Human Demodex Brevis Symptoms

Demodex brevis is one of the species of microbial arthropods (insects) that cannot be seen with a naked eye. It is commonly called as facial mites because it is usually concentrated in facial skin regions and is one of the contributors of human skin disease called Demodicosis. Demodicosis, caused by Demodex brevis and Demodex folliculorum on humans, is characterized by dry, rough, scaly and inflamed facial skin.

Demodex brevis lives in the sebaceous glands that are connected to tiny hair follicles and feeds on the oil producing cells of the gland. It is classified as commensals (those organisms that benefit from the host without harming them) and is usually harmless under the check of our immune system.

Under the compromised immune conditions, it easily proliferates and develops an active Demodicosis. Immune suppression may occur due to ageing skin, inappropriate hygiene and diet, prolonged use of antibiotics or state of convalescence, which may lead to active infestation of Demodex brevis.

There are several preventive measures and therapeutic options available to control Demodex brevis. Habitually, you should avoid accumulation of oil on your face because it provides a favorable medium to facial mites. Avoid oil based make up and greasy cleansers and regularly perform exfoliation to remove the dead and aging skin cells. For fully active and afflicting facial mites, topical insecticides in combination with oral or topical antibiotics are usually prescribed. The symptomatic presentation of active Demodex brevis is very similar to rosacea and acne, therefore you should get the demodex identification test done and avoid using self prescription of therapeutic agents.

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Shampoo for Demodex Hair Mites

There are studies that shows that populations of Demodex in the follicles have been highly correlated with the male pattern baldness. From the statistics on 99 subjects involved in the study, 87.3% of patients suffering from alopecia were found to have a Demodex infestation. 12% of patients suffering from alopecia tested negative for having Demodex infestation.

The control group were people who had a full head of hair. 13.6% of the control group tested positive for Demodex and 86.4% of the control group tested negative for Demodex infestation.

As the numbers show, a significant majority of people suffering from hair loss have found Demodex in their follicles. The numbers also show that only a small percentage of people without hair problems has Demodex in their scalp.

Currently, the only thing that this study was able to prove is that Demodex is associated with male pattern baldness, but we do not know if they really play a role in male pattern baldness or whether they are harmless and are only attracted by the follicles that are already bald (because this was the follicle would provide them a conducive environment for living, in terms of sebum oil / food abundance).

So, we face the classic dilemma of cause and effect, ie: it is not clear if the Demodex cause baldness, or vice versa, their proliferation is a result of a state of baldness already started. In theory, Demodex may cause inflammation (such as of the rest can also in other skin diseases), which may further aggravate the hair loss.

Shampoos with a Demodex killing agent will help to quell the numbers of mites killing hair follicles in your scalp. The problem with most chemical shampoos is that they damage both the hair, the skin and the hair follicles, making hair loss more likely. A shampoo with agents that kill Demodex mites and treats the scalp to help it heal is far better. This will gently remove the dirt that the mites feed on, and will kill the mites so that your hair is free to grow healthy, hence reducing the chances of it falling out.

A shampoo with natural healing properties will help to stop the scalp from reacting so harshly, and help stop the follicles from dying. Once the body’s immune system realises that the hair follicles have fewer mites in, they will stop taking such drastic action and stop swelling up the hair follicles. This in turn will help to stop further damage and help stop the hair falling out.

Some chemical agents are strong enough to kill the mites but will also damage the hairs roots. They can also cause the skin on the scalp to become flaky or greasy, which leads to dandruff. Mites are then more likely to re-infest when the chemical treatment stops, because the mites will happily feed on your dandruff. There is also the chance that the mites will react to the chemical agents and adapt so that it doesn’t affect them. They are then free to eat away at your scalp, safe in the knowledge that all the chemicals are doing is damaging the scalp and giving them more food.

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Demodex Mites Treatment in Humans

There are a lot of treatments for Demodex mites, and due to the nature of humanity, some will work for one person and not the other. For this reason there are a lot of various treatments that you can try, either one at a time or together.

There are oral antibiotics such as tetracycline and minocycline which sometimes are all the body needs to start healing and fighting back. On other occasions a person may experience side effects, and with prolonged use without effect will actually start to feed the mites. After 3-4 months with little improvements, the mites may begin to convert the antibodies into food to help swell their numbers.

There are also creams for application to the area, known as metronidazole. The topical creams corticosteroids are often contraindicated (best not used) especially the fluorinated ones because even though they will at first have a positive effect, it is widely believed that their prolonged use actually leads to rosacea.

Oils such as Neem Oil and Lemon Grass Oil are often preferred by some people due to the fact that they are a softer treatment. They create an inhospitable environment for the mites whilst at the same time help the skin to heal, so that the there is less food available for the mites. The oil can penetrate deep into the sufferers skin and has no side affects. This is also good because a sufferer can use it as often as they like without ill effect.

The other treatments for Demodex mites are things such as antibacterial washes, oral antibiotics, topical creams, light pulse therapy, isotretinoin and other photodynamic therapy treatments. One must consider other treatments before moving to such extreme measures. Trying things like soaps, cleansers, body washes and shampoos with anti Demodex agents may have a better effect. Also things such as improving a sufferers immune system, and a change in their hygiene routine may help. This involves things such as changing their bed sheets and (especially) pillow cases frequently.

Another possible treatment may be a sulfur cream or a twice per day sulfur wash, then followed by antibacterial or anti-mite cream afterwards. This is a rather aggressive form of treatment and other forms should be tried first before going to these measures. The skin often reacts to such a barrage of treatment by flaking, which creates more food for the mites. The sulfur does help knock a few of the mites from your pores, but the then dried skin makes life a little easier for the mites left behind. Combinations of sulfur washes and creams should really only be tried after you have tried a few less aggressive methods first.

Azelaic acid (Finacea gel 15%) is another treatment that works for some people, but again is an aggressive treatment that will damage the skin, and during the period of healing is all the next wave of mites needs to re-form their stronghold on the face. The acid however can help control the swelling, but is best used in conjunction with other treatments.

The daily anti demodex therapy will not be complete without a nutrient-rich diet. Vitamin C, known as ascorbic acid, help to promote healthy skin and strengthen the immune system. Most people know how important vitamin C can be for strengthening immunity. In case of demodicosis, where immune system of your skin is weak, use of natural anti demodex products is more sufficient than use of chemicals. Products with antibiotics and other chemicals suppress the immune system and should be used as preventative measure - to stop the infection caused by demodex mites.

DEMODEX CONTROL is aLL natural anti-demodex cream. It contains sulfur with herbal extracts, vitamins and minerals. When applied on to your skin, the active ingredients are deeply absorbed into the skin pores killing the mites. The vitamins and minerals restore the skin's immune system suppressed by demodex. Oils and herbal extracts promote healthier looking skin and prevent demodex from returning.

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