Demodex folliculorum, as scientists call them, are only 0.3 mm long. Living organisms 0.3 mm long live deep in our skin pores, but they may soon become extinct – and then the problems will begin for us.
Exfoliating regularly, moisturizing, and not forgetting sunscreen – that’s the skin care routine for most of us. What about the pore cleaning mites, known to scientists as Demodex folliculorum, that live their entire lives on our faces? At night, these tiny organisms, only 0.3 mm long, leave the skin’s pores to find a new follicle, meet a partner and mate. A seemingly peaceful and carefree life.
But a new study has shown that life is not all sweetness and light for ticks: their DNA is destroyed, which means they can disappear. Don’t rush to the bathroom and scrub your face with laundry soap or bleach: you won’t reach the ticks during the day because they live too deep. Unless you use sandpaper. Let me reassure you that more than 90% of people are carriers of these ticks and they are passed on from birth: these microorganisms are transmitted during breastfeeding.
Yes, it’s a tick that lives on your face. Cute, isn’t it? Dr. Alehandra Perotti of the University of Reading, co-author of the study, believes that we should be grateful to nature for forging such a close relationship with microbes and providing them with a permanent home. “They are very small and cute. There is nothing to be afraid of. They clean our pores,” she says. “Don’t be afraid, but rather be happy that these microscopic creatures live next to you, because they do no harm.”
Researchers have also found that ticks have the lowest number of genes of any insect, arachnid, or crustacean. The gene that protects the ticks’ bodies from ultraviolet radiation has been lost, although it hardly bothers them too much – they are only active at night, when they engage in activities that might make some of us shudder and grimace. “At night, when we are sound asleep, they visit neighboring burrows to engage in sexual activity and reproduce,” Dr. Perotti explains.
Studies show that this species may be on its way to complete dependence on humans for survival. Incestuous marriages are not beneficial to the population – just ask the Egyptian pharaohs. Research has shown that as the genetic diversity of ticks decreases, their dependence on us increases, and they may be at risk of extinction altogether. For example, researchers expected to find a gene that makes ticks wake up and go to sleep, but they did not. Instead, their bodies rely on our sleep: when we sleep, our skin produces fewer hormones, and that is what awakens ticks. This adaptation comes with certain risks. The more ticks adapt to us, the more genes they lose, and eventually they just won’t be able to exist without us. Because of this dependency, they will not be able to leave the pores in time to find a new reproductive partner. Truly, all eggs are in one basket. Well, let them say, advocates of impeccable personal hygiene. It’s a small loss! “These ticks are directly related to the health of the skin, so if they are not present, we may have problems with it,” warns Dr. Perotti.
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