Background: Demodex mites can infect the sebaceous glands and hair follicles from almost every area of human skin especially on the face. Demodicosis is considered to be a factor in the pathogenesis of some skin disorders. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of Demodex mites and to identify the association between risk factors and Demodex infection.

Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted with 100 university students in Khorramabad, Iran. Samples were collected from three different regions of the face (nose, cheeks and forehead) using two different methods, including cellophane tape method (CTP) and skin pressurization. A questionnaire was filled for each individual and data were subjected to statistical analyses using chi-square test.

Results: The overall prevalence of Demodex mites was 55%. The detection rate of infection by cellophane tape method was much higher than that of the skin pressurization (p<0.01). The incidence of Demodex was found to occur more frequently in males and in people with oily skin (p<0.05). Furthermore, the infection rate among students with acne vulgaris was significantly higher than that of students without acne (p<0.05). We found a significant difference between acne vulgaris and density of Demodex mites (p<0.01).

Conclusion: The cellophane tape method (CTP) is an easy and suitable method for epidemiologic investigations. Skin types and gender were identified as risk factors. Our study suggests that Demodex infection could be associated with acne vulgaris.