Even thinking about Demodex eyelash mites is scary. Do mites really breathe on our eyelashes ?! Yes! They are as creepy as they seem, but luckily, we do not see them and have one Solution to Rule Them out. Stay with Ungex.
Tiny lashes sit on the edge of our delicate eyes
A small calamity on an impeccable surface
The gentlest wind had the power to disturb them
Yet it dare not to do so
Our eyelashes are among the body’s most sensitive regions, yet they are more resilient than they appear. They resemble a small forest with firm roots.
Still, some rodents and insects can chew the roots of the thickest trees. So why would you think our eyelashes are protected?
Demodex eyelash mites are among the pests of this tiny forest. Small troubles that, if left unchecked, can create severe difficulties for our eyes.
What Are Demodex Eyelash Mites?
Demodex folliculorum and Demodex Brevis, so-called eyelash mites, may exist in any pores of the skin as well as the lash line. Yet, they usually favour greasy parts. That is why Demodex mites affect the face, eyelids, scalp, upper chest, and back more than other areas. However, Demodex folliculorum seems to have a more notable role in eyelash mite-related difficulties.
Demodex mites usually live on our skins in small numbers. Too many of them can start multiple difficulties, such as redness and itching around the eyes and on the eyelash line. Unluckily, if this complication worsens, it can lead to blepharitis. Blepharitis is symmetrical swelling of the eyelids that is often chronic and resistant to medication. Worst of all, if left untreated, the condition can ultimately cause eyelash misdirection and even fall out, as well as vision issues. This is when our eyelid-based miniature forest is ruined –imagine a forest where trees’ roots are loose and distorted!
Demodex eyelash mites are too tiny to be seen with the naked eye. They are smaller than 0.3 mm in length, and their tubular body is semi-transparent. Each grown-up mite has little octopus legs that make it simple to attach to tubular things, such as eyelashes.
They live under the skin – in the hair follicles and sebaceous glands and lay eggs at the same place. Demodex comes to the skin surface usually at night for eating and mating. That is why the symptoms of eyelash mites increase in the morning.
They feed on dead cells, oils, hormones and other useless compounds. That’s why a small number of Demodex eyelash mites serve as a natural cleaning system that is beneficial for us. But in huge quantities, their function alters and can be harmful.
Eyelash Mite Symptoms
The following signs are not specific to Demodex eyelash mites but can show infection with these parasites:
- Foreign body sensation in the eyes
- Red eyes and eyelash line
- Scaly, rough pieces of skin
- Eyelid Itching
- Wet eyes
- Eyelid irritation
- Blurred vision
- Worsening of skin problem signs such as dermatitis and particularly rosacea
As discussed, these symptoms can worsen and cause blepharitis. In other words, one of the manifestations of eyelash mites is blepharitis, the issue that shows itself with the symptoms mentioned above, plus that two eyelids swell concurrently and symmetrical. This kind of inflammation tends to return often and is challenging to treat.
Falling of eyelashes, strand deformation, growth of strands in the reverse direction, vision difficulties, dry eyes, and blocking of the meibomian glands’ ducts are other long-term complications due to eyelash mites.
How Does Demodex Ruin Our Eyelashes, Miniature Forest?
Demodex has numerous ways to do this, some of which we have described below:
Direct Tissue Damages:
Little paws are not always harmless. Suppose a few hundred tiny forks scratch your eyelids’ sensitive skin simultaneously. In that case, I think inflammation is an abnormal event.
Micro-abrasions caused by paw injuries can lead to epithelial hyperplasia and reactive hyperkeratinization, in addition to inflammation. These issues result in barrel-shaped dandruff at the base of the eyelashes.
Besides, Demodex uses the follicles’ epithelial cells as food, which causes the lashes to loosen, drop, or misdirect.
When the Demodex density becomes too high, up to 25 of them may fit in a tiny follicle. So it seems natural the follicle expands and the lashes lose.
Besides, Demodex may become trapped in the follicles or sebaceous glands’ ducts and cause swelling by a blockage. Moreover, getting stuck in the meibomian oil glands ducts can cause the eyes to become dry, as well as blurred vision.
