Wait, you’re telling me that these are crawling around on my face right now?’
The demodex brevis (also known as 螨虫) are microscopic mites that live in the skin.
These 0.015 – 0.2mm mites are ecto-parasites – they feed off sebum from oil glands in the skin.
Who has these mites? Do I have them?
Skin cell scrapings suggest that roughly 10-25% of adults have demodex mites. However, DNA sampling has lead some researches to theorize that demodex mites can be found on virtually every human.[1]
Are demodex skin mites harmful?
When present in large quantities, demodex mites are associated with the following:
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Acne
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Ezcema
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Rosacea
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Rough skin
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Burning sensation in skin
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Red, itchy, sensitive, or irritated skin
Treatments for demodex skin mites
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Medical creams and lotions
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Crotamiton (Eurax)
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Metronidazole (Flagyl)
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Permethrin (Elimite)
References
[1] Trautmein, M. (2014, August 27). 3 Things You Didn’t Know About the Mites That Live On Your Face. Retrieved March 01, 2018, from http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/crux/2014/08/27/3-things-didnt-know-mites-live-face/#.Wpi-MWpuapo
[2] Leonard, J. (2017, November 27). Demodex brevis: Causes, symptoms, and treatments. Retrieved March 01, 2018, from https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/320159.php
[3] Ngan, V. (2005). Demodex. Retrieved March 01, 2018, from https://www.dermnetnz.org/topics/demodex/
[4] Demodex Brevis: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatments. (n.d.). Retrieved March 01, 2018, from https://www.healthline.com/health/demodex-brevis#risk-factors
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