are not simply passed back.

You do not need to shave off your hair to get rid of pubic lice; the treatment does the work. Itching can persist for a short while after successful treatment because the skin is still reacting, which does not mean the treatment has failed, but new eggs or moving lice after two correct courses do warrant a fresh look.

Swipe sideways to compare →

Pubic lice presentation, likely first step, online suitability and when in-person care is needed
Presentation	Likely first step	Suitable for online care?	When referral or in-person care is needed
Typical itch with visible lice or eggs in pubic or body hair, otherwise well	Insecticide lotion to all affected hair, repeated after 7 days; treat partners	Usually yes	Diagnosis uncertain, or lice persist after two correct courses
Eyelash or eyebrow involvement	Specific, gentle eyelash treatment (standard insecticides are not used near the eyes)	Case-dependent	Eyelash infestation needs careful in-person guidance
Already treated, still itching or seeing lice	Review application technique and reinfection; consider an alternative agent	Usually yes	Persistent live lice after two correctly applied courses
Spreading redness, pus, or fever (possible secondary skin infection)	In-person assessment; treatment of the skin infection	No	Prompt face-to-face care

Availability of individual medicines and who may prescribe them vary by country; your doctor confirms what applies where you are.

Not sure which row is you? A doctor can tell you in one consultation. €47, exact price shown before payment.

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Should I get an STI check if I have pubic lice?

Yes. Because pubic lice are usually passed on through sexual contact, having them is a sensible prompt to test for other sexually transmitted infections, even when you feel completely well.^[2]^[4] Many of these infections cause no symptoms, so a full screen is the only way to know.

The doctor will advise which tests make sense for you and where to get them, and can point you to the relevant pages, including chlamydia, gonorrhoea, syphilis and HIV testing. This is routine advice offered to anyone with pubic lice, not a judgement about you, and testing after any new or unprotected contact is simply good sexual-health practice.

When it might be something else

Itching in the genital area has several causes, and part of the consultation is checking you are treating the right one. Intense itch that is worse at night, with a fine rash and burrow lines in the finger webs, wrists or genitals, points to scabies rather than pubic lice, and scabies needs a different treatment applied to the whole body. Itchy, inflamed bumps around hair follicles after shaving can be folliculitis. Redness, soreness or discharge may point to thrush or another infection instead. If you cannot see lice or eggs and are not sure, that uncertainty is exactly what the doctor helps resolve, rather than treating blind.

What the doctor checks in an online pubic lice consultation

The assessment is quick but structured. In a pubic lice consultation, the doctor will typically check:

Your symptoms and their pattern: where you itch, for how long, and whether it is worse at night.
What you can see: lice, eggs glued to the hair, or dark droppings, from your description or an optional photo.
Which areas are affected: pubic hair only, or also the abdomen, thighs, chest, underarms, beard, or eyelashes, because that changes the treatment.
Signs of secondary infection: spreading redness, pus or fever from scratching, which need in-person care.
Partners and exposure: who else may need treating, so reinfection is avoided.
Whether an STI screen is due, and any pregnancy or breastfeeding, which affects the choice of product.

How do I tell my partner about pubic lice?

Be straightforward: pubic lice are common, easily treated, and not a sign that anyone did anything wrong. Current partners should be treated at the same time as you, whether or not they itch, because untreated partners simply pass the lice back. It is also worth telling recent partners so they can check and treat.

A workable line is: "I've been treated for pubic lice. They're common and easy to sort out, but you should treat yourself too so we don't pass them back and forth." Because lice can be present for a while before they itch, their appearance does not reliably tell you when or from whom they were picked up, so it is rarely worth turning into a question of blame.

When we treat pubic lice online, and when we refer you

We treat online: typical pubic lice with a clear history or visible lice or eggs; advice on correct application and the essential second treatment; partner treatment; and guidance on a full sexual-health screen, which is part of dealing with pubic lice properly. The same consultation can steer you towards wider STI testing and treatment where that is sensible.

We refer or redirect you: lice affecting the eyelashes, which need specific in-person treatment near the eyes; signs of a secondary skin infection from scratching; an uncertain diagnosis where the itch may be scabies or another skin condition; and cases that persist despite two correctly applied courses. In those situations the consultation still gives you a clear plan and the right next step rather than another lotion that will not help.

When to get in-person care

Pubic lice are not dangerous, but scratched skin can become infected. Seek in-person care if the skin becomes spreading red, hot, swollen or weepy with pus, especially with a fever, which can indicate a bacterial skin infection needing antibiotics. If you ever develop a rapidly spreading infection with a high fever and feel very unwell, or signs of a serious allergic reaction to a treatment such as swelling of the face or throat or difficulty breathing, call 112 immediately.

How Mobi Doctor works

Book a time that suits you: open daily 7am–11pm, often the same day, with the exact price, €47, shown before you pay.
Speak to a licensed doctor about pubic lice: a private video consultation, from anywhere in Europe.
Get your treatment plan: any prescription the doctor decides is right, and clear advice on partners and STI testing. If we can’t help you online, you get a full refund.

Frequently asked questions about pubic lice

Can an online doctor treat pubic lice in Europe?

Yes, in most cases. After a video assessment, the doctor confirms the likely diagnosis, advises which insecticide treatment to use and how to apply it, and prescribes where a prescription product is needed, sent to a pharmacy near you in most EU countries. Eyelash involvement or a secondary skin infection is referred for in-person care, and prescribing rules vary by country.

How much does a pubic lice consultation cost?

A video consultation costs €47. The exact price is shown before payment, and there is no subscription. Insecticide treatments are inexpensive, and several are available over the counter in many countries. If the doctor can’t help you online, you get a full refund and clear directions to the right care.

How quickly can I be seen?

Appointments are available daily from 7am to 11pm, often the same day. That means you can get clear treatment advice and start dealing with the itch without waiting for a clinic appointment.

Do I need to shave off my pubic hair to get rid of them?

No. Shaving is not necessary and does not clear pubic lice on its own, because the treatment kills the lice and eggs on the hair. Applying an insecticide correctly to all affected hair, and repeating it after about a week, is what works.

Why do I need to treat pubic lice twice?

Because the first application may not kill eggs that have not yet hatched. A second treatment about seven days later catches newly hatched lice before they can lay more eggs. Skipping the second application is the most common reason pubic lice appear to come back.

Should my partner be treated too?

Yes. Current partners should be treated at the same time, whether or not they have symptoms, so the lice are not passed back to you. It is also worth telling recent partners so they can check and treat, and the doctor can advise on who that covers.

Do pubic lice mean I have another STI?

Not necessarily, but because they are usually passed on through sexual contact, it is sensible to test for other sexually transmitted infections at the same time, since many cause no symptoms. The doctor will advise which tests you need and where to have them.

Sources & further reading

Pubic lice: clinical knowledge summary, NICE CKS, National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, reviewed 2024.
European guidelines on the management of sexually transmitted infections (ectoparasites), IUSTI Europe (International Union against Sexually Transmitted Infections), 2022.
Pubic lice (Phthirus pubis), DermNet New Zealand Trust, reviewed 2023.
Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) fact sheet, WHO, World Health Organization, 2025.
Pubic lice (crabs), HSE, Health Service Executive (Ireland), accessed August 2026.

This page is for information only and is not a substitute for a medical consultation. Guideline links are provided for transparency; treatment decisions are made with your doctor.

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