Eyelash mite tails. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of the tails (blue) of two eyelash, or follicle, mites (Demodex folliculorum), with a

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Eyelash mite tails. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of the tails (blue) of two eyelash, or follicle, mites (Demodex folliculorum), with a hair (yellow) in a human hair follicle. These harmless parasites infest hair 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: x400 at 10cm tall.

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Size: 3826px × 4572px
Photo credit: © STEVE GSCHMEISSNER/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

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