Contents:
- Medical Video: Don't Judge Me Because I'm A Goth
- What are lashes (eyelash mites)?
- What causes eyelash lice?
- What are the symptoms that might appear?
- How to treat it?
Medical Video: Don't Judge Me Because I'm A Goth
Have you heard of mites or lice that attack the lashes? Maybe most people have never heard of it. In fact, about 95% of people have had lice on their lashes without realizing it. Eyelash lice or what is called Demodex folliculorum is a parasite found in your facial hair follicles. These fleas can be found on the nose, cheeks, and especially on the eyelash area. Therefore, these parasites are also called lashes or mites.
What are lashes (eyelash mites)?
Demodex is a tick that lives on the skin, especially in oil glands and hair follicles. The life cycle of the eyelash mites is very short, even their bodies do not have organs to remove waste or toxins from their own bodies.
Eyelash mites live by eating bacteria that are on human skin. Then mites or lice will lay eggs and die within two weeks after hatching. These mites usually live in and around the lashes, and often cause no symptoms at all. However, when there are too many of them, then symptoms of inflammation occur around your lashes.
What causes eyelash lice?
The appearance of lashes is not solely caused by habits that are dirty or not clean. From research that has been done, it was found that women who often wear mascara (eyelash makeup) tend to have more mites or lice in their lashes. In addition, sharing mascara with other people can also transmit mites or lashes to other people. Sleeping with eye makeup is also the cause of the increasing number of eyelash mites.
What are the symptoms that might appear?
Often, mites or lice in the lashes do not cause symptoms. However, you still need to recognize symptoms that might arise, for example, as mentioned below.
- Redness and swelling of the skin
- Clogged pores, which can cause pimples and blackheads
- The skin in the eye area is reddish, like a rash
- Itching and burning sensation
- Hair or eyelashes fall out
If you experience the symptoms above, immediately go to the doctor to check if there are any fleas on your skin or eyelashes. Your doctor will histologically examine it under a microscope to diagnose it definitively.
How to treat it?
Treatment and prevention that can be done in your home, including:
- Use baby shampoo on hair and eyelashes every day
- Cleanse the face by using facial cleansing fluid up to twice a day
- Avoid using oil-based facial cleansers (oil-based cleansers) and makeup oily ones
- Take care peeling face or periodically exfoliates dead skin cells on the face
Treatment with acaricides or pesticide drugs that can kill parasites, including fleas, are intended to reduce the spread of fleas that are excessive, and cure symptoms caused. The drugs must be indicated and prescribed by a doctor, such as:
- Benzyl benzoate solution
- Permethrin cream
- Sulfur ointment
- Selenium sulfide
- Metronidazole gel
- Salicylic acid cream
- Ivermectin cream
