• NaevaTheRat@vegantheoryclub.org
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    2 months ago

    Personally I find it pretty neat that as megafauna we are host to entire little ecosystems. It’s a calming thought to imagine yourself like some large tree, home to little families of various creatures, bacterial and fungal colonies growing on you. We are thoroughly integrated into the ecosystems in which we live.

    They’re not harmful, they’re just living their mitey little life.

    • Chadus_Maximus@lemm.ee
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      2 months ago

      I, personally, am wholly against most of my DNA existing solely it can replicate itself. So what if getting rid of it is more effort than keeping it? I want it gone from my body. Goddamn freeloaders…

      • NaevaTheRat@vegantheoryclub.org
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        2 months ago

        I hope you’re just acting the fool because of tumblr brain. You aren’t being harmed, knowledge of something that wasn’t hurting you being uncomfortable should convince you your attitudes are wrong. Not that the situation is bad.

        Fix yourself, don’t be a child.

  • perishthethought@lemm.ee
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    2 months ago

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demodex

    My fave parts (edited for brevity):

    The adult mites are 0.3–0.4 mm (3⁄256–1⁄64 in) long. Each has a semitransparent, elongated body that consists of two fused parts. Eight short, segmented legs are attached to the first body segment. The body is covered with scales for anchoring itself in the hair follicle, and the mite has pin-like mouthparts for eating skin cells and oils that accumulate in the hair follicles.

    … and …

    The mites are transferred between hosts through contact with hair, eyebrows, and the sebaceous glands of the face.

    Ohhh good.

    • Maalus@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      Wait, 0.3mm is huge, you should be able to see that. I don’t think this is right.

      • Krackalot@discuss.tchncs.de
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        2 months ago

        Agreed. 1/64th of an inch is .016". An average human hair is .003" in diameter, that would be as long as five hairs wide. You wouldn’t even need a magnifier to see the largest ones.

      • Robust Mirror@aussie.zone
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        2 months ago

        Combine the size with the fact that they are semi transparent and live in hair follicles and sebaceous glands, both of which are essentially under the skin, and that’s why you don’t generally see them.

    • Classy@sh.itjust.works
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      2 months ago

      3⁄256

      Please don’t let the Amish at my work know that such small increments of size exist. They’ll ask me to cut my trim to that level of tolerance

    • unemployedclaquer@sopuli.xyz
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      2 months ago

      This is why it’s okay to make out with randos at parties and such. You get mono for 6 months plus accretion of zillions of new friends.

  • Dharma Curious (he/him)@slrpnk.net
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    2 months ago

    Found out about these when I was a kid. I was thrilled. When I was very little, my mom owned a grooming shop, and I basically had 1 million pets. Then she closed down, and we just had our dog and a cat. Weird little 5 year old me loved the idea that I had thousands of little pets that’s slept on my face and came out to play while I slept

  • southsamurai@sh.itjust.works
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    2 months ago

    Little homies up in there cleaning things and living their best lives. I ain’t mad at that.

    Besides, all the yeast and bacteria maken good company for them, so it’s all good.

    • Cenotaph@mander.xyz
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      2 months ago

      Just make sure you wash your face still, otherwise they build up and cause problems