Demodex is a group of tiny parasitic animals that live in or near the hair follicles of mammals. About 75 species of the genus Demodex have been discovered so far. Two of these species live in the human body: Demodex follicularum and Demodex brevis, both referred to as eyelash mites. Different species of animals carry different species of Demodex. Demodex canis lives in the body of a pet dog. Demodex infections are very common and usually do not cause any symptoms, although some skin diseases are caused by this parasite.
These ‘face mites’ live in the hair follicles and absorb the oil.
In each of the pores of the human face live tiny eight-legged worms. These parasites look like spiders and look like ice cream. There is no way to see these parasites with the naked eye.
Researchers have recently discovered these tiny parasites. However, they say, the parasites are beautiful to look at and useful to us.
Researchers in the United States say that parasites are present in all humans. These tiny parasites of two species live on our skin. One is Demodex folliculorum and the other is Demodex brevis.
Researchers say that these parasites, called Demodex, live in our hair follicles. These parasites eat the oil hidden in the hair follicles. The hair is mainly two parts. The ‘hair shaft’ or the hair visible outside and the ‘hair follicle’ or small sac-like part, which holds the hair like the roots of a tree from the inside of the skin.
Demodex brevis in the follicle is round and short in shape. It spends most of its life in the sebaceous glands or oil glands in the hair follicles. Demodex folliculorum, however, is not so oil dependent.
Megan Thomas, a researcher at North Carolina State University, told NPR that there was no discomfort with the parasites. Rather it means you have a lot of friends with you all the time.
He thinks that there is nothing wrong with looking at these parasites. In fact, these are very beautiful. If you see the parasites moving with eight legs, it will look like they are swimming in oil.
"Since these parasites live in everyone and they don't cause any problems, it's comforting," said researcher Thomas.
The researchers tested the DNA of 29 people for their study. They found evidence that everyone over the age of 18 was carrying the DNA of the Demodex parasite. The research article was published in the journal PLoS One.
Thomas claims that researchers have found similar results in later studies on more people.
How do these insects come into humans? Researchers have no idea how this parasite spreads from one person to another. However, according to one theory, the parasite is transmitted to the baby during breastfeeding. This parasite is more common in young people. When it is dark at night, these parasites come up on the face.
How did this parasite come about? "Demodex has been living with us for a long time," said Michelle Troutwin, a researcher at the California Academy of Sciences. From the time the primitive peoples began to spread from Africa, they brought their parasites with them. Now we are going to know the unknown history of human evolution by testing Demodex DNA. '
