Demodex mites and rosacea seem to be a popular, if not controversial pairing. Even there is no proven link between rosacea symptoms and the presensce of demodex mites, many rosacea sufferers are interested in eliminating demodex mites to see if your rosacea symptoms improve.
So just how can you kill them ? Demodex mites are tiny, and live naturally in everyone’s skin. They are quite difficult to kill.
Read on if you’d like to know more about how to elminate demodex mites.
First of all, why would you want to eliminate them ?
There may be some new evidence that proteins from a bacteria that can be isolated from demodex mites cause an immune reaction in rosacea sufferers. I’m still not a believer in the involvement of these critters in rosacea. Just in case more evidence is found in the future, though, demodex mites are worth further understanding.
Demodex mites have a life cycle of 14-18 days.
Killing Demodex Invitro (in the test tube)
We know from the paper In vitro and in vivo killing of ocular Demodex by tea tree oil, that various oils and solutions can kill demodex mites quite quickly in the test tube.
| Solution | Demodex Kill Time |
| 100% alcohol | 4 minutes |
| 50% tea tree oil | 15 minutes |
| 100% tea tree oil | 4 minutes |
| 100% carraway oil | 4 minutes |
| 100% dill weed oil | 14 minutes |
Note that carraway oil and dill weed oil are toxic to the eye.
Studies have also confirmed that ether, xylol, benzene, Danish (compound polysulfide ointment) ointment can kill demodex in a few minutes.
Ivermectin
Ivermectin is used in dermatology against some parasitic infestations in humans. The drug is used in the treatment of patients with different forms of scabies, human body lice, head lice, demodecicosis, et. al. Published literature includes a case study of one patient who was treated with topical permethrin and oral Ivermectin. In another case report of one patient, the papules and pustules of rosacea were difficult to treat until oral ivermectin was included in the treatment regime.
Several rosacea sufferers on the rosacea-support email group report success in treating their rosacea with Ivermectin, but the benefits were only short lived.
Ivermectin (Stromectol, Mectizan, Ivomec, Oramec, Cardomec) has been patented as a treatment for rosacea.
Tea Tree Oil
Tea Tree Oil is sourced from the Melaluca tree which is native to eastern Australia. Tea Tree Oil has been shown to kill demodex mites in as little as 4 minutes. External application of undiluted tea tree oil and/or at inappropriate high doses has been associated with toxicity, including death, in cats and other animals.
There is so much interest in the properties of tea tree oil that a research group has been created within the School of Biomedical, Biomolecular and Chemical Sciences at The University of Western Australia.
In a recent study, TTO was used to eliminate demodex mites living in the eyelashes of ocular rosacea sufferers. Study participants were given weekly lid scrubs with 50% tea tree oil and a daily lid scrub with a tea tree shampoo. After six weeks all 6 participants showed improvement in conjuctival irritation and inflammation.
TTO is not soluble in water, but is soluble in alcohol, but sadly that would be unsuitable for use around the eye. Tea Tree Oil can be diluted 50% in Macadamia nut oil for use around the eyes. Lid scrubs with 50% Tea Tree Oil did produce irritation in the participants but the effect was found to be minimised if care was used to avoid spilling it into the eye.
Full strength tea tree oil should never be used anywhere on the face.
Kwellada/Elimite (Permethrin)
Back in 2000, Annette Anderson advocated using Permethrin 5% on the face to eliminate the mites. Permethrin was originally used to treat scabies. She warned that getting it in your eyes burns terribly and that the instructions mention that you should not use it on your face. A few members of rosacea-support had bad reactions to using permethrin on their face, so use Permethrin with extreme care. In the U.S., 5% Permethrin (Elimite Cream) is only available by prescription.
If you are considering Permethrin in any form it would be wise to consider Dr. Linda Sy’s advice to “solicit the cooperation and supervision of their respective dermatologists, get a KOH skin scraping to establish the presence of florid demodex population … Participants try the Permethrin on a small area of face first, to determine if any immediate severe problem exists”.
Seabuckthorn Oil
Despite claims on various internet sites, I have not been able to find any published evidence that Seabuckthorn oil kills demodex mites. If you know of some evidence, please post in the comments below. In the meantime, please disregard any claims that you find that Seabuckthorn Oil kills demodex mites.
A natural approach
For those interested in a more natural approach to treating rosacea including using Olive Leaf Extract and Tea Tree Oil see Rachelle’s Alternative Treatments for Demodex Mites.
Over to You
Have you tried any treatments to eliminate demodex mites ? Did you have a bad reaction them ? any suceess ? Feel free to leave a comment below.
Related Articles
- Demodex Bacteria, one baby step at a time
- Ivermectin clears Untreatable Rosacea
- Ocular Demodex, Tea Tree Oil as a Treatment
- Demodex Mites Continue to Confuse
- Ivermectin Patents
- Demodex Mites, Ivermectin (Stromectol) and its use in Dermatology
- Demodex Mites Treatment
- Demodex Mites Ivermectin Effective Treatment ?
