An Uninvited Guest

Most well-scrubbed Americans would be horrified at the idea of having mites crawling around on their faces. Yet almost half the U.S. population may play host to microscopic parasites, which reside in the facial hair of jet-setters and slum dwellers alike. This is the finding of Manhattan Ophthalmologist Jerry Jacobson. He and Australia's Dr. Frank English reported at a New York Hospital conference that among recent adult patients, 40% had mites clinging to the roots of their eyelashes.

The facial mite, Demodex folliculorum, has been recognized since 1841, but many doctors have been unaware of its existence, or have forgotten about it. Demodex rarely causes discomfort. It might have remained virtually unnoticed if Oklahoma Ophthalmologist Tullos O. Coston had not described its habitat and habits two years ago.

Only in Darkness. Following Coston's procedure, Jacobson plucked several eyelashes from each adult patient. The microscope showed that of 300 patients, 120 had at least one Demodex clinging to their eyelashes, and some had dozens. The mite appears to favor older people (60% of those over 55 were infected) and shun children.

Because the mite abhors light, it remains burrowed beneath the surface of the skin during daytime, venturing forth only in the darkness. Thus, it cannot be detected even by careful scrutiny in front of a mirror. During its two-week life span, Demodex grows up, breeds and dies in the oily pores on the eyelid and elsewhere on man's face without attracting attention. It makes its presence known only when something upsets the ecological balance of the face, encouraging the mites to overpopulate. Then they cause swelling in an eyelash pore, or spread bacterial infections into adjacent follicles during their nocturnal prowling.

The problems caused by the mites --matted eyelashes and itching lids--are best treated, Jacobson says, by careful washings with mild soap. Because Demodex feeds on the oily secretions of the hair follicle, women who avoid soaping their faces and use only cleansing creams (which do not remove facial oils) are natural targets for the tiny parasite. Regular washing reduces the Demodex population, but no way has been found to drive away all the mites. Until such a remedy is found, Ophthalmologist Coston says, "man must remain the dish of his uninvited guest."

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