Milia: how do they develop and how do you get rid of them?

Milia are small white bumps, usually around the eyes and on the cheeks. Sometimes they disappear on their own, but often they stay. They look like blackheads, but you cannot squeeze them out. That makes them a nuisance. Fortunately, a skin therapist can treat them well.

How do milia develop?

Milia develop when superficial skin cells (keratin) build up. This forms a small white bump under the skin. A thin layer of skin covers it, which is why you cannot get them out properly yourself.

Milia can develop at any age and mainly occur around the eyes and on the cheeks. The exact cause cannot always be found; some people are more prone to them than others. Sometimes it is a single spot, sometimes a whole group. What we often see is that the skin in that area is dry and does not retain enough moisture.

How do you get rid of milia?

Because milia cannot be squeezed out like blackheads, a special technique is needed. We use a deep cleanse, a peel or coagulation.

With a deep cleanse we open the milia one by one and empty them by hand. If they keep coming back, we combine the deep cleanse with a chemical peel. This makes the outer layer of the skin slightly thinner, so skin cells build up less quickly. A peel also helps the skin retain moisture.

If the milia are too large to empty by hand, we can use coagulation. We then heat the milium very briefly. The skin heals afterwards and the bump falls off by itself.

What can you do yourself?

You can also help your skin at home. A gently exfoliating product with glycolic acid makes dead skin cells flake off and keeps the skin better hydrated. At the practice we often recommend Liquid Gold lotion from Alpha-H for this, to reduce and prevent milia.

Book an appointment

Would you like to know what we can do for you? In a free intake we look at your skin and draw up a treatment plan together. You can book an appointment here.