Demodecosis disease is characterized by the appearance of small ulcers and acne on the skin in the face, back, possibly chest. The affected areas are often irritated and itchy.
Causes of mites on the face
Demodecosis can cause mites of the genus "Demodex" or an eye mite, which represents the parasitic form of life. The pathogen can cause the disease only in certain situations and conditions that will be favorable for its distribution and reproduction.
What does this tick feed on? Skin hormones and subcutaneous fat. Most often on the face, it spreads over the cheeks and forehead. The strongest period of activity is mainly in the evening and at night.
Demodex mite - conditionally pathogenic arthropod parasite, no larger than 0, 4 millimeters in size, can cause disease in humans if their immunity decreases. One individual lives no more than three weeks, but during this period it multiplies very quickly.
Just so, with the naked eye it is impossible to find a tick in oneself or someone, since it is very small. These microorganisms constantly live in the sebaceous glands of man, but the disease demodicosis itself can occur only in cases if:
- Commensalism appeared as the host (man) and mite when the microorganism is fully fed by the products of the skin glands of a person, and the person himself is not harmed. But such a condition can be met when there are no more than 5 ticks per 5-6 cilia or within one sebaceous gland. If the number exceeds five units, then the disease begins to develop;
- overly thin, sensitive skin. In such conditions, the tick begins to multiply very quickly;
- hormonal disorders;
- stress, prolonged depression can cause exacerbation of the disease;
- general physical and nervous exhaustion of the body;
- viral and chronic diseases lasting a very long time;
- the presence of worms in the body;
- recent surgery, serious injury;
- malignant neoplasms in the body;
- neglected acne can cause exacerbation of the disease.
Symptoms of demodicosis and its varieties
All existing symptoms of this unpleasant phenomenon can be divided into several subspecies, depending on its location. There are two forms of the disease: skin and eye. Consider each of the subspecies separately.
It is quite rare for a person to have a breast area or even a back. Very rarely, the disease appears on the skin of the ears.
The main symptom is the appearance of an inflammatory process in the sebaceous glands and hair follicles. The first thing that can manifest itself during an illness is an increase in rashes on the face, the appearance of so-called acne.
Consider the main symptoms of the skin form of the disease:
- acne. It manifests itself in different ways. Usually these are small, but pronounced pustular eruptions, characteristic of adolescent children or people suffering from hormonal disorders. After the appearance of the rash, a staph infection can also be added, which usually only worsens the appearance and slows down the healing process;
- itchiness Often manifested in the course of allergic reactions of the body to the presence of "alien", that is, the parasite. By evening, itching may increase, interfere with rest. In the summer, when it is very hot outside, the parasites are most active and this symptom is most pronounced;
- face begins to "shine". This occurs not only during demodicosis, but simply when the sebaceous glands on the face begin to produce too much sebum. The pores do not have time to "cleanse" and the face begins to shine and to the skin feel like oily;
- redness. A clear sign that the inflammatory process is in full swing. In places where there is reproduction and activity of the tick, small vessels begin to expand under the skin. Changes lead to the accumulation of blood in blood vessels and its visual redness.
Symptoms of the ocular form of the disease are slightly different and are most pronounced, which allows the patient to understand that something in the body is not happening properly. When the eye form is often tired eyes, there is a feeling that they are as if “covered with sand”, by the evening they start to water, the clarity of vision may disappear.
Another bright sign is the causeless adhesion of cilia. This phenomenon is a direct consequence of the fact that an inflammatory process has begun in the body. When running the form of eyelashes can generally start to fall out. They can also become inflamed and begin to swell the eyelids.
How can you distinguish demodicosis from ordinary acne or acne?
Many patients suffering from demodicosis did not even suspect that they had caught such a disease, and at first they perceived the symptoms as manifestations of acne or hormonal changes in the body. In fact, indeed, the manifestations of this disease are very similar to ordinary teenage and hormonal acne. But they still have differences:
- There is a strong and unnatural luster on the affected areas of the skin;
- The skin becomes uneven, bumpy and there are characteristic sores, more like abrasions and wounds than ordinary acne;
- For centuries, when demodicosis appears plaque, and the eyelashes can fall out and stick together abundantly;
- If you start the disease, your face will get a muddy, earthy hue, and it may turn red with purple wounds. The nose at the same time stands out and becomes a bluish tint.
If suddenly you have found several similar symptoms, we strongly advise you to seek help from a doctor. To begin with you will be examined, you will pass several tests, and they will also take scrapings from the inflamed areas from you.
Diagnosis and treatment of the disease on the face
Diagnosis of demodicosis is usually carried out in laboratories using microscopic techniques. Diagnosis in such conditions is carried out in several stages:
- preparation for the collection of material for study;
- material intake (scraping the affected areas of the patient);
- microscopic examination;
- Announcement of the results, setting the diagnosis.
In order to take biological material (skin scraping), the patient should stop using cosmetics approximately seven to ten days before the intended procedure. If you neglect this condition, the results of scraping may be erroneous.
When confirming the diagnosis, specialists prescribed treatment. It is carried out exclusively under the supervision of specialists. Diagnosis and prescription of drugs is carried out by a dermatologist. If a person has an ocular form of demodicosis, it is treated by an ophthalmologist.
Each of the drugs selected by the patient should have the following properties:
- have antidemodecous activity;
- have a disinfecting effect;
- have an anti-inflammatory effect;
- reduce excessive sebum production in humans.
