Face Mites Are Real, and Illinois Is a Perfect Breeding Ground

Today I learned that a horrid looking organism called a Demodex lives, mates, and dies on all of our faces, and I am most definitely not okay.

You Can't Believe Everything You Read On the Internet?

Social media is notorious for spreading false and dramatized information, so when I saw this post float across my newsfeed today I was really hoping it wasn't true...

Sweet baby Jesus, is that saying millions of tiny little bugs are living, mating and then dying an explosive death on my face every single day?!? I HATE bugs so my skin is absolutely crawling right now. Surely, these heathen Demodex can't be as bad as they sound?

What Are Demodex?

According to WebMD:

Demodex mites are tiny eight-legged parasites that mostly live in hair follicles and oil glands on your face, neck, or chest.

If there is any silver lining to this story it's that Demodex mites are basically harmless, everyone has them, you can't see them without a microscope, and they help clear away dead skin cells.

Are you ready for the bad news? Demodex mites can't be scrubbed off, they spread from person to person, and too many of them can cause an infection called  Demodex folliculorum, which causes rough, scaly, flaky, or itchy skin, red patches, rashes, eczema, and more. It's especially a problem if you have an overload of Demodex in your eyelash follicles. 

Bad Demodex News For Illinoisans

Now that I've thoroughly grossed you out, here comes the worst part.

Demodex mites thrive in climates just like Illinois'. Our hot, muggy summers create prime conditions for sebum production, while dry winters prompt our skin to overcompensate with more oils. Essentially, our poor Midwestern faces become a year-round Demodex buffet.

Can You Get Rid of Demodex Mites?

As I mentioned earlier, Demodex mites can't be scrubbed off, but Benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid creams can help kill them.

Honestly, unless your face mites are causing health problems, it's probably best to leave them alone and just try not to think about the microscopic grease goblins exploding on our faces nightly.

Sleep tight, Illinois. I know I won't be.