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What Are Eyelash Mites—And How Do You Know If You Have Them?
Heads up, there are two types of bugs that can take up residence on your eyelashes.
But before you run to the mirror and start inspecting your eyes, take a beat—those bugs (a.k.a., eyelash mites) are actually super common (and normal), says Howard R. Krauss, M.D., surgical neuro-ophthalmologist at Providence Saint John’s Health Center.
Still, it's not necessarily the most comforting thing to know that right now tiny creatures are crawling up and down your lash line—so here's what you need to know about those eyelash mites, and what they might be trying to tell you.
All right, what exactly are eyelash mites?
Eyelash mites—a.k.a., Demodex folliculorum and Demodex brevis—are passed from person to person and live on the face, typically around the eyelash follicles (that's where they lay their eggs). They feed on the mucus, sebum, and oils that people tend to secrete from their facial pores and glands surrounding the eye, says Krauss.
Some people have more of these mites than others—say, if you've got especially oily skin, or make it a common habit to sleep in your makeup.
The mites can also flock to your skin if your eyes are inflamed or irritated, says Krauss (again, because extra mucus is being secreted).
So how would I know if I had eyelash mites?
Uh, there's a really, really good chance you've already got a troop of eyelash mites calling your lashes home (remember: they love the oil on your face, which is totally normal). You just can't see them with the naked eye (though if you want to be thoroughly grossed out, look at a fallen eyelash with a 16x magnifier, says Krauss).
Certain conditions may make you more prone to eye mites—though TBH, those underlying problem should concern you more than the mites themselves. If you have blepharitis (inflammation of the eyelids that causes watery eyes, redness, itchiness, or dryness) or allergies, for example, you can probably count on having more eyelash mites, since your eyes are over-secreting mucus.
Women might also have more eyelash mites than men because of hormonal reasons, and older people will often have more eyelash mites than younger ones (your sebum secretion increases as you age, says Krauss).
Okay, but if I’ve got them, how do I get rid of them?
So, you can't get rid of all your eyelash mites. Also: Eyelash mites are totally normal and nothing to worry about—the things they're attracted to (irritation, inflammation, extra mucus) are the real problem. “I don’t think you should be worried about having eye mites, but you shouldn’t ignore [discomfort],” Krauss says.
If you have blepharitis, for example, you can apply a warm, moist compress or washcloth over clean eyes for a few minutes, says Krauss. The warm moisture will make it easier to wipe the crusty buildup around your eyes away. It will also help reduce the secretions, which bring on the bacteria that cause eyelid swelling and irritation. Bonus: The fewer gland secretions, the fewer mites you’ll have since they’ll have less to feed on.
Got irritation that just won't quit? See your eye doctor to figure out what's going on. Those mites aren't a problem (seriously!), but watery, crusty eyes might be a sign of a bigger issue.
Link:https://www.womenshealthmag.com/health/a25346426/eyelash
Getting A Babysitter For New Years Eve Is Going To Cost You
Going out on New Years Eve is always an expensive proposition, but it’s even more expensive if you’re a parent. That’s because you’re likely going to have to hire a babysitter, and if you can actually find one working, they will charge you through the roof.
A report by Urbansitter finds the average cost of a babysitter on New Years Eve will be $16.43 an hour for one child, $18.86 for two, or $20.56 for three. Now if you spend four hours out ringing in the New Year that means you’ll likely be paying $65 more than on a regular evening. And that doesn’t even include extras, with 46% of parents saying they tip their sitter, while 80% will pay for things like dinner and transportation home.
Of course, where you live will play a big role in how much you pay for that NYE babysitter. According to a Care.com report, folks in San Francisco, California will be paying the most, $19.70 an hour.
Five Priciest Cities For a New Years Eve Babysitter
- San Francisco, CA: $19.70
- Salinas, CA: $18.90
- Boston, MA: $18.85
- New York City, NY: $18.44
- Kansas City, MO: $17.73
Source: Market Watch
Getting A Babysitter For New Years Eve Is Going To Cost You
Going out on New Years Eve is always an expensive proposition, but it’s even more expensive if you’re a parent. That’s because you’re likely going to have to hire a babysitter, and if you can actually find one working, they will charge you through the roof.