1,057 Comments over 22 pages ↓
@Gayle: normal levels of mites do not cause any symptoms at all. Key of treatment is to eliminate the infestation, which is nothing that commonly happens. For some reason it happened in rosacea/acne sufferers. Once killed off in large numbers and the skins immune system is restored to its natural strength, demodex has a hard time to continue to thrive – usually can’t.
P.S. Please don’t rub your teenagers skin
I have been to doctors and taken samples of the black dots I am finding. They all said it was fibers. One said vegetable matter. The others just said it was dirt or dead skin. The bottom line was: I was delusional and didn’t have a real problem.
I know I feel something crawling and I know something is coming out of my skin and ears and gets in my eyes and infects them. God gave me the idea to mix the aloe and salt. Thanks to JJ, I don’t have to use so much salt. I mix about 1/4 cup sea salt with a bottle of aloe and use it daily to keep them at bay. I have skipped some days and start feeling some itching but not much.
Lately, my life is back to normal but I still wonder if something is terribly wrong. The good news is that I no longer suffer with rosacea on my face. I think the mites have several different stages. The smallest stage must bite before it dies. I remember when I got rid of the “big” ones and the little ones caused my face, stomach and legs to be red in a matter of two hours. I was sunburned and didn’t even go in the sun. My face used to be red a lot but now my skin is normal.
The exema on my elbow is gone and the skin color is slowly coming back. This site is about demodex mites and we don’t know a great deal about them. I do think demodex mites are an epidemic and medical people will be made aware of them some time in the future. They not only cause rosacea but also cause aging, ugly skin. I know because my skin is younger looking than ever before. Even my legs are better looking than ever before.
I got varicose veins in my 40′s over a period of about two years and thought I was just getting old. Even the veins are decreasing over time. Maybe the mites cause them, too.
I’m not discounting the zz cream, but I want something more affordable. I have read stories about people who used it and said the mites did come back. So the zz cream does have to be continued to keep them away.
I don’t think the bugs are fleas. The doctors would have diagnosed that. The problem is that the doctors do not know what it is and blame the problem on the patient, me, and say I am delusional. With a couple of them, I insisted they were scabies. The doctors just pushed me out of the office and did not want to see me again. If the doctors could have helped me, I wouldn’t be on this site or any other site. I’d be at the doctors’s office still spending my money to get cured. Unfortunately, I spent a lot of money not getting cured.
Some people say the demodex mites are not visible to the naked eye. Some say the mites are visible to the naked eye. All I know is that the sea salt has helped and when doctors or someone comes up with a beter solution, I will use that.
I have wondered, too, if I have canine or feline mites. I have always had animals since I was a child. Until more studies are done, we will not know.
I have been eating better and staying away from sugars. The alkaline diet is the best thing I have gotten from this problem, even though the Doctor’s show says the alkaline diet is not beneficial.
HI Gayle, Could you please tell me what size bottle of aloe you are using and also the brand of aloe?
Thanks == This might be worth trying.
~Maureen
Dear Gayle,
I’m really glad my suggestions have helped, and how wonderful you are seeing improvements with your skin! And I’m super glad the alkaline diet is helping you!
It’s a shame that so many of us have had bad experiences with dr’s, but I’m glad to hear you had the courage to ignore their stupidity and search for your own answers. Unless I’m mistaken, it doesn’t sound like the dr’s took the time to scrape your skin for testing or even look under a microscope with your bug samples. If u go back to another dr, I would suggest that you demand that they do.
There are a lot of small mites out there but none that I know are visible, but as I mentioned, the “debris” they leave behind probably is visible. I hope you do more research on mange, which is the animal version of d-mites, and check out bed bugs, there is an epidemic of those too, even people picking them up in hotels.
Many treatments for d-mites suggest at least 60-90 days, so you have more to gain by Not skipping any days until at least that long – that is my suggestion. Every single day they are laying eggs and mating and leaving their dead bodies and debris in your pores, it is imperative to keep on top of it especially since I think your whole house and family are infested, so yes, you will become reinfected and infested unless everybody and everything is treated, whether they have skin lesions or not.
There actually is a lot of info out there about the d-mite & their life cycle, and how it affects humans (and animals). Reading the vet websites is very informative and might give you a clearer picture of what the treatments and problems are with the d-mite. If your animals are not bathed and treated every week, there is a good chance you will never get rid of the problem, whatever it is.
And I can guarantee you that if your immune system is not healthy or strong enough to fight them off, then yes the topical treatments will never be enough and will need to continued treatment forever.
Please remember, a mite is a “parasite” it feeds off of you, so it is very unhealthy. And people are infested all the time with “parasites” that cause all kinds of health problems, they get them from water, not properly cooked meats, raw fish; it’s very easy to get them. They also live in the body and especially the colon. I think they are a little larger than your d-mites, but not much.
Good luck Gayle and keep us posted. Maybe the sea salt will be one of the best cures yet!
Maybe this info will help:
Mange is contagious. To Dogs and to Humans.
Demodectic mange is caused by Demodex canis, a tiny mite that cannot be seen without the aid of a microscope.
