Biohacking Routine to Wipe out Demodex Mites off Your Skin
Have you woken up consistently seeing pimples on your face despite all your visits to dermatologists, medication, attempts with creams and cleansers? What if the solution is not a new medication or gel and simply is a way you apply them to your skin?
A couple of days ago, Fatemeh Sharifi shared her journey in hacking her skin pimples with me. Couple years back she was offered to see her skin oil under the microscope. “It felt so embarrassing and frightening to see Demodex mites were crawling on my skin. The news was a bitter medicine, and I needed it,” she said.
If you heard my story, before biohacking my skin issues, I struggled with severe nodulocystic acne issues for over ten years. I’ve been fascinated with the skin health hacks since then.
The following is some of Fatemeh’s findings and hacks for you to geek out on.
Demodex mites profile:
In addition to skin pores, Demodex mites get found in hair follicles.
These mites do not have an anus and can’t get rid of the feces, and everything they eat remains in their body for two weeks until they die. When the number of mites in the skin is numerous, the bacteria of the feces can trigger a reaction and cause skin problems such as rosacea. In addition to rosacea, overgrowth in the population of these mites can cause different skin problems: acne, rosacea, hair loss, itchy skin, etc.
As biohacker, the first thought that may come to your mind is: “What do these mites don’t like?”
We know that Demodex mites do not like light. At night the male bugs leave the pores and look for female mites to mate with [1]. After that, the female mites lay eggs in the pores. If there are many mites in one pore, they cause the skin pore to stretch and become more visible. At night when male mites are looking for mates, you might feel them crawling on your skin.
It would be fascinating to learn what type and intensity of light can be used to deterred these creatures for good. Fatemeh tried ozone therapy, and the results weren’t sustainable.
Demodex mites eat off sebum, hormones, and yeast [2]. An excess amount of sugar consumption leads to the formation of They also consume collagen and elastin, causing more wrinkles on the skin.These mites feed off nutrition that should be used by your hair follicles, but they are like weeds in a garden and eat all the nutrition and cause hair strand to become weaker and weaker.
That is why when you use a product that is designed for hair loss you might lose more hairs because that product might have some nutrition that feeds the mites and become feces.
What can cause the population of mites to grow?
Weak immune system, depression, stress, hair products, consumption of sugar, gluten, and wheat.
How to hack acnes caused by Demodex mites (oily skin type):
We are sometimes oblivious to small changes in our appearance. It is, therefore, a wise decision to take photographs of your skin to check the progress after the hack.
Cleaning:
Twice a day in the morning and night, put some of the cleansers in your hand and add one drop of tea tree oil to it. Then mix them and then wash your face using the mixture. Avoid the area around the mouth. Pat dry your skin with a clean towel to be more gentle on your skin.
Toning:
Add some drops of hydrating toner to a cotton pad, add one drop of tea tree oil and then clean the skin by rubbing the pad gently on the skin.
Sunscreen or similar products:
The majority of sunscreens on the market use a high amount of carcinogens including titanium dioxide. For that reason, it is best to use zinc oxide as a sunscreen replacement. Also, when you use any cream or gel for your skin, put some of the gel/cream on your palm, add one drop of tea tree oil, mix them and apply it to your face.
Do the same procedure for deep cleaning masks and scrubs. Add one drop of tea tree oil to every product that you apply to your face.
Get rid of crawling on your skin :
Whenever you feel the crawling on your face, clean your face using an oil free makeup remover wipe smeared with a few drops of tea tree oil.
Hair loss control for oily/greasy scalp :
Add some proper shampoo on the palm of your hand, add a few drops of tea tree oil, mix it and wash your scalp. Tea tree oil can dry out your hair strands if you have dry hair. It’s better to use the shampoo that is mixed with tea tree oil only for washing the scalp.
If you use a conditioner or masque on your hair, make sure to add an adequate amount of tea tree oil to it, before applying it to your hair.
How to control the population of Demodex mites:
Tea tree oil (For oily skin/scalp)
3% Myrtle oil (Kills mites)
Castor oil (For dry scalp)
Mint oil (Cools down the scalp and might help with dandruff)
High-frequency skin care machine (Ozone Therapy)
Clean your accessories from dirt and mites:
When washing your clothes add 10–20 drops of tea tree oil to the detergent in the washing machine
Have a few clean cotton fabrics to use on top of your pillowcase, to make sure your skin rests in a clean place during the night
Add a few drops of tea tree oil to a cotton ball and clean your cosmetic brushes, sunglass frame, glass frame, etc.
Clean your bath towels, and bed sheets more frequently.
Precautions:
Instead of using tea directly on your face, mix it with a carrier oil or some skin/hair products. For you to have dry skin, you might need to add tea tree oil to Manuka Honey or virgin coconut oil to prevent further drying out of your skin.
Myrtle and castor oil might increase your facial hair if used on face (Only use them on your lashes)
Always start with one drop or less of each oil to make sure you’re not allergic to it (Start with a small region of your skin.)
Do not over wash your hair/face as it causes the skin to produce more oil.
The best places to find us are our Instagram handles @ft.shr and @hackmybiology
References:
[1,2]Human Demodex Mite: The Versatile Mite of Dermatological Importance
Additional Resources:
Ubiquity and diversity of human-associated Demodex mites
Human Demodex Mite: The Versatile Mite of Dermatological Importance
Terpinen-4-ol is the Most Active Ingredient of Tea Tree Oil to Kill Demodex Mites