A report by Urbansitter finds the average cost of a babysitter on New Years Eve will be $16.43 an hour for one child, $18.86 for two, or $20.56 for three. Now if you spend four hours out ringing in the New Year that means you’ll likely be paying $65 more than on a regular evening. And that doesn’t even include extras, with 46% of parents saying they tip their sitter, while 80% will pay for things like dinner and transportation home.
Of course, where you live will play a big role in how much you pay for that NYE babysitter. According to a Care.com report, folks in San Francisco, California will be paying the most, $19.70 an hour.
Five Priciest Cities For a New Years Eve Babysitter
- San Francisco, CA: $19.70
- Salinas, CA: $18.90
- Boston, MA: $18.85
- New York City, NY: $18.44
- Kansas City, MO: $17.73
Source: Market Watch
Max and Bella top the lists of the top dog names of 2018
The website Rover.com, which bills itself as, "the world's largest network of 5-star pet sitters and dog walkers," has just released its sixth annual ranking of the top dog names, and for 2018, Max led the pack for male dog names, and Bella for females.
First, here are the top 10 names for male and female doggos:
Top 10 Male Dog Names for 2018
1. Max
2. Charlie
3. Cooper
4. Buddy
5. Jack
6. Rocky
7. Duke
8. Bear
9. Tucker
10. Oliver
Top 10 Female Dog Names
1. Bella
2. Lucy
3. Luna
4. Daisy
5. Lola
6. Sadie
7. Molly
8. Bailey
9. Maggie
10. Stella
The experts on the site also noted many trends with dog names for the year, and pop culture and the young Royals really made their mark on the collars of collies, cockers, and myriad other breeds in 2018. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's royal wedding was behind the boost for "Meghan" -- which saw a 133% boost this year. "Harry" bumped up a similar 129%."Cardi" shot up 1,250% this year -- obviously inspired by the similarly meteoric rise of Cardi B. Stormi -- named after Kylie Jenner's baby, not former porn star Stormy Daniels, bumped by 250%.
As for fictional pop culture, dogs named after bad guys remained popular, with "Loki" of Marvel movie fame, "Bane" from the Batman universe, "Lex" as in Superman's nemesis Luthor, and "Anakin," as in Skywalker among 2018's more popular in that category.
Technically, Anakin was still a good guy, and when he fell, he became Darth Vader, but we digress. "Darth" also remained a popular pop culture name.
As for other baddies, "Thanos" jumped 215% -- named after the purple-faced, world-ending Titan as seen in the Avengers movies.
There are people who name their dogs after food, too -- 12% according to Rover.com in fact. "Couscous" jumped in popularity in 2018, along with Crisco, Cheetos, Pasta and Ramen.
Other sources of pet name inspiration include: 5% have named their dog after a city or geographic location 12% have named their dog after an animal, plant or nature 12% have named their dog after a famous or historical person 33% have named their dog after a character from a TV show, video game, movie or book 10% have named their dog after someone they know 4% have named their dog after a brand
Mom’s Smart Way To Make Her Kids Take Screen Time Seriously
In case you haven’t heard, screen time is a huge problem for kids today. Recent studies show 95% of teens own a smartphone or tablet now and 45% say they’re online "almost constantly.” And we also know that all that smartphone use is linked to more depression and less sleep, but that doesn’t stop kids from getting in every minute of screen time they can.
Parents know that banning phones or devices isn’t as easy as it sounds, but one tech-savvy mom found a way to get her kid to take their own time online and their digital privacy more seriously. Natasha Vianna, a communications and PR professional recently tweeted about her new rules for her daughter’s screen time.
“My new requirement is that if my kid wants to download a new app, she had to write a one page report on the founders, company story and business model so that she understands how the app benefits from her use,” Vianna writes. “This is what happens when your mom works in tech.”
She makes a good point about the role of companies designing the technology. Most of them don’t have kids’ best interest in mind and some social media apps and games aimed at kids are even specifically designed to be addicting, so young users scroll for hours and make in-app purchases, or so they can collect personal data to sell off. Lots of adults know this, but kids and teens don’t always get that, so this is an important lesson.
Natasha reports that her daughter wants to know why information about the app is hard to find and that she’s developed a curiosity about addictive apps with mysterious backgrounds. So her plan is working!
Source: Mind Body Green