Rosacea? It's Because This Little Bug is Pooping on Your Face
You know the scary campfire story about flesh-eating bugs that come out at night and eat you alive? Turns out it might not be too far off.
A new study found the surprising cause of rosacea, the skin condition that makes skin red and inflamed: This disgusting microscopic creature.
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Researchers at the National University of Ireland found that these mites actually live inside your sweat glands and feed on your oil and dead skin cells. Then at night, they come out of your pores and crawl around the surface of your skin looking for a mate.
But it gets worse.
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When the mites die, their dead carcasses release bacteria-filled poop that spills into your pores. And if your skin is home to a lot of these mites, you'll react to their excrement in the form of red, inflamed skin. Hello, rosacea.
If you're one of the 16 million Americans who deal with rosacea, dietary changes (like eating more vegetables and avoiding high fat foods) can help create more "normal" sebum -- and therefore prevent the mites from feasting (and pooping) on your skin.
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