Scabies is an itchy skin infestation caused by a tiny mite that burrows into the top layer of skin. It spreads through prolonged skin-to-skin contact, so it often passes between family members, partners and people in care homes. It is very treatable, but everyone affected needs treating at the same time.

Symptoms

• Intense itching, usually worse at night.
• A rash of small red bumps, often between the fingers, on the wrists, elbows, armpits, waist, buttocks and genitals.
• Thin, wavy burrow lines on the skin, especially on the hands.
• In babies and young children, the rash can also affect the scalp, face, palms and soles.

The first time someone gets scabies, symptoms take 2 to 6 weeks to appear, but they can spread it during that time. If they get it again, symptoms start within a few days.

How scabies is treated

Scabies needs a diagnosis and prescription treatment from a doctor in the US. The main options are:

• Permethrin 5% cream: applied to the whole body from the neck down (including the scalp in young children), left on for 8 to 14 hours, then washed off. A second treatment is usually given 7 to 14 days later.
• Ivermectin tablets: sometimes prescribed instead, usually as two doses about a week apart. A doctor works out the dose from body weight. Read more about ivermectin and its uses.
• Other prescription creams and lotions are available if these aren’t suitable.

Over-the-counter head lice products don’t treat scabies.

Treat close contacts at the same time

Everyone in the household and any sexual partners should be treated on the same day, even if they don’t itch yet. Otherwise the mites can pass back and forth.

Cleaning at home

• Wash clothes, towels and bedding used in the 3 days before treatment in hot water and dry them on high heat.
• Seal items that can’t be washed in a plastic bag for at least 3 days. Mites die within 2 to 3 days away from human skin.
• Vacuum carpets and furniture. Insecticide sprays aren’t needed.

Why the itch can last after treatment

Itching often continues for 2 to 4 weeks after successful treatment, because the skin is still reacting to the dead mites. This doesn’t mean the treatment failed. A moisturiser, and an antihistamine such as cetirizine at night, can help.

See a doctor again if

New burrows or new spots appear after 2 weeks, the itching is getting worse after 4 weeks, or the skin looks infected (yellow crusts, pus, spreading redness). A thick, crusted rash, especially in older or immunocompromised people, can be crusted scabies, which is highly contagious and needs urgent medical treatment.

More in our Lice and Parasites guide: all our articles on this topic in one place.

This article is for general information only and isn’t a substitute for advice from a doctor or pharmacist. Always read the label before using any medicine.

Almost everyone who loses weight reaches a point where the scale stops moving, often after a few months. It’s normal, and it doesn’t mean your plan has failed.

Why plateaus happen

• A smaller body needs less energy. As you lose weight, the calories that used to create a deficit may now just maintain your new weight.
• Your body adapts. Metabolism slows a little more than weight loss alone explains, and hunger hormones rise.
• Habits drift. Portions creep up, snacks return and tracking stops, often without noticing.
• Water shifts. Salt, hormones, a hard workout or constipation can hide fat loss on the scale for a week or two.

First, check it’s a real plateau

Weight naturally goes up and down by a few pounds from day to day. Weigh at the same time each morning and look at the trend over 3–4 weeks. Measuring your waist can show progress the scale misses.

How to get moving again

• Track again for 2 weeks. Write down everything, including drinks, oils and weekend meals.
• Prioritise protein and vegetables to stay full on fewer calories.
• Add strength training 2–3 times a week to protect muscle.
• Increase everyday movement. Adding steps through the day is often easier than longer workouts.
• Cut liquid calories and look at alcohol.
• Sleep 7+ hours and manage stress, which both affect appetite.
• Make small changes, around 100–200 calories a day, rather than slashing food. Very low calorie diets increase muscle loss and rebound weight gain.

Maintenance is a success too

Keeping off the weight you’ve lost is a real achievement, and it brings most of the health benefits. Some people find their body settles at a weight that’s higher than their original goal but healthier and easier to maintain.

When to see a doctor

See a doctor if you’ve been stuck for several months despite consistent changes, if you have symptoms such as tiredness, feeling cold or hair thinning (which can point to an underactive thyroid), or to discuss whether weight-loss medicine is right for you.

