Many of us have white bumps on our skin, especially our eyes which we refer to as acne or whiteheads. But are all these bumps really acne?

What is milia?

Milia are small, white bumps which are formed when the skin flakes or when a protein called Keratin gets trapped under the skin. They are commonly seen on the face- around the eyelids and cheeks. These bumps are not usually itchy, however they can be quite uncomfortable. Not only the face, but they can occur on any part of the body and can be easily confused with acne or pimples.

Milia is of many types, the prominent ones are as follows-

1. Primary Milia: Primary milia are more commonly seen in infants, however they can occur in adults as well. It most commonly appears on body parts including eyelids, genitals, cheeks and forehead. Usually, primary milia disappears without any treatment, although it may last from several weeks to months.
2. Secondary Milia: Secondary milia usually occurs on the skin after an injury, burn or a surgery. It can also appear over any scarred tissue. Secondary milia may appear on any part of the body.
3. Multiple eruptive milia: It is a very rare kind of milia. Multiple eruptive milia involves the formation of numerous bumps in a common area. It can last over the course of a few weeks to months. It usually appear on the trunk, upper arms and face.

The condition is quite common in infants and may not be professionally treated. Milia in infants disappears on itself in short span of time. However, it doesn’t go away very easily in adults like acne and pimples usually do. So, if you have it you must be curious to know how to treat it. We’ll make it easy for you.

Treatment of Milia

However bad the disease may sound, it’s just a cosmetic concern and doesn’t affect your skin in any way. Generally, milia cannot be treated using medicines. However, in some individuals, use of retinoid containing creams can have an effect on milia. It may disappear on its own in several weeks or months and it is advised to leave it alone and let it disappear itself. But, if it gets very uncomfortable, you can seek help from a professional.

• Professional help: If it doesn’t vanish in a few months or you need it removed as soon as possible, you can seek help from a dermatologist. Under professional care, it can easily be treated by incision with a cutting-edge needle under local anaesthetic cream. Few of the other treatment options can be removal through electrodessication by radio frequency, laser or cryotherapy.

It is important to know that taking matters in your own hands and removing milia using sharp objects at home or popping it like you would do it with a pimple is not at all advisory. It can make your skin condition even worse.

• Exfoliation: Exfoliating your skin can help get rid of any dead cells and improve cell turnover. As a result the cells trapped in the skin may begin shredding thereby eradicating milia. However, it is important to note that over exfoliating your skin can irritate it and may make the matter even worse. Hence a mild exfoliator is recommended. You can consult your doctor for the same.

Prevention

Whether you are seeking professional help or waiting for milia to go away itself, you need to take measures in order to ensure it doesn’t reoccur again. Sunscreen is a must when it comes to that. Protecting your skin from the harmful rays of the sun should be in your priority list. It not only helps with milia, but is for the betterment of your overall skin heath. Apart from this, make sure you do not use oil base products as they can worsen the condition.

Treating milia with care and taking the appropriate measures to prevent it can make your skin milia-free just in time.