Rosacea -- What Mite it Be?

Have you ever wondered what causes rosacea? Since I am a licensed esthetician and rosacea sufferer, I have thought about it. In my search for answers, I found some information I'd like to share with you. It may just be enough to make you want to jump out of your skin.

Let's start with rosacea symptoms. Rosacea symptoms include: redness in the cheeks, nose, chin, or forehead area; telangiectasia (dilated blood vessels); papules and pustules; eye inflammation and sensitivity, burning, itching, and dryness; thickening of the skin in affected areas; and rhinophyma (a condition where the nose becomes red and bulbous). Rhinophyma is experienced by some men and is rare in women.

There are many different opinions on what causes this troublesome skin disorder called rosacea. Some experts don't know what causes it; others think it is caused by a tendency to blush or flush. Some researchers say genetic predisposition and environmental factors are to blame. The most disturbing possible cause I've read about is the one that sent me straight to my computer to write this article -- the one that makes me cringe and itch when I think about it -- the one called the human demodex, a parasite that resembles a microscopic worm that feeds off the skin.

Don't jump yet, there's more. The adult arthropods (animals with jointed legs) are between 0.3 mm and 0.4 mm long. Their bodies are semi-transparent, elongated, and consist of two fused segments with eight short legs attached to the first segment. The scales on their bodies help them secure themselves in the hair follicle while their pin-like mouth parts allow for eating sebum (an oily secretion produced by the sebaceous glands), skin cells, and hormones found in the hair follicles. These mites are known to leave the hair follicles and take slow walks on the skin, usually at night since they are light sensitive and live inside the pores during the day. Demodex mites live in or near hair follicles, with as many as 25 living in each one.

The shorter and rounder mite is the female Demodex folliculorum. When she mates, she mates on the skin and her eggs are laid in the hair follicles or sebaceous glands. On about the fourth day the larvae hatch; in seven days they're adults that live for a few weeks, then die and decompose inside the hair follicles or sebaceous glands.

So there you have it. An estimated 14 million Americans are affected by rosacea, usually adults between 30 and 50 years of age. Although rosacea has no cure, it's a comfort to know you can treat it and you can control it. If you suspect you have rosacea, consult your dermatologist to discuss what treatment is appropriate for you.