Eyelash mite tails. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of the tails (pink) of three eyelash, or follicle, mites (Demodex folliculorum), protr

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Eyelash mite tails. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of the tails (pink) of three eyelash, or follicle, mites (Demodex folliculorum), protruding from a human hair follicle. The hair shaft (upper right) is also seen. These harmless parasites infest follicles (depressions in the skin which contain the roots of hairs) around the eyelids, nose and in the ear canals of humans. One follicle may contain up to 25 growing mites. They feed on oily secretions from the skin's sebaceous glands, as well as dead skin cells. Infestation is usually symptomless, but allergic reactions to the mites in susceptible individuals can cause hair loss and acne. Magnification: x250 at 6x7cm size.

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Size: 3188px × 3104px
Photo credit: © STEVE GSCHMEISSNER/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: acne, allergen, allergic, allergies, allergy, animal, animals, arachnid, arachnida, arachnids, coloured, commensal, commensalism, commensals, demodex, ectoparasite, ectoparasites, eyelash, follicle, folliculorum, hair, harmless, human, invertebrates, loss, mite, mites, nature, parasite, parasites, parasitic, parasitism, sem, shaft, skin, tail, tails, wildlife, zoology