Eyelash Mites: Causes, Symptoms, Treatments, Prevention & More

Are you experiencing any kind of irritation of the eye, swelling, redness of the eyelids or are you experiencing flaking skin on or around the eyelids? If these are happening to you then it is possible that you have demodex mites. These are invisible to the naked eyes.

Here, in the below sections of this blog, you will get to know everything about eyelash mites including cause, associated issues, symptoms, treatments, prevention, tips and more. So, keep reading this blog and get a perfect solution to fix eyelash mites issue or demodex mites.

What Eyelash Mites Actually Are?

‘Eyelash mites’ is also known as demodex mites. These are the species that used to inhabit the oil glands and hair follicles around the eyes. Mites are actually related to spiders that have eight legs, an exoskeleton and two long body segments. Eyelash or demodex mites are microscopic and these are quite impossible to see these mites with the naked eyes. They are very common and most of the time they are harmless. However, sometimes they get out of the hands and cause other related eye related issues.

Generally, two types of Demodex mites cause eyelash mites and they are Demodex brevis and Demodex folliculorum. These two types of mites are all microscopic and so it is impossible to see with the naked eyes. They are prevalent naturally in the hair follicles where they feed on dead skin cells.

It is quite possible that Demodex folliculorum affect your eyelashes. These mites feed on eyelash’s dead skin cells and other areas of the eye such as your eyelids.

Everyone on this earth has small amounts of these mites but these can spread between animals and people through close contact. Sometimes, these mites can become so problematic that it can further cause skin problems. They can also make your existing skin issues worst.

Demodex mites are contagious. It can be passed through contact with an infected person even by sharing the same towel or bed. But, not all people infected with demodex mites have a problem and have no symptoms or signs of infection.

Physical Characteristics Of Eyelash Mites

When you have a doubt that you have any issue on your eyelash then you may be rushing to look at the eyelashes in front of the mirror to see if you have any Demodex issue. Well, if you notice then do not bother. Mites are so tiny that it is invisible to the naked eyes and their length is about only 0.15 to 0.4 mm.

Eyelash Mites Causes And Associated Condition

Demodex mites are generally harmless but they can cause some issues for those who have weakened immune systems. So, people who are at risk of experiencing the symptoms include:

• Have a history of cancer or liver disease
• Are taking corticosteroids like as prednisone
• Are living with HIV

Some other people may be susceptible to demodex folliculorum and so it is much more sensitive to the demodex mites.

Also, sometimes demodex mites are present in more people who have some skin issues like:

Blephartitis

Blepharitis is a kind of eyelid inflammation that causes watering, crusting and redness. There are some increased number of demodex mites that have been noticed in those who have blepharitis.

Androgenetic Alopecia

Androgenetic alopecia is a condition that includes inherited hair-loss that used to affect women and men. It has been suggested that the chemicals that are produced by the mites generally trigger an inflammatory reaction that used to affect hair follicles. However, eyelash mites do not cause androgenetic alopecia and they may also worsen this condition.

Rosacea

Rosacea is also an eyelid inflammation issue that use to cause redness, facial flushing and dry face and eyelid lesions. In some medical studies, it has been found that person with rosacea can have 4 times more demodex mites on the face than someone without the condition. These mites have been found in the tear ducts of people who have ocular rosacea which is actually a type of rosacea that used to affect the eyes as well.

Eyelash Mites Symptoms

Those who have strong immunity may have no symptoms from the eyelash mites. People with weakened immunity or have lot of stress may show the symptoms. Following are demodex mites symptoms:

Rosacea is another symptom that used to come from the mites. Rosacea may not come as a result of the mites themselves but from the bacteria in their feces.

The mite bites can result in skin issue, itching or inflammation. The itching generally happens in the morning. The mites leave the follicles at night to mate and lay eggs and then used to come back to the follicles in the morning.

Sometimes, people may also get acne from mites.

Blepharitis is also an inflammation that used to consist of swollen eyelids, reddened eyes, burning eyes, crusty and itchy eyelids.

Some Effective Eyelash Mites Treatment You Can’t Ignore

When you notice that you have eyelash mites, then you should start to look for demodex treatment so that you can get rid of this eyelash issue as soon as possible. Below, you can get the best eyelash mites treatment options that you can easily apply at your home. So, without wasting any time, just start to apply these natural demodex mites treatments.

