The tiny mites living on your face may soon reach their dead-end; will it impact skin health?

These face mites, which live in the hair follicles on the face and eat dead skin, are not visible to the naked eye

New Delhi | June 24, 2022 02:10 PM IST

3 min read

Here's what eroding numbers of face mite would mean for your skin, according to a study (Source: Pixabay)

Just like the gut and the body, there are microscopic organisms living on your face, too. Called mites or demodex folicular, these have thrived on human faces forever. In fact, they share a symbiotic relationship with us such that they need us to survive while we need them for good skin health, including for reducing acne and managing other skin infections.

These face mites, which live in the hair follicles on the face and eat dead skin, are not visible to the naked eye.

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However, a new study published in the journal Molecular Biology and Evolution, which analysed the DNA of mites using genome sequencing indicates that their genome may be eroding or these tiny mites may be reaching their evolutionary dead-end.

“In simple words, scientists are worried that these mites may become extinct because their individual functions have reduced,” explained Dr Rinky Kapoor, consultant dermatologist, cosmetic dermatologist and dermato-surgeon, The Esthetic Clinics.

Here’s what to know about face mites (Source: Pexels)

“This (eroding numbers) will cause a decrease in the longevity and functionality of the mites altering the symbiotic relationship, and thus increasing our skin sensitivity to antigenic exposure,” Dr Sonali Kohli, consultant dermatologist, Sir HN Reliance Foundation Hospital added.

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What is the issue?

The skin is the largest organ providing us not only a physical barrier from environmental toxins but also serving as an acid mantle by maintaining pH levels and preventing growth of harmful bacteria, fungi or viruses on our skin. “The microbiome of the skin plays a major role for its functionality. With the changing genome structure of mites like Demodex, there is increased dependency on the human genome. This could be a big problem for us as they keep our pores clean of sebum and prevent clogging along with desquamation of dead cells,” said Dr Kohli.

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What more do we know?

Currently, the knowledge on their changing structure and causation is minimum, stressed experts. “Advance research may reveal the causes of these genomic variation and how it can be further prevented.”

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