Many men and women might have milia and not even know that they do, as they have put up with the skin condition for a long time.
However, they don’t have to live with the small white bumps that appear on the nose and cheeks any longer, as there is a treatment that can get rid of them quickly and effectively.
What is milia?
Most people associate milia spots with newborn babies, as they typically affect around half of all new babies, but the cyst-like spots heal quickly.
They are caused by keratin, which is a protein found in hair and nails, getting trapped beneath the skin.
Although the body should get rid of dead skin cells, when this does not happen, new skin grows on top, trapping them below. The old cells then harden underneath the new ones and form cysts, which can look like little white or yellow bumps on the skin.
They can also cluster together, and though they are not uncomfortable or painful, they can have an impact on self-confidence, as they are hard to disguise.
They tend to collect around the eyes, as this area does not have as many oil glands as the rest of the face. Therefore, keratin levels are more likely to build up here.
There are a few reasons why the skin might not remove dead skin cells as it should, including damage from injuries, previous blistering, sunburn or overuse of steroid creams. It could also be due to an autoimmune response or could simply be down to genetics.
What can you do about treating milia?
Milia on newborns does not need to be treated, as they tend to clear up on their own after a few weeks.
However, for adults who feel like the spots are affecting their self-esteem, the good news is that milia can be treated effectively.
Though they typically disappear on their own after a few months, they can definitely impact someone’s mental health in that time, particularly as they tend to appear on the face.
That is why it is worth considering a milia removal facial, if this is the case for you, especially if you have waited a long time and they don’t seem to be going anywhere.
A milia removal facial involves using a sterile needle to extract the cysts from the skin. Each bump is treated individually, and the procedure typically takes around 30 minutes, depending on how many there are.
Alternatively, you could opt for a chemical skin peel, which exfoliates the top layer of the skin and removes the dead skin cells that haven’t been able to shift. This allows fresh new cells to emerge from the layer below.
As well as these treatments, you might also consider cryotherapy that freezes the milia with liquid nitrogen or diathermy, which works in the opposite way by using extreme heat to destroy the skin cells.
Topical retinoids that offer deep skin exfoliation or laser treatment also work well on the affected areas of the skin.