Although it is quite easy to catch scabies, the actual rash is not contagious. The rash caused by the mite occurs when the body develops allergic reactions to the scabies mites, the mites' feces, secretions, eggs and larvae. The mite is the only contagious aspect in the transmission of scabies. Scabies mites rapidly reproduce when passed on to a person and infest their host with results ending in scabies rash symptoms. You will see these symptoms in about 3 to 6 weeks of the transmission of the mites to their new host. With the first infestation, the body creates a "memory" of the allergen that makes allergic reactions happen faster during subsequent infestations.

Your first sign is scabies is usually a rash, which can take up to 16 weeks to heal fully after the mite has been removed. The rash will still be there after scabies have been treated and eradicated with a cure for scabies. Don't be alarmed when this happens as the look of the rash changes and it slowly goes away along with the itch. The reason is after the mites are killed they stay under the skin and are still producing the allergens which cause the scabies rash. The mites leave behind toxic substances to the human body. Over time, the damaged skin is slowly replaced by newer, healthy skin that is continually moving to the surface from the lower layers of skin.

You can get a break from itchy skin by putting on creams that are rich in shea butter and you can take benadryl to quell your allergy symptoms. If the rash returns and gets worse after a couple of weeks, it means the treatment for how to kill scabies didn't work, you've got scabies again and must alter and do the treatment over.