Mother believes she has ‘overgrowth’ of skin’s naturally occurring mites and feels them ‘scurrying over her 24/7’

A mother who believes she is suffering with an “overgrowth” of the naturally occurring microscopic mites living on the skin says she can feel them “scurrying over her 24/7”.

Jodi Alcock, 38, based in Harlesden, north west London, said she first noticed something “tickling” her face and arms in September 2023, but she became increasingly concerned when she felt a “really sharp bite” on her skin.

The single mother to a young boy, who she did not wish to name, initially suspected she had fleas in her home, but after enlisting the help of fumigators, no traces of the pests were discovered.

After using a mite detector on her mattress, which flagged the places she typically sleeps, Jodi researched her symptoms and now feels she is suffering with an “overgrowth” or “infestation” of naturally occurring skin mites.

In September 2025, the part-time youth worker was diagnosed with blepharitis – swollen, itchy eyelids caused by a type of bacteria that lives on the skin, according to the NHS – but she said she has not received a diagnosis for the mites she believes are living on her body.

Jodi has now made drastic changes to her lifestyle to combat her suspected condition, which she said causes her skin “itch”, “burn” and break out in “spots” or “rashes” – and she has since launched a GoFundMe page to seek the help of a private specialist in London.

“Because I’m hypersensitive to them, I can actually feel them crawling all over my face and body, 24/7, day and night,” Jodi told PA Real Life.

“I feel them living on me, scurrying around and I feel sharp pinpricks of bites on my skin which will come out with a papule spot, a bump or a rash.

“I’ll blink and feel a handful of them dropping from my eyelashes on to my face.

“It has really ruined my life, it’s an absolute nightmare.”

Jodi said she first noticed something “tickling” her face and arms in September 2023.

“I just thought it was a little niggle or itch, and then I felt a really sharp bite, a prick on my skin,” she said.

“It continued days after but it kept getting worse.”

Jodi initially suspected fleas had been brought into her home.

“There’s carpet in the bedrooms and I could feel them, especially around my feet and ankles, jumping up on me,” she said.

She said she called in fumigators four times over the course of four months where no traces of fleas were found – but Jodi’s sensations only became “more intensified” over her “entire body”.

Jodi said she removed any carpet from her home, she started steaming her mattress and she threw away “everything” – from clothing to furniture – where she thought the fleas could be embedded.

She then used a mite detector device, she said, which operated as both a steamer and a way of checking for the insects.

When applying the device to her mattress, Jodi said the places where she typically slept were flagged, which was “really weird” – but she then said she spotted the culprit on her arm.

“Every time I would feel something crawling on me, I would look down and not see anything but for the first time, I could see what looked like a little speck of snot,” she said.

Jodi said she then started to research her symptoms online and she came across “demodex overgrowth or infestation”.

It is thought demodex are common, microscopic mites that live in human hair follicles and do not cause any harm.

In some cases however, it is believed they can multiply too quickly, causing redness, irritation, and spots or bumps on the skin – though it is thought that they do not ‘bite’ in the traditional sense.

After seeing an optician in September 2025, Jodi was diagnosed with blepharitis – swollen, itchy eyelids which can be caused by a type of bacteria that lives on the skin, according to the NHS.

Jodi said the optician “even saw the mites on (her) eyelashes” and she is still receiving treatment for the condition.

“I haven’t got a diagnosis for the demodex on my body, but I have got a diagnosis for blepharitis, which is caused by face mites,” she added.

Jodi said she then raised “demodex overgrowth” with her doctor “several times”, but she claims they were “not listening” to her.

She added she was prescribed with medication to treat scabies, an itchy rash caused by mites, but it did not relieve her symptoms.

Jodi then saw a different doctor, she said, who researched “demodex overgrowth” online and said her symptoms appeared to match.

“They said they didn’t know anything about it, so they didn’t know how they could help, but finally someone believed me,” Jodi said.

She was then referred to dermatologists via the NHS but said she sought the most relief from her symptoms with at-home remedies such as supplements, vitamins and focusing on her diet.

She has also tried to tackle the problem by making drastic changes to her lifestyle.

“I cut my hair short because they were living in my hair crazily, so I literally just snipped it off one morning,” she said.

“I put all my clothes and sheets in a plastic bag every single day and I mop my floors every morning in case I’ve gotten out of bed during the night.

“If I wear earrings, the only accessory I can wear, I soak it in bleach after and wrap it in plastic.

“People might think it’s a bit extra but in my mind, it’s necessary.”

She added that she purchased a leather sofa instead of a fabric one, which she frequently wipes down and does not sit on herself.

She also wraps her mattress and headboard in plastic, she sleeps on a sheet which she washes every morning and she purchases new, “cheap” pillows every three days.

At the time her symptoms began, Jodi said she had recently given birth to her son and she suspects a combination of stress, sleep deprivation and hormone imbalances may have triggered her symptoms.

She now tries to avoid touching her son for long periods of time.

She claims to have seen spots on his skin after she does, feeling as though he has been “bitten” by the mites on her own skin.

“I’ve hugged him on so many countless occasions and on the same area where I’ve touched him, I would see a papule spot come up,” she said.

“I’ve even heard him say ‘ouch mummy’, and scratch an area of his skin.”

Jodi has recently found a private doctor in London, who she said specialises in face mites and who may be able to treat her – which would involve a full-body examination and a tailored treatment plan.

She launched a GoFundMe page for support to afford the estimated treatment costs of £3,000 – raising more than £1,200 so far.

“I chose to do the GoFundMe because I’m past the stage of desperation now,” she said.

“I want to wake up in the morning and not worry about holding my son, I want to embrace my family members and not be paranoid or anxious.

“I can’t live like this, feeling these things living and crawling all over me, it’s not living.”

PA has contacted the NHS for comment.

For more information, visit Jodi’s fundraiser here: gofundme.com/f/treatment-for-demodex