Your Face Is Full of Mites: 'Tenants' in the Human Body (Video)

Yes, the human body is teeming with life. Viruses, bacteria, the occasional parasite. The vast majority cause diseases, yet there are certain exceptions that practice a form of commensalism, meaning they benefit without causing harm (under normal circumstances). One of them is on your face… right now. Actually, it's not 'one' but rather an entire legion. Its official name is Demodex folliculorum, and each female lays between 15 and 20 eggs at a time….

Mites, Mites, and More Mites

The human face. Skin (alive and dead), hair, eyebrows, eyelashes, maybe a birthmark or scar. Sweat and sebum keep the skin hydrated. It all sounds normal so far... but the list isn't complete.

There's something else on the human face. On yours and on mine. That 'something' lives, eats, reproduces, and dies there. I know it sounds terrifying, but don't worry. Technically it's not a parasite, and it won't harm you unless you have serious immune system problems. Would you like to meet it?

I present to you Demodex folliculorum, mites so tiny they live in your follicles. They have eight legs, and if they look vaguely familiar, it's because they belong to the class Arachnida... which needs no further explanation.

One curious fact is that we are not born with Demodex folliculorum on our faces; they are usually transferred from parent to child.

The activity of Demodex folliculorum adapts to the human nocturnal cycle. Sebum is their food source, and while we sleep, they come to the surface to mate.

Females return to the follicles where they deposit their eggs, between 15 and 20 (or more, according to other sources).

Population explosions of Demodex folliculorum are often associated with cases of rosacea and conjunctivitis, but the immune system takes care of eliminating the excess.

The complete lifecycle of Demodex folliculorum lasts about 18 days in cases of greater longevity, with an adult phase that doesn't exceed six days.

Any active attempt to eliminate them is a waste of time (unless there's a condition to treat), and they have another advantage: They don't produce waste because they lack an anus. In short, no: Your skin may be covered in Demodex folliculorum, but not their excrement.

Study on Demodex folliculorum: Click here