What does testing for demodex consist of?
Testing for demodex is based on detecting the mites in samples taken from the enflamed area of skin, the secretions of the sebaceous-hair follicles, other hair, or eyelashes. Before the test you should not use cosmetics, or medical salves for up to 10 days as these actions will increase the likelyhood of the test failing. Analysis must be done in laboratory conditions. A scrape is ussually taken from the affected area of the skin. The specimens for testing may also be taken by pulling out a hair from the affected area(s). The test material is put on a slide plate with a solution of 10% alkali, on a glass slide and viewed for 5-10 minutes under a microscope (magnification of objective lens is 10, and the ocular is also 10). The Laboratory findings are considered positive upon the detection of mites, eggs or the larvae, which have emptied sheaths of eggs. In the case of detection only sheaths retest is necessary.
