A personal hygiene routine is necessary, both for retaining your fancy lashes for a long time and protecting your eyes from Demodex mites, frequently referred to as eyelash extension mites. On top of that, sanitizing eyelash extensions is a delicate process, and if you are not cautious enough, you may lose them.
Eyelash extensions make you look more attractive and make your everyday makeup look more impressive. Some people believe extensions cause eyelash mites, but the source of the infection is poor hygiene, not applying lashes.
Eyelash extensions are pretty simple to clean. Just you need to spare some time to follow the hygiene routine we provide. If you get Demodex mites, you can not use false eyelashes for long. These mites can also affect other areas of your skin, leading to multiple issues because they can creep on the skin!
What Is Eyelash Extension Mites (Demodex Mites)
They are beings similar to bird mites and dust mites, but almost every adult has a population of them on their skin, whether they use eyelash extensions or not. They are pretty tiny (0.1 -0.3 mm) and spend most of their time inside the eyelashes follicles with 2.3 mm long. As it’s apparent, they may fill the follicle duct when they grow too much. Their face is usually down, and their tail is hooked to the string.
Demodex parasites feast on sebum, oils, dead cells, and dirt. The more resources they obtain, the faster they proliferate and fill the hair follicles. So it is reasonable that not adopting a good hygiene practice of artificial eyelashes can lead to an outburst in their population. A high density of Demodex mites on the eyelash line is connected with these symptoms:
Mild symptoms: Mild tingle, redness, and swelling at the lashes base. Mild trouble in the eyes.
Severe symptoms: recurrence blepharitis, harsh tearing, itching, greasy and sticky eyelids, vision problems, foreign body sensation, and swelling of the eyelids
The signs of Demodex mite infection are not restricted to eyelids. They slowly move on your skin using their eight tiny claws at a speed of 8 to 16 centimetres per hour (cm/h). So they may leave your eyelids and grow on other areas of the skin. Dermatological conditions that are related to extension mites include:
- Rosacea & skin redness
- Acne & pimples
- Pruritus & crawling sensation
- Rough & dull complexion
- Eczemam& seborrheic dermatitis
- Hair falling & thinning
It is essential to note Demodex mites are not always the root reason for these issues but may provoke or trigger them. However, studies revealed that they could be an independent factor in cases such as rosacea and blepharitis.
Guide to Hygiene Practice to Avoid Eyelash Extention Mites
Step One: Clean Your Eyelash Extensions
1. Find a good mild cleanser:
Oil and alcohol can break down the adhesive on your extensions. That’s why you should choose an oil and alcohol-free cleanser to avoid shortening the maintenance time and loss of your precious extensions.
Besides, regarding Demodex mites, oils and other nutrients fused in common eyelash cleansers on the market can provide them with more food and help them increase. In other words, when it comes to eyelash mites, the solution is not restricted to cleansing the lashes; you should also keep away from the compounds that feed them.
Finally, about baby shampoo, it can wipe out oil, dirt, makeup, and bacteria. However, it may include some unhealthy components such as perfume, synthetic colours, and oils. As time passes, these ingredients can damage the extension adhesive and reduce the time between eyelash extension repairs. On top of that, baby shampoo – and pretty much all of typical cleansers – does not harm Demodex mites and can not repel or remove them.
Trust DDC – the science-based anti-Demodex cleanser.
- Proper eyelid hygiene is critical! But use a cleanser that does not feed on Demodex parasites.
- A gentle cleanser, based on herbal ingredients, anti-inflammatory and without side effects.
- Free of harmful substances such as SLS, SLES, paraben and silicone
- Formulated according to the latest European standards
- Can be used on other parts of the skin in addition to the eyelids
- Smart formula that acts to combine technology and science with application to outsmart Demodex mites
2. Clean your eyelash extensions
Moisten your fancy lashes with lukewarm water and gently massage them with a small amount of cleanser using your fingertips. Note to use the top to bottom movement rather than rubbing them horizontally as it may loosen the lashes. In the end, use warm water to rinse them and finish it with cold water. Cool water prevents Demodex mites from growing, while warm water provides them with a good chance to proliferate.