The demodex mite is commonly present in the pores of puppy skin and usually does not cause symptoms, The mites can produce a substance that lowers the dog’s resistance to them and make use of an opportunity to multiply.
Stress can trigger an active infestation. In any case, demodectic mange symptoms include thinning of the hair around the eyes and mouth and on the front legs that evolves into patches of hair loss approximately one inch in diameter. This mange may correct itself within three months or may require treatment.
However, demodectic mange can also begin as a localized infestation and develop into a generalized case with multiple hair-loss sites on the dog’s head, legs, and body. This is a far more serious condition and requires veterinary attention. The dog’s skin is sore, crusty, and oozing; **the hair follicles are clogged with mites and debris. Treatment is extended and requires bathing in medicated shampoo and application of an insecticide to kill the mites.
(|) Cheyletiella mange is also known as walking dandruff. It affects puppies and is caused by a large reddish mite that can be seen under a magnifying glass. This mange is identified by the dandruff dusting that occurs over the dog’s head, neck, and back.
Walking dandruff is highly contagious but short-lived. It causes mild itching. The mite that causes the mange dies a short time after leaving the host.
(|) Sarcoptic mange
Sarcoptic mange, also known as scabies, is caused by a microscopic mite. The female mite causes the characteristic intense itching as they burrow under the skin to lay their eggs. The eggs hatch in a few days, develop into adults, and begin laying their own eggs in less than three weeks.
Dogs with scabies dig and bite at themselves with great ferocity. Their skin reacts with oozing sores, and secondary infection may set in, requiring treatment with an antibiotic in addition to treatment for the mites. Unfortunately, the sarcoptic mange mite can be difficult to find in skin scrapings, and unless the veterinarian parts the hair and carefully examines the bare skin for the characteristic pin-point bite marks, diagnosis is difficult. Furthermore, the presence of a secondary skin infection can hamper the search for the MITE BITE marks.
Telltale signs of sarcoptic mange are crusty ear tips, fierce itching, and hair loss, particularly on the ears, elbows, legs, and face in the early stages. Later on, the hair loss spreads throughout the body.
Sarcoptic mange is contagious to canines and humans. If the dogs share sleeping places or if the infected dog sleeps on beds or furniture, everyone will begin scratching. It is not unheard of for the family dog to infest the kids, the kids to infest their playmates, and the playmates to infest their pets and parents with scabies.
Fortunately scabies in humans is self-limiting, that is the mite can burrow under the skin and cause itching, but cannot complete its life cycle on humans and dies within a few weeks.
Veterinarians now use Ivermectin in two doses, two weeks apart, to kill the mites. They may also prescribe steroids for short-term use to relieve the itching until the mites begin to die off and give the dog some relief. Itching usually begins to subside within a few days of the first dose of Ivermectin.
Canine skin damaged by sarcoptic mange and secondary skin infections can take weeks or months to recover, depending on the scope of the problems. Frequent medicated baths may be necessary to soothe irritated skin.
Mange damage can mimic that caused by other skin conditions, including autoimmune diseases, bacterial infections secondary to flea allergies, and contact dermatitis, making it impossible for the pet owner to diagnose with any success. If your dog suffers from irritated, itchy skin, make an appointment with the vet. Early diagnosis of any of these problems will give you a head start on a cure and will be less uncomfortable for the dog and your wallet.
(|) Mange is an unsightly and painful condition caused by burrowing mange mites. Mange is contagious and is spread by contact from infested to non-infested animals. Mange can occur in man, dogs, cats, horses, sheep, cattle and other animals.
Pets should not be permitted to mingle with mangy animals or contact premises occupied by them since individual contact is the most important method of transmission.
*Gayle – I’m not promoting the product because I haven’t used it, but this is a really good website and this page in particular explains how damaging an acidic body is. I don’t agree it’s only the pancreas, but it still gives valuable info.
http://www.rosacea-ltd.com/aboutrosacealtd.php3
Gayle – this is just 1 website about Bed Bugs – since the “eggs are white” I thought you might want to read the rest.
http://www.kingcounty.gov/healthservices/health/ehs/bedbugs.aspx
Bed Bugs – Look for signs of an infestation that may include:
Itchy skin welts on your body
Small blood smears on bedding from crushed insects
* Tiny dark spots on your sheets, mattress or box spring which are their fecal droppings
Dried remains of shed bed bug skins
Be aware that other insects, such as fleas, ticks, and mosquitos, can leave bites that look like bed bug bites. Bites alone cannot prove you have a bed bug infestation.
If you suspect you have bed bugs, you will have to conduct a thorough search of your home. Bed bugs are hard to find because they hide in, under, and around beds. They also hide inside, under and behind furniture, and in small cracks or corners in furniture, floors or walls or in carpeting close to where they feed at night.
*Newly hatched bed bugs are about the size of a poppy seed, pale yellow in color, almost transparent, and very difficult to see. Once they have fed (on you), they become larger and are red or brown in color which makes them easier to see.
* Bed bug eggs are white and about the size of two grains of salt. When laid, they are cemented to surfaces making them difficult to remove.