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- For those of you who are not familiar with Demodex, it is a microscopic
mite that is found living in the hair follicles or sebaceous glands of most humans and
animals. Sometimes Demodex is also called "Face Mite", since it is usually
associated with blackheads, acne and other skin discorders. Demodex are harmless and they
do not transmit diseases.
- The Department of Dermatology, University of Amsterdam, conducted a study
on the treatment of rosacea in 1995. This is a classic example of the question that has
never been answered: Is Demodex the "cause" or the "result" of certain
kinds of skin disorders ? Is it possible that certain skin disorders are simply a breeding
ground for the mite ?
- The subject of the study was a 75 years old man with rosacea on his skin,
characterized by acne like symptoms such as swelling and redness etc. Multiple Demodex
folliculorum mites were found on the subject's facial scales and sebaceous follicles. The
subject was treated successfully with a combination of oral and topical metronidazole,
although the drug was not traditionally used for the treatment of rosacea. After the
treatment, rosacea as well as demodex mites disappeared completely from the subject's
face. However, the researhers did not conclude whether the combination therapy
treated rosacea or the mite. No further analysis or investigation was conducted.
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