Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsTypesSymptomsCausesDiagnosisTreatmentPreventionFrequently Asked Questions
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Types
Symptoms
Causes
Diagnosis
Treatment
Prevention
Frequently Asked Questions
Face mites, also known asDemodex folliculorum(D. folliculorum)are microscopic tick-like organisms. These demodex mites aren’t visible on the face. They live in thehair folliclesin your skin, especially around the eyelids and lashes, and feed on dead skin cells and oils.Demodex brevis (D. brevis),a second type,usually lives on thin, wrinkled skin.
Research suggests that with age, the mites are found in essentially 100% of all adults.Everyone has face mites, but they become problematic when they overgrow—a condition known asdemodicosis. This can cause symptoms like itching and sores, as well as trigger or aggravate skin conditions likeeczemaorrosacea. Demodicosis requires treatment.
This article looks at symptoms and complications of face-mite overgrowth, how it’s diagnosed and treated, and how you can keep these organisms in check.
What Is Demodicosis?Demodicosis is an infestation of face mites. It causes tiny white bumps, similar to whiteheads in acne, plus redness and itching. Demodicosis develops when face mites multiply rapidly and your normal immune response cannot control them.
What Is Demodicosis?
Demodicosis is an infestation of face mites. It causes tiny white bumps, similar to whiteheads in acne, plus redness and itching. Demodicosis develops when face mites multiply rapidly and your normal immune response cannot control them.
Types of Demodex Mites
D. folliculorumis one of the two known types ofDemodexmites in humans. The other isD. brevis,and there are some differences in how they spread and the areas they affect.
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D. Folliculorum Mites
These mites usually appear just on the face, especially around the eyelids and eyelashes.In addition to being known as face mites, you may hear them calledeyelash mites.
D. Brevis Mites
D. brevismitesusually live on skin that’s thin and wrinkled. That includes the elbows, knees, shoulder blades, around the penis, and under the breasts. They’re a little bit shorter thanD. folliculorumare, at about 0.2 to 0.3 millimeters (mm) long compared with 0.3 to 0.4 mm.
Face mites are rare in children under age 5,possibly because the skin doesn’t have enough oil for them to feed on.
Face mites can only survive on human skin. While they usually stay inside the hair follicle, mites come out to the surface of the skin to mate while you sleep. Females then burrow tunnels into your skin. They lay their eggs one to five millimeters below the surface.
The period from hatching to adulthood lasts about two weeks. Their life span is about one to two months.
Researchers believe other types ofDemodexmites exist, but among 140 species of mites these are the only two that are known to affect humans. They may vary depending on geographic location.
Face Mite Symptoms
Verywell / Laura Porter
Because face mites are small, there typically are no visible demodex mites on the face. Normal levels of face mites don’t cause any symptoms. However, demodicosis can.
Signs of demodicosis can come on quickly, even overnight. You may notice a patch of tiny whiteheads resembling acne around your eyes or nose.
Other symptoms include:
Complications
Demodicosis is usually easily treated and doesn’t cause further complications thereafter.
But when it is left untreated, it can sometimes lead to skin conditions such as:
People with rosacea typically have higher amounts of face mites. Researchers have debated whether demodicosis causes rosacea or is a result of it.
Demodicosis may make acne, eczema, rosacea, and dermatitis symptoms more severe.
Face mites are microscopic organisms living in your facial hair follicles. They feed on dead skin and oil. They typically cause no symptoms unless they overgrow (demodicosis). This causes tiny white bumps and dry, itchy, scaly, irritated skin with acne-like sores. Untreated overgrowth can lead to or worsen other skin conditions.
What Causes Face Mites?
Face mites are a normal part of healthy skin. They can be passed from one person to another through close contact, like sleeping in the same bed. But they’re more likely to be passed when faces touch, such as during a kiss.
The immune system is usually able to keep the number of face mites on the skin under control. It’s when the immune system stops functioning properly that face mites have a chance to multiply and spread.
Risk Factors
Some people are at greater risk for face-mite overgrowth than others.
This includes people with conditions affecting the immune system, such asHIV or AIDS.
Medications likechemotherapyortopical steroidscan also impair the immune response and put you at higher risk of overgrowth.
Other risk factors of demodicosis include:
How Are Face Mites Diagnosed?
You do not need to see a healthcare provider for face mites unless you have symptoms.
Your provider may be able to diagnose face mites based on the appearance of your skin. Demodicosis often causes a white sheen to the skin, known asDemodexfrost.
If you’re being evaluated for overgrowth, your healthcare provider may gently scrape skin cells from an oily patch of skin, such as around the nose or mouth—a ripe feeding ground for face mites. Alternatively, they may remove some tissue in what’s known as a standardized skin surface biopsy (SSSB).
The samples will then be examined under a microscope and the mites are counted to see if there are more than is considered normal.
ttsz / Getty Images
Mites are contagious through close contact, like a kiss. You’re more at risk if your immune system is compromised or suppressed, you’re over 40, and/or a person assigned male at birth.
How to Get Rid of Face Mites
Self-care strategies like exfoliation and over-the-counter solutions like tea tree oil are typical suggestions for how to get rid of face mites. More serious cases may require a prescription. Note, however, that you don’t actuallyneedtreatment unless there’s an overgrowth.
Even then, the sensitivity of facial skin can make eliminating the mites challenging.
Your healthcare provider can help guide you as to where to start.
Self Care
You can do some things at home to help treat and prevent demodicosis:
Over-the-Counter Options
There are many over-the-counter (OTC) options for treating demodicosis at home:
The 6 Best Tea Tree Oils
Prescription Drugs
In more serious cases, a doctor can prescribe medications to get rid of face mites. Direct treatment usually isn’t necessary unless a person shows signs of overgrowth.
Your healthcare provider can help you choose a treatment with the least amount of side effects.
Treatment for face mite overgrowth can include washing your face, hair, and eyelashes, and exfoliating regularly. Some OTC options, including tea tree oil, may be helpful. Prescription drugs such as metronidazole and ivermectin may be necessary in some cases.
How To Prevent Face Mites
Though all adults are considered to have face mites, it’s best to avoid spreading more to someone else if you have an overgrowth.
Summary
Face mites are microscopic organisms that live in the hair follicles in your face and eat dead skin. They’re usually not noticeable but sometimes overpopulate and make you break out in tiny white bumps that can be itchy or even painful.
Mites are contagious through close contact. A weak immune system can allow them to get out of control.
They’re diagnosed with skin scrapings or biopsies. Extra cleansing, tea tree oil, topical products, or prescription medications may be needed to get rid of an outbreak.
To prevent a recurrence or spreading them, try not to touch your face, wash frequently, and don’t share face products with anyone. Exfoliating may also help since it removes the dead skin cells that mites feed on.
Frequently Asked QuestionsFace mites (Demodex folliculorumorDemodex brevis) are believed to live in the hair follicles of all adults. They can transfer between people through close contact, but this is more likely during face-to-face contact, such as during a kiss.In most cases, face mites do not cause acne. However, an abundance of them that results in demodicosis can cause acne symptoms to worsen. This can also cause the skin to become dry, itchy, scaly, and irritated.
Face mites (Demodex folliculorumorDemodex brevis) are believed to live in the hair follicles of all adults. They can transfer between people through close contact, but this is more likely during face-to-face contact, such as during a kiss.
In most cases, face mites do not cause acne. However, an abundance of them that results in demodicosis can cause acne symptoms to worsen. This can also cause the skin to become dry, itchy, scaly, and irritated.
12 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
National Rosacea Society.The ecology of your face: Demodex, rosacea and you.
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