Face Mites

 Face mites are not something that most of us spend much time thinking about!  The truth is that almost everyone has some degree of infestation with face mites.  Mites, which are relatives of spiders, live in hair follicles on the body, including the face and eyelashes.  The sebaceous glands of the eyelids (called Meibomian glands) are also commonly infested.  These mites (Demodex folliculorum and Demodex brevis) are acquired after birth and become more prevalent as we age.  No one really knows where we get them from.  It is possible that humans get Demodex from nursing since one study found a lot of Demodex living in nipple tissue.  The fact that some teens aren’t colonized however, suggests that we pick up these creatures throughout our lives.  A 2014 study found that 100 percent of people over age 18 had mite DNA on their faces, signifying that the mites are universal inhabitants of adult humans.  Although most of us live seem to coexist peacefully with the mites, heavy mite infestation has been linked to acne rosacea and blepharitis (inflammation of the eyelids).  Eye itching has also been linked to Demodex infestation.  There appears to be a link between ocular rosacea and a type of bacteria that is carried by the Demodex mites called Bacillus oleronius.  This would explain why certain antibiotics can be helpful in the treatment of blepharitis.  Antibiotics however, do not kill the mites themselves.  Treatment with tea tree oil has been found to be very effective therapy to get rid of mites.  The higher the concentration of tea tree oil, the more effective it is at killing the mites.  High concentrations of tea tree oil however are very irritating to the eyes and should be less than 50 percent tea tree oil.
We have begun diagnosing and treating blepharitis associated with Demodex infestation with an in-office scrubbing of the eyelashes followed by treatment with tea tree oil.  It is also helpful to use a tea tree soap on the face and consider using a tea tree hair shampoo as well since the mites do travel on the face at night!  After the in-office treatment, pillow cases should be washed in hot water and dried on a high setting and new pillows should be purchased.  Old make-up should be discarded.  Demodex infestation of the eyelashes and Meibomian glands is commonly overlooked as a cause of itching and ocular irritation.  If you have been experiencing these symptoms with little relief from other remedies, it’s time for an evaluation.
For more information, please call 661-259-3937.