Surprise! You’ve Got Mites Mating on Your Face While You Sleep — and They Might Be Why Your Eyes Are So Dry

You know that weird feeling when your eyes are itchy, crusty, and dry, and no amount of drops or complaining helps? Well, we hate to be the ones to tell you this, but... there’s a very tiny orgy happening on your face every night, and it might be the reason.

We’re talking about eyelash mites — also known as Demodex, also known as those microscopic squatters that party on your lash line while you're dreaming about Ryan Gosling. And yes, almost everyone has them.

According to experts, around 6 million Canadians are dealing with dry eye disease, and while some causes are well-known (hello, screen time and weather changes), others are literally crawling under the radar.

RELATED: It’s ‘Eyelash-Shedding Season’

Meet Your Uninvited Bedmates

Eyelash mites are eight-legged parasites that live in your hair follicles and sebaceous glands. They’re teeny-tiny (just 0.4 mm long), mostly harmless, and gross. They come out at night to feed on oil and bacteria... and mate. Right there. On your lashes. How romantic.

An overgrowth of these little guys can cause some major drama, including:

• Dry, itchy eyes
• Crusty eyelids
• Redness and irritation
• Styes
• Eyelash loss (yes, really — your lashes may be breaking up with you over this)

Don’t Panic — Please Don’t Grab the Bug Spray

Before you go full Terminator on your face, know that there’s a calmer way to evict these lash freeloaders. Prescription eye drops can help clear up the bacteria buffet these mites love, restore balance, and prevent future itchy eye disasters.

Your optometrist might also recommend lash scrubs, gentle cleansers, or tea tree oil-based wipes — because nothing says “you’re not welcome here” like a deep-cleaned lash line.