Does everyone have Demodex mites?

Small numbers are common and harmless. Symptoms come from overgrowth, which is what we diagnose and treat.

Can I clear Demodex with wipes at home?

Home hygiene supports treatment but rarely clears an established overgrowth; the follicle-level debridement happens in office.

Is Demodex blepharitis contagious?

Transfer between close contacts can occur, but overgrowth reflects the lid environment more than exposure. We treat the environment.

What are Demodex mites?

Demodex are microscopic mites that live in hair and eyelash follicles and in oil glands, including those of the lids. Most older adults carry them, usually without trouble; Demodex blepharitis is the lid inflammation that develops when the population grows large enough to cause symptoms.

How do you get rid of Demodex mites on the eyelids?

In office we debride the lash line to clear the collarettes and biofilm the mites live in, then prescribe treatment that reaches the follicle. In 2023 the FDA approved the first prescription eye drop specifically for Demodex blepharitis (lotilaner), used twice a day for six weeks. Daily lid hygiene keeps the count down afterward; over-the-counter wipes alone rarely clear an established overgrowth.

Can you feel Demodex mites crawling?

People describe itching, burning and a crawling or tickling feeling along the lash line, typically worst on waking. The mites themselves are too small to feel individually; the sensation comes from the inflammation they cause at the follicle. A lash-line exam settles it in minutes.

Medically reviewed by Dr. Bijan Cohenmehr, OD Last reviewed October 24, 2026

Demodex Blepharitis: Symptoms, Causes & Treatment

When the problem at your lash line is alive.

Demodex are microscopic mites that live in lash follicles. In small numbers they are normal; overgrown, they inflame the lid margin, shed sleeve-like dandruff around lash bases, and drive itching that drops and wipes never quite fix.

Book appointmentOr call 310-828-2010 Accepted insurance

Hallmark: Cylindrical dandruff at lash bases
Worst at: Morning — itch after sleep
Diagnosis: Slit-lamp look, lash exam
Treatment: In-office exfoliation + targeted therapy

Clearing it

Debride, treat, keep it gone.

01
Confirm at the slit lamp
Collarettes at the lash base are the tell; our optometrists in Los Angeles grade the load before treating.
02
In-office eyelid exfoliation
Mechanical debridement (ABMax) clears the biofilm and debris mites feed and breed in.
03
Targeted therapy
Follicle-directed treatment knocks the population down; lid hygiene keeps it down.
04
Re-grade
We recheck the lash line and your symptoms, and fold maintenance into your dry eye plan.

Suspect Demodex if

Lid itch is worst on waking
Flaky “sleeves” ring the lash bases
Blepharitis keeps relapsing after wipes and scrubs
Lashes thin, misdirect or fall
Rosacea keeps your lid margins red

Why wipes fail

Mites live down in the follicle, under the debris. Surface scrubs clear crumbs, not colonies, which is why treatment pairs in-office exfoliation with therapy that reaches the follicle.

Eyelid exfoliation →

Connected conditions

Mites rarely travel alone.

Blepharitis that relapses
Meibomian gland dysfunction and evaporative dry eye
Ocular rosacea at the lid margins
Recurrent styes and lash problems

Book a lid evaluation

Common questions

Demodex blepharitis, answered.

Anything else, call the office at 310-828-2010.

Small numbers are common and harmless. Symptoms come from overgrowth, which is what we diagnose and treat.
Home hygiene supports treatment but rarely clears an established overgrowth; the follicle-level debridement happens in office.
Transfer between close contacts can occur, but overgrowth reflects the lid environment more than exposure. We treat the environment.
Demodex are microscopic mites that live in hair and eyelash follicles and in oil glands, including those of the lids. Most older adults carry them, usually without trouble; Demodex blepharitis is the lid inflammation that develops when the population grows large enough to cause symptoms.
In office we debride the lash line to clear the collarettes and biofilm the mites live in, then prescribe treatment that reaches the follicle. In 2023 the FDA approved the first prescription eye drop specifically for Demodex blepharitis (lotilaner), used twice a day for six weeks. Daily lid hygiene keeps the count down afterward; over-the-counter wipes alone rarely clear an established overgrowth.
People describe itching, burning and a crawling or tickling feeling along the lash line, typically worst on waking. The mites themselves are too small to feel individually; the sensation comes from the inflammation they cause at the follicle. A lash-line exam settles it in minutes.

Demodex blepharitis near you

12222 Wilshire Blvd, on the Santa Monica border.

West Los Angeles Brentwood Santa Monica Westwood Beverly Hills Culver City Pacific Palisades West Hollywood Marina del Rey Newport Beach

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Next step

Itchy lids every morning?

A five-minute lash-line exam settles whether Demodex is the reason.

Book a lid evaluation Or call 310-828-2010