Today we address the question: What are milia? And what are the treatment options?
Milia look like small, white bumps on the skin. They're basically keratin trapped under the skin. They're harmless, so there isn't a pressing medical need to treat them. And often they go away naturally — but if not, they can be extracted by a dermatologist or treated with a topical retinoid.
Regular exfoliation, either with a chemical exfoliant like hydroxy acids or mechanical exfoliation with a scrub, can help prevent milia.
Milia can be confused with whiteheads, which are part of the early stages of acne. Whiteheads are full of sebum often mixed with bacteria that festers into acne pustules — whereas milia are full of keratin and are hard little bumps. Both conditions can be alleviated by exfoliation with hydroxy acids or gentle exfoliating scrubs, and treated with retinoids.
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What are milia?
Milia, also commonly called milk spots, are small, bumpy white cysts that form on your skin.
What are cysts? Think of cysts like sacs full of stuff just under the skin's surface. In the case of milia, these are sacs full of keratin — a structural protein that forms your hair, nails, and the tough outer layer of your skin. Below is a closeup of a milium cyst. Milium is just the singular version of milia.
Basically, your body naturally sheds the outermost layer of the skin on a regular basis, so that new growth can take its place. However, when the old layer doesn't shed properly, new skin can grow on top of it, trapping spots of old skin underneath.
Milia can also be caused when skin heals from damage but does not do so in a completely correct way. It's called traumatic milia or secondary milia — and it can occur after damage to your skin such as burns, bad blisters, or sunburn (Berk and Bayliss 2008).
Who gets milia? Milia versus closed comedones / whiteheads
Milia can be confused with whiteheads or pimples which result from clogged pores. These clogged pores are full of dead skin, sebum (an oily substance made by sebaceous glands), and bacteria.
Milia, on the other hand, is full of keratin (Epstein and Kligman 1956). They often form in sweat glands, though not always (Tsuji et al. 1975).
Milia will often go away on their own, but in cases where they do not, topical retinoids are typically prescribed. Milia can also be quickly excised by a dermatologist in a professional setting.
To excise milia, the skin needs to be punctured first with a knife or needle — since milia are entirely enclosed by skin — before the hard keratin is squeezed out with an extractor. Since milia are often close to the surface of the skin, chemical peels may also be used to remove them.
What can I expect if I have milia?
If you have milia and the bumps on your skin aren't clearing up on their own, there are things you can try to help them go away faster.
Don't pick at the bumps or squeeze them. You can cause skin injury or infection that leads to scarring or hyperpigmentation. Milia have no opening on the skin's surface, so they cannot be popped like whiteheads or blackheads. If you want them removed, visit a dermatologist to do it properly.
Also worth exploring: Maelove's Deep Exfoliating Clay Scrub for mechanical exfoliation.
No content on this site should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.
- Berk DR, Bayliss SJ (2008). "Milia: A review and classification." J Am Acad Dermatol. 59(6): 1050–1063.
- Epstein W, Kligman AM (1956). "The pathogenesis of milia and benign tumors of the skin." J Invest Dermatol 26(1): 1–11.
- Tsuji T, Sugai T, Suzuki S (1975). "The mode of growth of eccrine duct milia." J Invest Dermatol 65: 388–393.
