Eyelash scaling - Demodex or staphylococcus?

[Milo007]

Hello everyone,
I guess I have been underestimating some aspects of my dry eye issue which might be contributing to my problem more than I think. For the past few weeks I have noticed some tiny dandruff like flakes at the base of my eyelashes that don't go away with a eyelid scrub. At first I thought they were dead skin cells. But it has been quite a while and they are stubbornly hanging there even after daily scrubbing with a baby shampoo and my daily facewash foam. My eyelash margins also itch sometimes and strangely the inner surfaces of my eyelids is often reddish and inflamed with a mild burning sensation that usually comes and goes. I doubt if it's a demodex infestation.

Members who have experience with demodex please share your symptoms and also the measures you had taken to control the mites.

Please note I have no access to proprietary formulations like cliradex, avenova or any other brands in my country. However, I do have access to pure tea tree oil.

Is it possible to make my own daily lid scrub from pure TTO and baby shampoo?

[quattroboy]

I would recommend anyone suffering MGD or blepharitis to treat themselves and even their partner for Demodex.

Since following my new docs Demodex routine I've seen a step change improvement in my symptoms.

Most people with MGD and Bleph also have Demodex issues:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4219223/

My docs approach is here:

https://www.thebestsense.com/blephar...treatment-cure

I've supplemented it using my own research, again US-based docs seem to be more switched on with this stuff.

1. Wash your bedding in 55c+ water and dry with hot tumble dryer. Once a week.
2. I use the tea tree shampoo as a body wash when showering.
3. Your partner should also treat themselves for Demodex, they are easily transferred.
4. Before bed, I use neat tea tree oil on my face but I also my eyes and rub it along my lash line. Be very careful it will burn and do not open your eyes until the burning stops!! Do this at your own risk.


It will take a few months to break the Demodex cycle but I honestly think it's worth the effort. As MGD and Blelph victims we should be following eyelid hygiene anyway.

I've read topical eye steroids (often used in treating dry eyes to tackle inflammation) can increase Demodex numbers!!!!!! I used steroids for two months!

[Milo007]

I would recommend anyone suffering MGD or blepharitis to treat themselves and even their partner for Demodex.

Since following my new docs Demodex routine I've seen a step change improvement in my symptoms.

Most people with MGD and Bleph also have Demodex issues:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4219223/

My docs approach is here:

https://www.thebestsense.com/blephar...treatment-cure

I've supplemented it using my own research, again US-based docs seem to be more switched on with this stuff.

1. Wash your bedding in 55c+ water and dry with hot tumble dryer. Once a week.
2. I use the tea tree shampoo as a body wash when showering.
3. Your partner should also treat themselves for Demodex, they are easily transferred.
4. Before bed, I use neat tea tree oil on my face but I also my eyes and rub it along my lash line. Be very careful it will burn and do not open your eyes until the burning stops!! Do this at your own risk.


It will take a few months to break the Demodex cycle but I honestly think it's worth the effort. As MGD and Blelph victims we should be following eyelid hygiene anyway.

I've read topical eye steroids (often used in treating dry eyes to tackle inflammation) can increase Demodex numbers!!!!!! I used steroids for two months!

Sorry but the second link doesn't work. Can you revise the link and copy paste again.

You wrote you rub "neat" tea tree oil along your lash line before going to bed. Is it 100% pure tea tree oil or is it diluted tea tree oil?

Have you got any direct improvement in your MGD symptoms after treating your demodex infestation?

What were your symptoms before you got demodex under control?

Incidentally, I have also been using steroids for the past few months as frequently as once in 10 days on an average.

[quattroboy]

No problem, his full description of demodex is here, including links to his routine

https://www.thebestsense.com/blephar...ere-is-the-def

It's neat so be very careful, getting neat tea tree in your eyes isn't fun. I won't be doing this much longer, I think it's had the effect I wanted which is kill off the bulk of the adults.

My eyes feel less dry and much more comfortable.

My left eye has two plugs in it, it now over tears!!!! It's never done that before, it's the dryer of my two eyes. Next time I see my regular NHS doc, I'll see about getting the upper plug removed :-)

Another link for you, this mentions the effect steroids have:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2946818/

[ebi1368]

My eyes feel less dry and much more comfortable.

My left eye has two plugs in it, it now over tears!!!! It's never done that before, it's the dryer of my two eyes. Next time I see my regular NHS doc, I'll see about getting the upper plug removed :-)

Thanks for sharing this. It is really good news and give me hope. How long ago you did your Lasik?

[Guest]

No problem, his full description of demodex is here, including links to his routine

https://www.thebestsense.com/blephar...ere-is-the-def

It's neat so be very careful, getting neat tea tree in your eyes isn't fun. I won't be doing this much longer, I think it's had the effect I wanted which is kill off the bulk of the adults.

My eyes feel less dry and much more comfortable.

My left eye has two plugs in it, it now over tears!!!! It's never done that before, it's the dryer of my two eyes. Next time I see my regular NHS doc, I'll see about getting the upper plug removed :-)

Another link for you, this mentions the effect steroids have:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2946818/

That last paper was a good one by dr Tseng. When he mentioned systemic and topical steroids, the main thing I took away from that was, there’s an immune system component to the infestation. That a compromised immune system, for whatever reason, is more prone to demodex infestation. It makes me wonder how much of a role the immune system plays in dry eye. Even for those of us without diagnosed autoimmune disorders. Is dry eye in some people it’s own autoimmune disorder? Once you start the inflammation cycle, does it become its own disease? You just need a trigger? Which sounds very much like any other autoimmune disease. Sjogrens is thought to be trigger by an imbalance of hormones mainly a loss of testosterone (trigger). Maybe our trigger was refractive surgery, or an injury? Just speculating but it’s a fascinating idea. Why is there such an odd immune response seen in dry eye patients? It also varies, for some, restasis works. For others, it doesn’t. Same for any other treatment. There’s so much still to learn. We’re in the infancy of understanding the eye and all it’s other functioning parts.

[quattroboy]

Thanks for sharing this. It is really good news and give me hope. How long ago you did your Lasik?

It will be 12 months on the 9th November.