Eyelash Mites Treatment #1: Proper Eyelid Cleansing

One of the best and the easiest way to get rid of eyelash mites is to clean the eyelids completely. You should clean the corners of the eyelids. In order to clean the eyelids completely, you have to remove all of the oils that the mites eat. For this, you can try tea tree shampoo, baby oil or any other appropriate cleanser to make sure that your eyelids are completely cleaned. Apart from this, you can also use no-tear baby soap and can use the soap to wash the face two times a day. This is the best to keep mites away from you.

Eyelash Mites Treatment #2: Tea Tree Oil

Tea tree oil is the best oil that can be very beneficial to remove the mites. The antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties present in the tea tree oil helps you keep the mites away from the eyelashes.

To know how to use tea tree oil for eyelash mites, you have to rub the oil on the eyelashes every night before you go to sleep for about six weeks. It is quite possible that it can resolve this eyelash issue. But while applying this oil to your eyelids, you have to be very careful that it doesn’t get into your eyes.

Apart from the tea tree oil, you can also use any product that contains tea tree oil. It can also remove mites easily.

If you use tea tree oil properly, it can soon help you kill the mites from the eyelashes and also the eggs it produced on the follicles.

Eyelash Mites Treatment #3: Lavender Oil

Apart from using tea tree oil for eyelash mites, you can also try lavender oil to kill mites that are present on the eyelashes. In order to get rid of eyelash mites, you need to rub lavender oil on the eyelids before you go to sleep for about three to four weeks.

But, same instructions for the lavender oil is also needed to be followed just like the tea tree oil that it doesn’t get into your eyes.

And you should also be very careful while applying the lavender oil that you do not wear any makeup when getting treated with such oils.

Eyelash Mites Treatment #4: Apply Warm Compress

Applying warm compress to your eyelids is the simplest and the easiest demodex mites treatment. So, you give a try to this eyelash mites treatment and remove files from the eyelashes forever. The heat you get from the warm compress will heat up the compacted oil and it will then allow the compacted oil to disappear soon.

The eyelash mites are very less likely to feed on oil that moves around your eyelashes and are full of bacteria which are very harmful to your eyes.

In order to apply warm compress to your eyes, you need to first microwave the mask on high for about 20 seconds and then test the temperature of the compress on the inside of the wrist. After this, you need to place the compress over the closed eyelids for not more than 25 minutes. You need to then sit quietly and feel relaxed. Try this two times a day for about 3 – 4 weeks.

Eyelash Mites Treatment #5: Don’t Use Mascara

If you have eyelash mites issue, you should stop using mascara until the mites disappear from the lashes. Also, make sure that you throw away your old makeup items that you were using when you had this issue. This is done to prevent any kind of further infection. Also, it is always suggested to not share your makeup items with anyone else.

When There Is A Need To See An Eye Doctor

Even after trying all the above mentioned demodex mites treatments, if you notice that your eyelash mites treatment is not showing any improvements then you should go to see an eye doctor for further evaluation.

If your eczema or rosacea get worsen then you should soon make an appointment with an eye specialist. When the symptoms starts affecting the overall health, you should just make a call to your doctor.

If these mites are left untreated then it can also cause blurry vision issue. Also, you may notice that you have dry eyelids after getting in contact with demodex mites.

How To Prevent Eyelash Mites

There are some common and essential preventive measures that can be taken into consideration if you want to prevent eyelash mites.

Wash your towels, bedsheets as well as pillow covers on a regular basis in hot water and make them dry thoroughly on a high heat setting. If your room partner whether he/she is a friend, colleague, husband or wife, resist close contact and stop sharing bedsheets, towels and pillows.

Another preventive measure you can take is to stop sharing your makeup items with anyone. These parasites sometimes can also be carried out on the skin.

It has been found that 50% of the mites cases come from improper removal of eye makeup. So, make sure that you remove the makeup from your eyes and face properly so that it can keep mites away from your eyes.

Conclusion

After going through the complete blog, you might have found that demodex mites are nothing but a harmless infestation of the eye skin. Sometimes people will face no symptoms after they get into contact with this eyelash issue. Well, you can try several demodex mites treatment options that are already mentioned here in this blog.

Also, you should see a doctor if you find that your eyelash mites are not going away even after trying the above treatments. You also have to make sure that you follow the above preventive measures so that you can keep mites away from your eyelashes. So…that’s all I need to say about eyelash mites and I hope this will be very helpful blog for you.