Vector for Bacteria
Eyelash mites transfer toxic bacteria on their outside and inside their bodies.
Exterior Bacteria include Streptococci and Staphylococci, which have antigens that can induce inflammatory responses and rosacea. On the other hand, Bacillus oleronius – one of the mites’ interior bacteria – is well known for its impact on blepharitis and rosacea.
Most importantly, when Demodex dies, both of the mentioned bacteria accumulate more abundant on the skin’s exterior, leading to a crucial level of antigens to start a waterfall of host inflammatory answers.
Inflammatory Responses
Demodex mites seem to secrete some kinds of proteins that influence the immune system and start inflammatory responses. On the other hand, the host body defense may recognize their hard exoskeleton as foreign bodies and react.
However, if the immune system becomes aroused by any means, the outcome is inflammation and allergic responses.
Do I Have Eyelash Mites? Mites Diagnosis
Certainly, you have some!
All of the mammals on earth host these mites, and you are apparently one of them!!
If you are older, you probably have more mites. However, children carry fewer Demodex mites.
Although we all have eyelash mites, what matters is their number. If you want to know if your mites are under check, simply take our five-minute online quiz
This quiz is not a fake one of the advertisement websites. It is a reliable test more precise than microscopic investigation. So you can take it safely.
In addition to the quiz, your physician may take a superficial sample of your skin and send it to a lab, where it is examined under a microscope to detect the presence of Demodex mites. Besides, recognizing barrel-shaped dandruff under a microscope can be a symptom of Demodex infection as well as eggs and larvae.
Eyelash Mites Are Contagious
Unfortunately, Demodex mites can transfer from one host to another by contact. Also, sharing cosmetics and other private items can pass them from one individual to another. That’s why specialists advise you to separate your bed linen from others if you have mite signs. That’s also true about other items that come in touch with your eyes. For instance, using other’s mascara or additional eye’s cosmetics can spread the contagion.
Eyelash Mites Risk Factors:
Until your mites’ population is not large, you may not notice their presence. Though, some agents can make them proliferate by different and sometimes unknown mechanisms.
Some of these factors are:
- Rosacea: Researches have revealed that individuals with rosacea mostly carry more Demodex mites.
- Immune system issues: The body’s defenses are the fundamental system that checks the mites. When it gets weak, the Demodex gains the chance to become too much in number.
- Eyelash extensions: Eyelashes are a little hard to clean as they are circled by protruding parts such as the forehead, nose, and cheeks. This is even more important for those fans in eyelash extensions because poor hygiene of fake eyelashes may cause oil buildup and, consequently, mite breaks.
Other agents are:
- Dermatitis
- Alopecia.
- Skin infections
- Inflammatory acne
Moreover, You’re more prone to develop too many eyelash mates if you’re old.
Eyelash Mites Prevention and Remedy
An essential tip in preventing eyelash mites is personal sanitation. Try to keep your eyelashes neat, mainly if you use false lashes.
For this, clean your eyelashes twice a day with warm water and a soft detergent such as baby shampoo.
Also, do not share sheets or beautifiers, particularly those in close contact with eyes. You should note that mites can transfer between individuals this way.
However, if your physician concludes that your eye issues are due to eyelash mites, he/she will prescribe topical medicines that can trap the Demodex and prevent it from crawling, mating, and re-laying eggs. Your ophthalmologist may also prescribe artificial tears if you have dry eyes.
There is Hope Ahead: Ungex Products
If you want a non-chemical remedy, our products are not medicine. Instead, they have a natural and herbal formula that can eradicate eyelash mites.
Ungex products are an anti-mite, anti-viral, anti-bacterial, and antifungal mixture that kills Demodex and eliminates harmful bacteria and other microorganisms in its body. Coconut oil, glycerin, and tea tree oil are some of these elements.
You can use our products on all parts of your body. However, it is recommended for sensitive skin and around the eyes to dilute it with water during the first using weeks. Furthermore, you can use them for an extensive period.
For more information about Ungex products, visit our shop.
Please note that they are not an alternative for your doctor’s diagnosis and treatment.
References:
Pathogenic role of Demodex mites in blepharitis
Eyelash Mites: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment
