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Follicle Mite - Demodex folliculorum
This is a follicle mite. It has a worm-like shape with its head at the bottom left in this photo.
Don't panic, but everyone (humans) has these mites on their skin -- they are microscopic, so you can't see them. The average person may have up to 3 million mites on their bodies.
These mites usually don't do any harm and are actually beneficial in that they feast on sebum (oil) in the sebaceous glands. Babies aren't born with mites, but likely acquire them from their mothers. They tend to be found in higher concentrations on faces -- forehead, nose, ear, and eyelashes. They basically eat your grease, which is not a bad thing.
Occasionally, a mite may block a gland, leading to a build-up of bacteria and causing infection. Their dead bodies can also cause an immune response, although this is not common.
Fun fact: They do not have anuses. Their lives end when their bodies explode from being full of waste.
*Whole mount microscope slide
''Demodex folliculorum'' is a microscopic mite that can only survive on the skin of humans. Most people have ''D. folliculorum'' on their skin. Usually, the mites do not cause any harm, and are therefore considered an example of commensalism rather than parasitism. If ''D. folliculorum'' does cause disease, this is known as demodicosis.
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