Skip using cotton pads or balls to clean the lashes as the fine fibres stick to the strands and damage them.
If you don’t know how often you should clean your extensions, you should note that each person skin state determine the number of washes. It is frequently advised to clean eyelash extensions between 2 to 3 times a week to twice a day. However, if your skin is exceptionally oily or often exposed to contaminants, dirt, oils, or beautifiers, do this twice daily. Otherwise, cleaning them two to three times a week is acceptable.a
Note that over-washing the eyes does not help keep mites under check and even may worsen conditions. Unnecessary washing makes skin dry and exposed to pathogens, including Demodex mites. This is especially true about eyelid skin that is very thin and delicate. So use the cleaner as required and not more.
3. Dry Them Out
Using cloth towels to dry lashes may damage them. Besides, Demodex mites can grow well in wet towel’s fabrics and can transfer to your eyelids or any other parts of your skin upon subsequent contact.
So, wait for seconds, or gently absorb their water with a paper towel wrapped around your finger.
Do not let your eyelash extensions air dry. Since fancy lashes strands are denser than your natural ones, moisture remains in them, giving Demodex mites a great opportunity to grow. Rather, use a cold-setting blow dryer to dry them. Do not keep the hairdryer too close to your eyes, and just hold it on each eyelid for only a few seconds.
4. Comb Your Extentions
Gently brush the extensions with a neat, dry mascara brush. This action separates the lashes strands and stops dust and dirt from entrapping among them.
The brush you use to comb lashes must be clean. Dirty, oily and unclean brushes can give Demodex mites the nutrients they need to grow and reproduce. Note to comb your lashes frequently and keep them dry.
Other Measures to Stop Demodex Eyelash Mites
The good news is what you should do to support your eyelashes and those that inhibit Demodex from growing overlap each other. So by adhering to the subsequent rules, you can both protect your fancy lashes and keep your eyes safe from Demodex parasites.
Avoid Greasy and Oil-Based Products
Grease makes the extension adhesive break down over time. This oil can have various sources:
- Greasy cosmetics
- Waterproof cosmetics
- Lotions, shampoos, creams, toners and any other oil-containing products
- Natural oils used for lash growth like argan oil, emu oil, castor oil, and almond oil
- Greasy skin
- Environmental pollutants
Besides, the principal food of Demodex mites is oil. They settle in oil-rich parts of the skin, spawn and increase rapidly. That means you offer them what they need to expand quickly by using greasy products on your skin.
Don’t Pick, Pluck, Rub, or Pull at Your Lash Extensions.
As tempting as it may seem, you have to resist the urge to rub your eyes or manipulate your eyelashes. If you keep fiddling with your eyelashes, you will soon lose them, and your technician might charge you extra in touch-ups. On the other hand, rubbing or pulling at your lashes makes them look clumpy and they will no longer be as beautiful as before.
Furthermore, note that Demodex mites can spread through direct contact. By rubbing your eyes, you may infect them with the parasites or expand them to other parts of the skin.
Do Minimal Makeup.
The advantage of eyelash extensions is gaining a set of full, long, and black eyelashes while applying little or no mascara. So you do not need to use cosmetics like the days you haven’t worn them. Makeups can provide the essential nutrients for Demodex mites, even if they contain no oil. Vitamins, minerals, amino acids and other nutrients usually fused in soaps, shampoos, creams, beautifiers and other skincare products are employed by these mites and help them proliferate quickly.
Avoid Humidity.
If you regularly swim in the pool or exercise in humid environments, you have a great chance to lose your extensions prematurely. On the other hand, humidity set a proper stage for Demodex mites to spread and affect different parts of your skin.
What If I You Developed Demodex on Your Lashes?
