Blephadex

Two pictures: one - EXTREME close up of a Demodex mite , Two - Stylized drawing of a hair folicle covered in said mites. I'm sorry you had to hear that.

WHAT IS THE DEMODEX MITE

Demodex mites are eight-legged, 0.3-0.4 mm long, sausage- shaped arachnids that live in the pores of our facial skin. They are particularly fond of the hair follicles of eyebrows and eyelashes, and the oily pores most common on the nose, forehead, and cheeks

Stylized crescent moon and a clock

Their bodies are covered with scales for anchoring themselves in hair follicles, and the mites have pin-like mouthparts for eating skin cells and oils which accumulate in hair follicles.

The mites are transferred between hosts through contact with hair, eyelashes, and eyebrows, as well as general facial contact.

WHAT DO

THEY LOOK LIKE?

Little Known Facts

As you age, the percent chance that you have demodex mites living on your eyelashes also increases.

% of people

text: 20 Years

A THIRD OF YOUNG ADULTS

text: 40 Years

HALF OF ADULTS

text: 60 years

2/3 OF ELDERLY PEOPLE

MAIN CAUSES OF DEMODEX MITES

stylized woman's face with short hair and an aura of oily skin

OILY SKIN

People with oily skin may find themselves more vulnerable to eyelash mites, as mites like to feed on the sebaceous glands.

stylized woman's face with long hair and makeup on

MAKE UP

Women who wear mascara on their eyelashes or a lot of eye make up tend to have a higher prevalence of Demodex mites. Additionally, sleeping with makeup on your face can also make you more vulnerable to an infestation.

stylized woman's face with her hair wrapped in a towel

HYGENE

Keeping your eye area clean is the best way to reduce Demodex mites, but regular personal hygiene products alone do not kill these mites.

75

Million

BLEPHARITIS

Keeping your eye area clean is the best way to reduce demodex mites, but regular personal hygiene products alone do not kill these mites

ROSACEA

People with Rosacea often have 15 to 18 times more demodex mites infecting their eyelashes, eyelids, and face than others
two stylized pictures: one of an extreme closeup of skin covered in mites, one a picture of a girl with rosey blotches on her cheeks and nose area
two stylized pictures: one of an extreme closeup of skin with one or two mites, one a picture of a man with glasses and clear skin
stylized picture of a woman in a grey business jacket. She is smiling

The good news is that with the right ingredients, these creepy bugs are relatively easy to kill.

icon of an eye

WIPE YOUR EYES DAILY

Make sure you’re using a wipe that contains tea tree oil, the ONLY all-natural killer of Demodex mites.

I con of lipstick and a shaving brush with an X over both

MAKE SURE YOUR CONTAMINATED MAKE-UP DOESN'T TOUCH YOUR EYES

Throw out and replace your eye make-up if you’re suffering from a Demodex mite infestation.

ANTIBIOTICS FOR VERY SEVERE INFESTATION

Using over-the-counter antibiotic ointments can help prevent and treat Demodex infestations, but talk with your doctor first.

super close up of a demodex mite. Yuk.

CAN MITES TRANSFER
BETWEEN PEOPLE AT NIGHT?

YES

Yes, at night mites usually comes out of the hair follicles and move at a speed… Mites transfer between people in close proximity though skin and hair contact.

woman wiping her eyes with a makeup removal cloth

HOW OFTEN SHOULD
YOU CLEAN YOUR EYELIDS?

DAILY

Healthy adults have around one to two mites per square centimeter of facial skin. People with skin or eye conditions may have 10 times more. Daily cleansing is necessary to prevent the mites from reproducing by laying eggs in your pores.

BUTT OR NO BUTT?

side view of am extremely enlarged demodex mite. I'm sorry.

Demodex mites do not have anuses and therefore cannot get rid of feces. “Their abdomen just gets bigger and bigger and when they die and decompose they release their feces all at once in the pore,” studies show. When the mites are numerous, the material is enough to trigger an immune reaction, inflammation and tissue damage.

WHAT PHYSICAL SYMPTOMS DO DEMODEX MITES CAUSE?

The main symptoms of Demodex infestation are itching, burning, crawling foreign body sensation, blurry vision, crusting and redness of the eye lid margin.

B;urry image of what appaers to be a shop interior though it's hard to tell

DECREASED VISION

Some people’s vision may be compromised. These mites may affect the tear film of the eyes, causing your vision to blur. However, once the infestation is cleared up, your vision will then return to normal.

Close up of a young face with unusually rosy cheeks indicative of Rosacea

ROSACEA

According to an analysis of 48 separate studies, people with rosacea are eight times more likely to have a mite infestation. Skin mites have been connected to creating inflammatory skin diseases. It is believed that rosacea is not caused by the mites themselves, but rather the bacteria in the feces that they carry.

a woman rubbing her eyes

EARLY MORNING ITCHINESS

Because the mites have an aversion to light, they feed and conduct most of their mating at night and crawl back into the hair follicles in the morning.

close up of an eye with few eyelashes.

FALLING EYELASHES

People may experience their eyelashes falling out if there are many mites residing in a single eyelash follicle.

close up of an eye that is red and enflamed

EYE INFECTION

Severe cases of Demodex mites may lead to eye infection.

close up of an eye with a swollen eyelid

EYELID INFLAMMATION

People with an infestation of mites may experience Demodex blepharitis: reddened crusty, itchy,scratchy burning eyelids, and thickening of the skin of their lids.

Close up of a man's face. it has red dots and blotches indicating a severe case of acne

ACNE

A 2012 meta-analysis found that people who suffer from acne vulgaris have almost 3x the likelihood of Demodex mite infestation. These people produce three times the average amount of skin oil, creating a sebaceous feast for these mites.

DOCTOR
RECOMMENDED

5/5
stylized drawing of a woman with a labcoat, stethiscope, and clipboard

CHECK YOUR PARTNER

These mite’s bodies make it easy for them to travel from one person to the next via hair follicles through casual contact. Make sure everyone in your household has been checked to thoroughly eradicate the problem. This includes your pets, as they are vulnerable to these mites too.

BUY NEW PILLOWS AND BED SHEETS

These pesky little mites can be Hiding in your linens, so replace any contaminated sheets and pillow cases to effectively end the infestation. If you skip this step, it is possible to suffer from a re-infestation.