See also: how to lose weight safely.

More in our Weight Management guide: all our articles on this topic in one place.

This article is for general information only and isn’t a substitute for advice from a doctor or pharmacist. Always read the label before using any medicine.

Medicines can help with weight loss, but they work best alongside changes to eating and activity, not instead of them. Here’s how the main options compare. Only one is available without a prescription.

Over the counter: orlistat 60 mg (Alli)

• How it works: it blocks about a quarter of the fat you eat from being absorbed.
• Who it’s for: adults aged 18 and over with a BMI of 25 or more, together with a reduced-calorie, low-fat diet.
• How to take it: one capsule with each main meal that contains fat, up to three times a day.
• Side effects: oily spotting, wind with an oily discharge, and urgent bowel movements, especially after high-fat meals. Keeping to about 15 g of fat per meal reduces them.
• Important: take a multivitamin containing vitamins A, D, E and K at bedtime. Don’t use orlistat if you take ciclosporin, and ask a pharmacist if you take levothyroxine, warfarin or epilepsy medicine.
• Results: modest, typically a few extra pounds over a year compared with diet alone.

Prescription medicines

Doctors may prescribe a weight-loss medicine to adults with a BMI of 30 or more, or 27 or more with a weight-related condition such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure or sleep apnoea.

• Semaglutide (Wegovy) and tirzepatide (Zepbound): weekly injections that reduce appetite and slow stomach emptying. In trials, average weight loss was about 15% with semaglutide and around 20% with tirzepatide at the highest dose. The same medicines are sold for diabetes as Ozempic and Mounjaro. See Ozempic vs Mounjaro.
• Liraglutide (Saxenda): a daily injection from the same family, with smaller average weight loss.
• Phentermine-topiramate (Qsymia) and naltrexone-bupropion (Contrave): tablets that reduce appetite.

Common side effects of the injections include nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and constipation, mostly when starting or increasing the dose. Rarer but serious risks include pancreatitis and gallbladder problems. They aren’t used in people with a personal or family history of medullary thyroid cancer or MEN2 syndrome, or in pregnancy.

Weight often returns after stopping, so these medicines are usually long-term treatments.

Avoid fake and unapproved products

The FDA has warned about counterfeit semaglutide and about unapproved “weight loss” products sold online, some containing the wrong dose or hidden drugs. Prescription weight-loss medicines should come from a licensed pharmacy with a valid prescription from a doctor who has assessed you. Be wary of any website that offers them without one.

What about supplements?

No supplement has good evidence for meaningful weight loss. Products sold for weight loss have been found to contain hidden prescription drugs, including some withdrawn for heart risks.

Start with the basics in how to lose weight safely.

More in our Weight Management guide: all our articles on this topic in one place.

This article is for general information only and isn’t a substitute for advice from a doctor or pharmacist. Always read the label before using any medicine.

There is no single best diet for weight loss. Studies comparing popular diets find that the one you can stick to matters more than the type. What works is a set of habits that reduce how much energy you take in, kept up over months.

Aim for a realistic pace

US health guidance suggests aiming for about 1 to 2 pounds (0.5 to 1 kg) a week. People who lose weight at this pace are more likely to keep it off. Losing just 5 to 10% of your body weight can lower blood pressure, improve blood sugar and reduce joint pain.

Habits that make the biggest difference

• Cut sugary drinks and limit alcohol. Soda, sweet coffee drinks, juice and alcohol add a lot of calories without filling you up.
• Include protein at every meal, such as eggs, yogurt, beans, fish, chicken or tofu. It helps you feel full and protects muscle while you lose weight.
• Fill half your plate with vegetables and choose whole grains. Fibre adds volume with few calories.
• Watch portions of energy-dense foods such as fried food, pastries, cheese and nuts. A smaller plate helps.
• Cook more and eat out less. Restaurant meals are usually much larger than home portions.
• Track what you eat, at least for a few weeks. People who keep a food log tend to lose more weight.

