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Anyone else dealing with Demodex Mites? What helps?
Four years ago, with no history of any skin issues, I developed overnight red, pustules and papules on my eyebrows. Over the four years, I’ve gone to three dermatology groups known to be selected by other healthcare professionals, and have seen a total of seven practitioners. They have said it’s rosacea, seborrheic dermatitis, or actinic keratosis. I’ve been prescribed expensive new topicals, two different antibiotic courses, etc. Each visit I hear, “Well, you can try this.”
I’m an RN, and I know my body. I keep telling each dermatologist that I believe it could be an infestation or overpopulation of demodex; demodex reproduce at night on your skin (they live in hair follicles) and most evenings my eyebrows begin to itch about the time it’s getting dark. With needle-tipped tweezers, I can pull white cyndrically-shaped mucous-type material attached to a hair follicle. None of the practitioners have followed guidance from an article on the NIH website for ensuring there is a skin scraping or other method to obtain a demodex count. None has acknowledged the damaging effects on self image that abound in the literature for rosacea, with which demodex is associated. This post is in no way to disparage dermatologists in general, but I clearly don’t fit the mold of the repetitive frequently seen five minute visits to which they may be accustomed. Has anyone experienced an overpopulation of demodex? How was it diagnosed and treated? Thank you.
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I don’t know where to begin, but I have been dealing with an infestation of what I believe to be Demodex mites. WTS, it continues to get worse, and is now everywhere I have skin….. that’s right, EVERYWHERE. NOT ONE SINGLE MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL has bothered to take a skin test, they tend to want to “treat” my condition as a mental health issue- I’ve seen dermatologist’s and was involuntary committed to a state run mental facility and still cannot get a medical professional to at the very least take a skin sample. If it is in my head- at least PROVE that it is in my head. I know better. This condition is slowly ruining my life. When the “sensations” (movement, itching and stinging) start- I cannot focus. One- because I just want it to stop, and 2.- because I literally cannot focus because I can’t see. I have no eyelashes and pretty much have plucked my eyebrows completely off because I am trying to cut off these f****** food source. (Desperate means take desperate measures)These mites have taken over as it’s all I think about- while trying to lead a a normal life. So I was glad to find this thread and the dates are very recent- because I also believe that this is condition under diagnosed and misunderstood. Yesterday I was in a Zoom meeting where there were 146 attendees. So in my book- 1 out of 146 people have it. Yet NO ONE is getting the help we so desperately need. These things are on my face, in my nose, ears, eyes, scalp, under my fingernails, even my private parts- because they aren’t getting treated. It’s the eggs that are the problem. And there are hundreds of thousands of these that cyclically hatch, perpetuating the problem. The skin on my body is rough like sand paper. (It’s mites) they also sparkle like glitter- I assume because of the mucous like substance. So I can see then on my clothes. Especially black- the other day I took off my black shirt and the inside of my shirt looked as if I had been rolling around in glitter! (I hadn’t) This thread is only addressing face mites, and I am experiencing both face AND body mites which (at least information on the internet) are different from each other. I don’t care if they different, or the same, I just want it to stop!!!!! Tea tree oil ? Got rid of some, it just came back. Everything to treat it lies in the expensive, I don’t have that kind of money. Diluted bleach helps. (Again…. DESPERATE) but not good) so I have resorted to 91% isopropyl alcohol- I already hear you thinking this is causing my dry skin- no amount of lotion or oil - anything moisturizing, has worked…. because it’s not skin, it’s mites. If it isn’t mites, please, I’m begging, someone, anyone, prove it! This s*** is literally ruining my life. The mental aspect of this condition has been soul crushing. No one is listening and everyday this goes on- the life I once knew, dies a little more each day.