Milia: Causes and Treatments

Milia are small, hard white bumps under the surface of the skin commonly known as milk spots. They are common in all ages and both sexes, especially among young babies.

They most often arise on the face and are particularly prominent around the eyes on the eyelids and cheeks, but they may occur elsewhere.



Milia is caused by trapped dead skin cells (keratin) in your skin clogging up the sweat ducts.

Milia tend to occur after a trauma such as a rash due to allergic reactions and irritation from harsh products. After an injury, burn or blistering of the skin, the number of skin cells trapped under the skin's surface can increase.

Another important factor which can cause milia is using face creams which are too rich thus preventing natural exfoliation from occurring. Sun damage is another contributing factor.

Although they are harmless, many people with milia would prefer to remove them.

They can sometimes clear up by themselves without treatment, but with adults they can be stubborn to clear, lasting for a few weeks or persist for months or sometimes longer!

Treatment:

Whatever you do, do not squeeze or try to remove it yourself like a spot as you will cause more harm.

Using regular exfoliating ingredients in your daily skincare regime like salicylic acid, glycolic acid or Retinol will help prevent milia from occurring and in some cases will get rid of them.

If your milia don't respond to an exfoliating treatment after several weeks or months, consider looking into an effective procedure called advanced electrolysis or cryotherapy, which we offer in our clinic

Tips:

Remember regular exfoliation and sunscreen will help prevent milia from occurring.

You should be using an eye cream that is light enough to penetrate easily into your eye area. If you think your eye cream is too rich, switch to an eye gel instead.
 
To learn about milia, read our skin guide on How to get rid of Milia written by Dermacare's aesthetics experts.