- Inflamed, red eyelids
- Burning eyes, particularly in the morning
- Red, irritated eyes
- Tearing
- Diminished visual performance
- Blurred vision
- Falling eyelashes
- Infected eyes
- Dry eyes
These are some common indications of Demodex mite habitation on the eyelids. If you experience these symptoms and they do not resolve by typical hygiene practices, you may have developed eyelash mites.
The bad news is that you have to remove your extensions during the Demodex treatment period, and the good news is that you can solve the mites’ infection by adopting proper approaches.
Eyelash Extension Mites Diagnosis
After correctly removing your eyelash extensions, choose one or more of the following approaches to understand if you are infected.
- Hold a magnifying mirror above your eyes. Slightly pull down the lashes of one eye downward using two fingers to see the lashes base with your other eye. If there are cylindrical dandruff at the base of the strands, it’s a great possibility you have eyelash mites. Demodex mites scratch the dedicated skin around the eyelashes by their tiny claws, leading to skin proliferation at the site of these micro-lesions and creating cylindrical dandruff.
- The second way is to visit a doctor familiar with Demodex mites. They will probably pull out a few of your eyelashes and examine them under a lens. These mites usually hook to the lashes root with their face down and their tail up.
- Take this five-minute online Demodex mite diagnostic test. Contrary to what it may appear in the first place, this quiz is extremely reliable. Demodex online test estimates your Demodex density based on your signs and the chances you have given to these mites to grow and ultimately recommends the right solution.
How to Get Rid of Demodex Mites on Your Lashes
As long as you don’t carry a large population of mites, you can keep them under check more easily. But once they grow too much, you have to take more serious measures to eliminate them. Under these circumstances, you should follow the same hygienic practices you used to when wearing your eyelash extensions. This provides Demodex with an unfriendly environment and helps control these mites.
- Avoid cosmetics, including oil-free products.
- Stop applying any skincare products on your eyelids.
- Avoid the eye cream for a while.
- Ease up eyelash growth oils.
- Keep your eyelashes dry.
- To clean your eyelids, apply a small amount of DDC explicitly manufactured to fight Demodex.
- Rinse your face with cold water following each face washing.
- Use toilet paper instead of fabric towels to dry your face.
- Avoid fiddling with your lashes as well as rubbing you eyes.
Although the above steps help eradicate the eyelash mites, they are not adequate to eliminate the infection. You need good products that fuse technology and science with application to outsmart Demodex mites and take back your skin from these pesky parasites—Trust PDT from Ungex Products for this.
PDT Rich Features
- Unique Australian product made by Ungex
- The most advanced anti-Demodex technology
- Mild with your eyelids, while harsh on Demodex
- Natural, herbal-based components
- Eliminates Demodex mites from both skin and immediate environments
- Suitable for use on all skin parts where you are encountering mite activity.
- Free of sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS), sodium lauryl ether sulphate (SLES), silicon, paraben, and gluten.
- Include antibacterial, anti-mite, and antiviral ingredients
How about Using Tea Tree Oil?
Tea tree oil can hurt and remove Demodex parasites, but the problem is it is not mild on the skin for long-term usage. It may cause the eyelids’ delicate skin to become dry, irritated and damaged. Since the process of eliminating Demodex mites needs at least three months, using tea tree oil for such a long time harms your eyelid skin, leading to myriad new complications. Even diluted solution is not suitable for long-term treatment.
How to Use PDT on Your Eyelids
To gradually introduce your skin to PDT and avoid any potential adverse reaction, dilute the product equally with plain water during the first few weeks of employment.
- Before going to bed, spray a small amount of diluted PDT directly on your eyelids.
- Do not rinse.
- Repeat this for at least 3 to 4 months.
If you notice symptoms of Demodex habitation in other parts of your skin, you can apply PDT in the same way.
When employed on the infected area, PDT coats the surface in a light film that remains active, eliminating Demodex mites as they climb up to the surface during the night. When applied regularly, mite populations decline and slowly reduce symptoms until populations are eradicated.
Read:
Pathogenic role of Demodex mites in blepharitis
