All humans have insects living in and out of them. Even a healthy human adult is teeming with microscopic life in their guts, genitals, and elsewhere. But invisible communities of face mites are also living on our faces.
They have eight small legs, which classifies them as arachnids like spiders. Face mites are from the genus Demodex, such as D. folliculorum who live in hair follicles, and D. brevis who live in sebaceous glands.
Despite the dozens of arachnids living on human faces, they are not to be afraid of because they rarely cause harm to the skin. They mostly live a peaceful life buried in the facial pores of most human adults. They are thought to be transmitted through motherly contact although experts have rarely found face mites on babies.
Face Mites on Humans
According to a paper, entitled "Ubiquity and Diversity of Human-Associated Demodex Mites" published on PLOS ONE in 2014, 100% of human adults in their study had traces of Demodex DNA.
These tiny insects are 0.3-0.4 millimeters (0.012-0.016 inches) in length which allows them to easily burrow themselves in pores, IFL Science reported.
For every hair follicle and a sebaceous gland that a human has, there is always one face mite that lives there. That means if a face has roughly five million hair follicles, it already gives you the idea of how many face mites live on the face.
Although there are a lot of them, face mites are generally harmless for the most part as the immune system suppresses them to avoid overpopulation. If such a thing happens, the face would experience inflammation and itchiness that leads to the redness of the skin.
According to Live Science, their main diet is sebum or the waxy oil in the face that keeps the skin hydrated. Sebum is tucked in the pores near the bottom of the follicles so face mites seek this greasy substance by burrowing into these pores.
Face mites analysis showed the genetic information about their diversity and offer clues on their origins. Entomologist Michelle Trautwein of the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco who has studied Demodex said that face mites tell a story of their ancestry and a more story about human history and migration.
Face Mites Symptoms and Treatment
As mentioned, face mites are harmless tenants of human skin but large numbers of them can cause rosacea-like symptoms. Rosacea is a skin condition that causes facial flushing, redness, and dry lesions on the face.
According to Healthline, overpopulation of face mites can have similar symptoms added with itching, acne-like blemishes, rough-feeling skin, and even eye redness. Sometimes, these symptoms are even mistaken for acne or severe skin dryness.
Doctors might recommend treating them with creams like crotamiton or permethrin which can kill mites and reduce their numbers. They also may prescribe topical or oral antibiotic medication.
Some doctors also apply a high-concentration alcohol solution to the face that lures the face mites on the surface so doctors can apply substances that kill mites and treat the condition.
But to prevent overpopulation of face mites regular proper hygiene is recommended.
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