Move more

• Aim for at least 150 minutes a week of moderate activity such as brisk walking.
• Add strength exercises on 2 days a week to keep muscle.
• Everyday movement counts too: take the stairs, walk while on calls, park further away.

Exercise alone usually leads to modest weight loss, but it’s one of the best predictors of keeping weight off.

Sleep and stress

Short sleep increases hunger hormones and cravings. Aim for 7 or more hours a night. Stress can drive comfort eating, so find other ways to unwind, such as a walk, calling a friend or a hobby.

What to avoid

• Very low calorie diets (under about 800 calories a day) unless supervised by a doctor.
• Skipping meals and then overeating later.
• Weight-loss supplements with big promises. The FDA has found hidden prescription drugs in many of them.

When to see a doctor

See a doctor if you’ve gained or lost weight without trying, if you have a condition such as diabetes or heart disease, or if you’ve tried hard and still can’t lose weight. Medical causes such as an underactive thyroid can be checked, and some people qualify for weight-loss medicine. If thoughts about food or weight are causing you distress, talk to a doctor about that too.

Stuck after a good start? Read why weight-loss plateaus happen and how to get past them.

More in our Weight Management guide: all our articles on this topic in one place.

This article is for general information only and isn’t a substitute for advice from a doctor or pharmacist. Always read the label before using any medicine.

Head lice are common in school-age children and have nothing to do with how clean someone is. They spread through head-to-head contact. They’re a nuisance but don’t carry disease, and most cases clear with one over-the-counter treatment plus combing.

How to check for head lice

• Look for live lice: small greyish-brown insects about the size of a sesame seed, moving close to the scalp.
• Look for nits (eggs) firmly stuck to hairs within about 6 mm (¼ inch) of the scalp, especially behind the ears and at the nape of the neck. Unlike dandruff, they don’t brush off easily.
• The most reliable way to check is wet combing: wet, conditioned hair combed section by section with a fine-toothed lice comb.

Only treat if you find a live louse. Nits alone may be old, empty shells.

Over-the-counter treatments compared

• Ivermectin 0.5% lotion (Sklice): applied to dry hair for 10 minutes, then rinsed. Usually one application is enough and nit-combing isn’t required. For ages 6 months and over.
• Permethrin 1% (Nix): applied to freshly washed, towel-dried hair without conditioner for 10 minutes, then rinsed. Repeat on day 9. For ages 2 months and over.
• Pyrethrins with piperonyl butoxide (Rid): applied to dry hair for 10 minutes, then repeated 7–10 days later. For ages 2 and over. Avoid if you’re allergic to ragweed or chrysanthemums.

In many parts of the US, lice have become resistant to permethrin and pyrethrins. If one of these hasn’t worked after two correct treatments, try a different type rather than repeating it.

Tips for treatment that works

• Follow the label exactly. Use enough to soak all the hair and the scalp.
• Don’t use conditioner or a combined shampoo-conditioner before permethrin, because it coats the hair.
• Comb with a lice comb every 2–3 days for 2 weeks to catch any lice that hatch.
• Check everyone in the household, but only treat those with live lice.
• Never use flammable products such as kerosene or petrol on the hair.

Cleaning at home

Lice die within 1–2 days off the scalp, so a big clean-up isn’t needed. Wash pillowcases, hats and towels used in the last 2 days in hot water (at least 130°F / 54°C) and dry on high heat, or seal items in a plastic bag for 2 weeks. Soak combs and brushes in hot water. Insecticide sprays for the home aren’t needed.

Can my child go to school?

The American Academy of Pediatrics advises that children don’t need to miss school because of head lice. They can go back after the first treatment.

See a doctor if

Lice keep coming back after two different treatments, the scalp looks infected (crusting, oozing, swollen glands), or the child is under 2 months old. Prescription options include spinosad and malathion.

Read more about ivermectin and its uses.

More in our Lice and Parasites guide: all our articles on this topic in one place.

This article is for general information only and isn’t a substitute for advice from a doctor or pharmacist. Always read the label before using any medicine.