Follice mites - everyone has them.
Mites are small creatures visually similar to insects but with four pairs of legs instead of three. Many mites are parasites of animals and plants: Demodex folliculorum and Demodex brevis are parasites of humans. These two microscopic mite species live on the face, tucked into the hair follicles. They are referred to as demodex mites, follicle mites, or face mites.
Where do face mites live?
A hair follicle is a long narrow tube leading down from the skin surface to the root of the hair. Branching off the side of the hair follicle quite near the surface is a sebaceous gland that continually produces sebum, a fatty secretion to moisturize and protect the skin. While hair follicles and sebaceous glands occur virtually all over the body, follicle mites seem to have a predilection for the follicles and glands of the face. Early research indicted that they are most numerous around the nose and eyes, but some recent studies have found the highest numbers on the cheeks and forehead.
Follicle mites are long and thin—the better to fit inside a long thin hair follicle—with their four pairs of legs right up at the head end and the rest of their tubular body dragging behind. Demodex brevis mites live in the sebaceous glands while D. folliculorum mites occupy the hair follicles—both species feed on sebaceous secretions and dead skin cells, both reproduce in the follicle or gland, and both occasionally leave the follicle and travel across the skin to a new follicle.
Who has face mites?
Demodex mites are very common in humans. The older you are, the more likely you are to have a few mites living in your follicles, with some sources stating that virtually all senior citizens have them. Follicle mites are passed directly person to person through skin contact or on shared towels and other fabrics.