Home > Scabies > Scabies Rash Pictures

Table of Contents

• Causes
• Scabies Pictures
• Hand and Fingers
• Wrist
• Genitals and Penis
• Breasts
• From Dog to Human Transmission
• Armpit
• Chest
• Crusted Scabies

"Our scabies rash picture collection can help you determine if you are suffering from scabies. Scabies is often confused with other skin conditions such as ringworm fungus, head lice, bed bugs bites, chigger bites, hives, eczema, shingles or impetigo.

Signs of infection are the scabies zigzag pattern that hides the burrowing of the mite under the skin. Below you will find pictures of scabies rash on different parts of the body including the hands, breasts, genitals, and chest.

 Scabies causes include close or sexual contact with an infested individual. A female mite will lay 2 to 3 eggs per day, which hatch in 3 to 4 days.

The condition needs to be treated as early as possible to avoid female mites, laying, even more eggs under the skin. If treatment is delayed, the number of live mites multiplies, resulting in a heavier infestation and ultimately a condition called crusted scabies. Several scabies treatment options are available using either prescription (preferred) or over the counter products."

Video

Scabies Causes

Scabies mites are transferred from person to person through sexual or casual touching, shared clothing or even sitting in a chair previously occupied by an infested individual. The mites are microscopic in size, so they are only visible under a microscope.

Scabies prefers to burrow under the skin in skin folds or under the rough skin.  Typical areas include the: 

• webbing in between the fingers (see below)
• armpits
• in between the toes 
• at the fold of the waist
• on the thighs
• under nails
• inside of the elbow
• around the chest nipples or breast nipples
• at the penis or groin
• at the wrists
• on the lower buttocks
• behind the knee
• between the shoulder blades
• on the breasts and around the nipples

Scabies symptoms include rash and itch (pruritus).  Scratching can cause lesions to form and allow a bacterial infection to take hold.

Symptoms appear in 3 to 4 weeks after infestation. Beyond the burrows and zigzag pattern on the skin, the other symptom is itching.

Scabies Rash Pictures on Hand

Pictures of Scabies on Wrist

Genital Scabies Picture

This picture of genital scabies shows a scabies rash that developed on the penis, groin and stomach.

Canine Scabies In Humans

Canine scabies on humans occurs when an infested dog or cat touches a human. The mites move from pet to person and burrows under the skin.  Dog scabies on humans is considered to be mild.   Dog scabies human symptoms include skin irritation and skin itch.  Unlike the human scabies mite, canine scabies mites do not lay eggs and die in several days.

Picture of Scabies Rash In Armpit

Rash on Chest

Crusted Scabies

Crusted scabies are challenging to treat due to the high number of mites burrowing under the skin. It occurs in people that have a suppressed immune system or are neurologically impaired.

The result of crusted scabies are white-gray skin plaques.

Diseases Similar to Scabies

When looking at scabies pictures, it is important to differentiate what you have from conditions and diseases that have signs and symptoms that are similar to scabies. These include:

• Acute urticaria: eruption of itching papules, usually all over the body
• Allergies: hypersensitive reaction and rashes also all over the body
• Atopic dermatitis: genetic condition where your skin is hypersensitive
• Contact dermatitis: rash due to direct skin contact with an allergen
• Dermatitis herpetiformis: caused by Duhring's disease, results in chronic itching
• Eczema: skin inflammation
• Folliculitis: inflamed hair follicles
• Fungal infection: caused by yeast or mold on the body
• Impetigo: bacterial infection that causes skin blisters
• Insect bites: causes itchy lumps and rash
• Lupus: purple or red skin lesions
• Mycosis fungoides: caused by T-cell lymphoma
• Neurodermatitis: causes scaly or itchy skin
• Pityriasis: large pink skin patches that look like a rash
• Psoriasis: scaly, pink, large skin rash patches
• Pyoderma: skin infection
• Syphilis: red-brown spots that are rough
• Tinea (ringworm): caused by skin fungus
• Vasculitis: purple or red lumps or rash. From inflamed blood vessels.

Treatments

The recommended prescription treatment for scabies is 5% permethrin cream. It is applied to the body from the neck down. The cream is washed off 8 to 14 hours after application (follow manufacturers instructions). Permethrin kills both the eggs and scabies mite. A Doctor may recommend 2 more applications applied about 1 week apart. Usually, all family members are treated since it is common for scabies to be highly contagious and spread from person to person.

Itching can last for 2 to 4 weeks after treatment.

After treatment wear clean clothing. All clothing, bedding and towels used by an infested person should be cleaned in hot water followed by placement in a hot dryer.  Clothes can also be made scabies free by sealing them in a plastic bag for 72 hours.

See our guide on how to treat scabies.

Scabies Resources

(1) American Academy of Dermatology

(2) Scabies Home Remedies

(3) Causes of Scabies

(4) How to Treat Scabies