So far, 140 species of parasites have been identified. Among those identified parasites are Demodex mites that live on the human skin. Demodex exists in two types, namely Demodex folliculorum and Demodex brevis, that live near or inside the hair follicles and sebaceous glands. The most common areas of the skin that they flaunt include scalp, face and chest. These mites differ in their anatomy and behavior but share the same life cycle.
Demodex Mites’ Life Cycle
Demodex mites’ life cycle is about 14 to 16 days. Both sexes mate at the top of the hair follicle, near the surface of the skin. The female moves from the mating site to the sebaceous glands where she lays eggs. Over the next four days, the eight-legged Demodex larvae hatch and begin to crawl. Arriving to sebaceous duct, the larvae enters a new phase of life and becomes a protonymph. As protonymphs enter the surface of the skin, they mature into a deutonymph. The young deutonymphs crawl slowly on the skin and re-enter the hair follicle where they become adults and can mate with the opposite sex. This process generally takes 7 days for a Demodex larvae to hatch then transform into an adult mite.
How is the Feeding Status During the Demodex Mites’ Life Cycle?
Demodex mites feed on the epithelial cells of the follicles and sebaceous glands. However, it seems that the main source of good feeding for these organisms is the skin’s oil known as sebum. For this reason, both types of Demodex (folliculorum and brevis) are more common in areas where there are more active sebaceous glands. Most diseases linked to Demodex mites manifest in these areas – outer part of the ear, cheeks, forehead, and neck.
How Does Ungex Interrupt the Demodex Mites’ Life Cycle?
To eradicate Demodex mites is to interrupt their life cycle, and the main way to do so is by reducing the amount of food available to them.
With use of a natural and effective formulation, Ungex controls excess sebum and thus limits the main source of feeding and survival for Demodex mites. Furthermore, Ungex products penetrate deep into the skin and wash these parasites out.
