Eyelash Mites

Eyelash Mites Dr. Travis Stork: So Tracy what’s been bugginh you? Traci: I know. I hear that you can get mites in your eyelashes, what is that all about? Dr. Travis Stork: Well, you know, Jim has mites now. Dr. Jim Sears: No, that’s not true. Yes, actually it’s true. As a matter of fact, everybody here probably has this little eyelash mites in their eyelashes. They are called demodex folliculorum. I just like to call them follicle mites and there is a little picture of one right there, you can see and these are tiny. This is microscopic. You don’t even feel them and you know 95 percent of people have this on your eyelashes. Dr. Travis Stork: What? Dr. Jim Sears: Yes and they feed on the dead skin and the oil. But it gets worse. They actually like to burrow into the follicle and you can see that. Right there, they are just burrowing in there and they just hang out. You know most people have this. You don’t know it. You don’t have any symptoms but your eyelashes can get irritated. You can get scaling on the eyelids and you can get very itchy. This can actually cause your eyelashes to fall out. So, if your eyelashes are falling out — but there is a couple of home remedies that can kind of help. Just take some baby shampoo and dilute it with half water and then just kind of scrub it on there and let it sip for a little while then wash on that. If you do that like twice a day, a little while it can help get rid of them. Dr. Lisa Masterson: Well that helps with the irritation, the mites they’re going to stay there. Dr. Travis Stork: Are you doing okay Traci? Traci: Cool, nauseous. Dr. Travis Stork: Because those things are pretty nasty looking. Dr. Jim Sears: You know what can actually make this worst if you don’t take off your eye make up at night then it gives them little more gunk to kind of get stuck in there. So next time your tired and you think about not washing your face before you go to sleep, think again. Dr. Lisa Masterson: And again another reason why not to share makeup and stuff like that, think about transferring your mites. Dr. Drew Ordon: Do they live on your better than Jim? Dr. Jim Sears: They live on you. Your dead skin. Dr. Drew Ordon: But can you get it from the bedding? Dr. Travis Stork: Well I think we pretty much all have them—. You know what they’re pretty harmless. Dr. Jim Sears: It’s one of these harmless mites. Dr. Travis Stork: I don’t want everyone at home just, oh my gosh I better wash my face again and you know— Dr. Lisa Masterson: I mean because we have organisms on us all the time. Dr. Travis Stork: Yes, all over. If you put a microscope up on my arm here, you could see all sorts of bugs. Dr. Jim Sears: Those pictures are actually from you. Dr. Travis Stork: Yes, actually the one guy called Jimmy. He’s grown so big. I’m so proud of myself. Traci, great question. Thank you so much.