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On a recent Wednesday morning in the Allure<\/em> group chat, an editor shared that she had had a couple of styes on her eyelids recently, and when she wondered aloud to a friend what the culprit could be, that friend replied coolly: \u201cMaybe you have mites.\u201d This was not welcome news. And also perhaps not really<\/em> a thing? (This friend was not an ophthalmologist of any kind.) Fifteen minutes\u2014and many concerned responses\u2014later, we were reporting this story.<\/p>\n Turns out, eye mites\u2014referred to as Demodex<\/em> mites by ophthalmologists\u2014are really a thing, and they are likely living on your eyelashes right now. But before you panic, take a deep breath (and resist the urge to rub your eyes). Mites, even when skittering in proximity to your eyeballs, are a totally normal part of your skin\u2019s microbiome, feeding on oil and dead skin cells inside hair follicles. They\u2019re only a problem (causing itching and redness) when a few too many of them get together. Then you\u2019re left with blepharitis, a.k.a. Inflammation of the eyelid.<\/p>\n But though an -itis can sound intense, there\u2019s still no reason to be alarmed (or, again, to rub your eyes). To put your minds\u2014and ours\u2014at ease, we spoke with ophthalmologists about eye mites and how you can prevent them from stirring up trouble along your lash line.<\/p>\n Okay, let\u2019s back up a minute. According to ophthalmologists, there are two species of eye mites: Demodex<\/em> brevis and Demodex<\/em> folliculorum. Demodex<\/em> brevis lives on the oil-secreting glands along the eyelids (the meibomian glands), while Demodex<\/em> folliculorum resides in the lash follicles. \u201cBy the age of about 60, 100% of adults have had Demodex<\/em> on their face,\u201d says Diane Hilal-Campo, MD, a board-certified ophthalmologist in Oakland, New Jersey. (They can also live around the hair follicles and oil glands on the nose, in the eyebrows, and elsewhere.) According to a 2022 study, 25 million of the 45 million adults who visited the eye doctor that year were diagnosed with Demodex<\/em> blepharitis\u2014that\u2019s more than 55%.<\/p>\n Overgrowth of mites tends to occur with aging, altered rosacea (meibomian gland dysfunction), blepharitis, immune changes, or inadequate eyelid hygiene, according to Ashley Brissette, MD, an ophthalmologist in New York City, who also works with Clinique. \u201cDemodex<\/em> mites carry bacteria on their surface and within their digestive tract as they feed off the bacteria on the eyelids and lashes. When mite numbers increase, bacterial load increases as well, which can trigger inflammation of the eyelids and ocular surface,\u201d adds Dr. Brissette. \u201cThe inflammation (blepharitis) we see is often a combined effect of the mites themselves, associated with bacteria, and the body\u2019s immune response to the infestation.\u201d<\/p>\n In clinical practice, doctors report Demodex<\/em> blepharitis most frequently in patients who wear a lot of eye makeup and\/or false lashes and who report poor eyelid hygiene, such as not thoroughly removing eye makeup or not washing their pillowcases frequently.<\/p>\n Quick side note: Not all cases of blepharitis are caused by mites. Blepharitis refers to any inflammation of the eyelid, which can also be the result of chronic overproduction of oil on the eyelid glands, bacterial infections, \u200b\u200bor even seborrheic dermatitis. \u201cBlepharitis caused by overproduction of oil in those meibomian glands is commonly referred to as posterior blepharitis or meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD),\u201d says Balvinder Bharj, OD, an optometrist in Jersey City. \u201cIt\u2019s often more about the oil being thickened, inflammatory, or stagnant rather than the lids not being cleaned well enough.\u201d<\/p>\n Your favorite tubing mascara or gel eyeliner doesn\u2019t automatically cause Demodex<\/em> blepharitis, but improper removal of eye makeup can create the conditions that allow bacteria to thrive and the amount of mites to increase. \u201cHeavy eye makeup, especially when not thoroughly removed, can trap debris and oils at the lash base, while shared cosmetics, poor makeup brush hygiene, or infrequent replacement of mascara can also introduce additional bacteria and disrupt the natural balance,\u201d says Dr. Brissette, who\u2019s also seen Demodex<\/em> blepharitis in her practice as a result of false lashes and lash extensions. \u201cThey make proper lid hygiene more difficult, trap debris, and create a warm, oil-rich environment where mites thrive.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\nHow do eye mites cause itching and irritation?<\/h2>\n
How does wearing eye makeup lead to Demodex<\/em> blepharitis?<\/h2>\n