Face mites are also known as Demodex. They live in a person skin,
particularly on the face where ample food provides the best
opportunity for breeding.



Demodex live in Hair roots and sebaceous glands which is 2mm
to 3 mm under the skin surface.



A male is 0.165mm-0.27mm, and a female is 0.278mm-
0.294mmm. We cannot see a Demodex by naked eyes, but we can
see it when we magnify around 40 times with a microscope.
We can identify their hands and feet are moving at around 300
times magnification.



Demodex mites can live all body parts wherever there are hair
roots and sebaceous glands. It is easy for them to breed in the
T-zone (forehead, nose, and mouth area) and hair growing part
where secretion of sebum is prosperous especially.



Yes, there are two kinds. One is called Demodex folliculorum
and the other is called Demodex Brevis.



Demodex folliculorum live in hair roots, and Demodex brevis live
in sebaceous glands. Not only a difference of where they live,
but also shape and size are different. Folliculorum is long and
narrow, Brevis is small.



Demodex folliculorum was found in 1842 and Demodex brevis
was found in 1963 in human skin.



From mating to laying-eggs takes 12 hours. From an egg to a larva
takes 60 hours, then larva become an embryo. It takes about 10 to
13 days from egg to embryo. A female continues laying eggs after
that, and it is said that the number increases exponentially.



Demodex Folliculorum living in hair root opens a hole on a wall
of the follicle, and absorbs part of the hair root as food.
Therefore a pore widens making it easy for the hair to fall out and
the scalp becomes polluted by excrement and / or corpse of
the mite. It is one factor of inflammation around hair root and
hair loss.



Demodex brevis living in a sebaceous gland eat adipose tissue
of a sebaceous gland part.
Therefore the gland deteriorates, become inflamed and a pimple
arises from the sebaceous gland. It may be one factor for rough
skin.



If there are less than 15 Demodex mites in a 1cm x 1cm area
of skin, there is not a problem generally. However, If there are
more than 16 demodex mites in an area, the skin may become
rough and pimples may appear. And if there are more than 40
demodex mites in an area. The possibility of serious dermatosis
can be high. Without relation to the number of Demodex, skin
is polluted by a corpse and excrement of the mites, strength of skin
can become weak and it can become inflamed. If secondary
infection occurs on the part which is inflamed by pyogenic bacteria,
it may cause pustule acne or inflammation in a pore.