Usually, treatment of cutaneous demodicosis continues for two to three months. Often, for treatment, specialists prescribe drugs of local or local action, which are applied directly to the areas affected by the products of tick activity.
Immuno-corrective remedies are also added to topical treatment, which help a person to improve overall health and prevent the addition of other infections.
If the disease is already running, the doctor may prescribe antibacterial drugs.
We treat demodicosis on the face with drugs
There are several methods for the treatment of demodicosis:
- Preparations of local action, which we have already spoken of - these are special creams, lotions, masks and medicinal lotions;
- Folk remedies;
- Cosmetic preparations. Rather, they are used to enhance the effect after local therapy than as a separate method of treatment.
As for the medications themselves, doctors often prescribe creams for topical skin treatment (for example, benzyl benzonate ointment, skin treatment with Permethrin ointment, etc.) with antiparasitic and antibacterial effect. This may be smearing on the affected areas about twice a day of Gel "Baziron", using Erythromycin ointment for about two weeks, for the ocular form of the disease, instillation of Tafazol drops.
They are very good in terms of antiparasitic effect. Often prescribed "Metronidazole" in pill form. Drink these pills twice a day in dosages of 500 milligrams. The timing of treatment can only set a dermatologist.
Prescribed more "doxycycline" in capsules. It is taken in the morning and evening in the dosage of 200 milligrams. To exclude the command of allergies, antihistamines can also be prescribed to patients: “Tavegil,” for example.
Is it possible to treat demodecosis with cosmetics?
Mite on the face can be cured fairly quickly, if you act in a complex, combining and local treatment with drugs and cosmetics and procedures. They help to reduce the manifestations of the disease, but they are selected exclusively individually. Very effective in the fight against demodicosis can be:
- photocoagulation with laser - pulsed light treated affected areas of the face;
- cryomassage - affected by tick skin with liquid nitrogen (cold treatment);
- ozone therapy - the affected areas are treated with special mixtures rich in oxygen and ozone.
Treatment of folk remedies
Even doctors officially allow the use of folk therapy, provided that the main drug treatment of demodecosis on the face will not be ignored. Without special antiparasitic and antimicrobial drugs, treatment will not be effective.
However, still the top three most effective aids and folk techniques include the following substances and means: birch tar, tincture of calendula flowers, tar soap.
The tar is mixed in equal proportions with sulfuric ointment and rubbed into the tick-damaged areas of the face. You can do this every day for two or three weeks. If necessary, the procedure is repeated again. The tar helps relieve inflammation, pulls out dirt from the pores and reduces sebum production. Sulfuric ointment helps to dry the inflamed lesions on the face.
Tar soap has a powerful drying and anti-inflammatory effect. With this soap, it is enough just to wash well every day, morning and evening, and within a few weeks you will be able to notice how the inflammation gradually subsides and the wounds heal faster.
Calendula and its flowers have always been famous for their powerful antimicrobial effect. It is often used as a bath for the treatment of scabies in children. With demodicosis, you should wipe her face with infusion (preferably prepared from a pharmacy) after each skin cleansing procedure.
Other treatments and tips
Other methods of treating the disease include a gentle face peeling that helps gently cleanse the skin of dead cells and cause it to be updated faster.
Novelty in the fight against the insidious skin parasite - darsonval procedure. But this method should be used very carefully, because it acts on human tissues by pulses with high-frequency current (rapidly decaying discharges). Attention, this procedure is strictly prohibited for pregnant and lactating women!
What to do to prevent demodicosis - about prevention
It is better not to remove the subcutaneous tick, but to prevent its spread over the skin. But for those who have at least once felt all the symptoms of an insidious disease and are in remission, we advise you to follow simple rules, they are also suitable as preventive measures:
- Try to choose natural products, do not overeat fatty, salty. Watch your weight;
- follow hygiene carefully - and this applies not only to the face, but also to the whole body;
- stop smoking and alcohol;
- regularly drink vitamins, periodically conduct preventive examinations with specialists;
- if you suddenly have doubts about some kind of rash, inflamed areas on the body, or your general state of health has deteriorated, do not overstretch, and immediately go to the doctor.
Be healthy and take care of yourself!
Treatment reviews
In order to cure the skin of demodicosis, I had to give up some cosmetics for several months, and in general the total duration of therapy took almost five months. Often she washed and even boiled bed linen, stroked all her clothes using steam.
Lida, 30 years old, Krasnodar
She suffered from demodecosis for several years! I did not even suspect that there was such a disease, I sinned for hormones. Then I finally decided to be examined, and the doctor found the cause of all my troubles ... Immediately they prescribed a course of antibiotics and ozone therapy. The very same during the course, wiped her face with boric alcohol and calendula decoction.
Daria, 28 years old, Moscow
Was treated for about six months. The disease appeared after a long recovery after surgery. The doctor said that this appeared against the background of a general decline in immunity. Smeared face and eyelashes with ointments, took metronidazole. At the same time she refused cosmetics: no mascara, lipstick or foundation. Washing only with tar soap and plain warm water.
Kristina, 25 years old, Ples
Brief conclusion
Demodecosis is a skin disease that occurs on the background of reduced immunity, after undergoing surgical interventions, nervous disorders, long treatment with antibiotics. This disease is treated mainly with local preparations.
Doctors, dermatologists allow the use of traditional medicine and auxiliary cosmetic therapy. There are two forms of the development of the disease: on the face and ocular form of leakage. On average, demodicosis is treated for 3-4 months.
Some more information about demodicosis is in the next video.
