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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.
- Yet another excellent example to show that while researchers have proved
that skin inflammation is associated with Demodex mites, they have no clue as to whether
Demodex mite is the "cause" or the "result" of the inflammation ? Is
it possible that the inflammation simply created a breeding ground for the mite ?
- In December 1996, the Department of Laboratory Medicine, VA Medical Center
in North Carolina, published the results of a study on Demodex mite and skin inflammation.
The study of inflammation is important and relevant here as many have suggested that scalp
inflammation is a major cause of hair loss for most people. The Department examined 388
follicles in 24 different skin biopsies for the presence of folliculitis ( skin
inflammation) and Demodex mites. The study showed that there is indeed an association
between the two. Demodex mites were found in over 40% of follicles with inflammation, but
in just 10% of the follicles without inflammation. Over 80% of the follicles with Demodex
showed inflammation. The researchers indicated that the probability that this result could
occur by randome chance alone was less than 0.1%, thus suggesting that Demodex is indeed
associated with folliculitis inflammation. However, the researchers concluded that the
results, DO NOT, conclude whether Demodex is the cause of inflammation, or whether it
preferentially selects to infest follicles with inflammation, or a combination of both.
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