Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsOTC ProductsManual ExtractionMedicationsCurettageCryotherapyLaser AblationChemical PeelsRisk FactorsPrevention
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
OTC Products
Manual Extraction
Medications
Curettage
Cryotherapy
Laser Ablation
Chemical Peels
Risk Factors
Prevention
You may decide to havemiliaremoved if you don’t like how they look. Note that milia can be stubborn and may need to be treated for months.
If you are treating suspected milia on your own without success, something else might be causing the bumps on your skin. In that case, see a healthcare provider.
These milia removal strategies are for adults only. Bumps that appear on newborns (neonatal milia or milk spots) do not need to be treated. They will typically go away on their own in a few weeks. Products meant to treat adult skin can be harmful to newborn skin.
1. Milia Removal at Home
If you have just a few little bumps of milia here and there, you may want to try an over-the-counter (OTC) product that helps exfoliate dead cells from the skin’s surface first.
OTC milia removal products include:
You’ll need to use these products for the long haul to see continued results.
If you have lots of milia, they’ve hung around even after using OTC treatments, or they’re in a spot that’s hard for you to treat with such products (like your eyelid), it’s best to see a skin specialist (dermatologist).
Although milia and pimples might seem similar, they are different. Pimples are filled with a soft core of dead skin cells, skin oil (sebum), and bacteria. If popped, fluid flows from the pore. Milia are filled with a plug of hardened (keratinized) dead skin cells and cannot be popped.
Can You Pop Milia?No. Milia form under a thin layer of skin and not in apore. That means there is no opening in the skin to squeeze the plug out. Never try to pop or otherwise extract milia yourself. It won’t work, and it can cause infection, serious skin damage, and even permanent scarring.
Can You Pop Milia?
No. Milia form under a thin layer of skin and not in apore. That means there is no opening in the skin to squeeze the plug out. Never try to pop or otherwise extract milia yourself. It won’t work, and it can cause infection, serious skin damage, and even permanent scarring.
2. Manual Extraction
A tiny opening is made on the skin’s surface with asmall surgical blade (lancet). The hard plug of material is gently pushed out through the opening with the provider’s gloved fingers or a tool called a comedone extractor.
This may sound painful, but it’s not. At worst, you’ll feel a little prick. The results of manual extraction for milia are immediate.
The skin of your eyelid is very sensitive, so do not try to remove milia from it yourself. See a dermatologist or anophthalmologistfor manual extraction.
3. Prescription Medications
For milia removal, your dermatologist may recommend using a prescriptiontopical retinoid.
Topical retinoids exfoliate the skin more effectively than OTC products. They also loosen thekeratinplug in milia, helping it come to the surface and go away.
The oral antibioticminocyclinemay be prescribed for a more severe version of the condition calledmilia en plaque.
4. Curettage
Electrodesiccationandcurettageis a surgery that uses electricity to scrape off the skin. It’s mainly used to treatskin cancer, but some providers use it to treat stubborn milia.
5. Cryotherapy
Usually the liquid nitrogen is sprayed onto the skin. However, some dermatologists use a swab to apply it. In either case, the result is the same.
6. Laser Ablation/Resurfacing
Laser ablation/resurfacinguses small lasers to remove the outer areas of the skin. You may also hear it called laser peel, laser vaporization, and lasabrasion.
This procedure is extremely precise in treating blemishes. The laser sends pulsating beams of light to remove unwanted, damaged skin. Unlike some other laser procedures, laser skin resurfacing typically doesn’t cause areas of lighter skin (hypopigmentation).
7. Chemical Peels
Achemical peelis when a chemical solution is applied to the skin. It exfoliates and eventually causes the skin to fall off.
Superficial or mild chemical peels may be used to remove milia. However, not all chemical peels are advised for milia removal. Medium and deep chemical peels can actually cause milia as a side effect.
Superficial chemical peels may involve the use of some of the same ingredients in OTC products including glycolic acid and salicylic acid.
1:40Click Play to Learn How to Treat Milia
1:40
Click Play to Learn How to Treat Milia
Who Gets Milia?
Although some people are more likely to get milia, milia can occur in anyone regardless of age or skin type. You’re likely to get milia if you:
What Causes Milia?
Preventing Milia
The following tips won’t just help prevent milia. They’ll also improve the overall health of your skin:
Summary
Milia are tiny cysts that form under the skin, usually on the face. Milia are a cosmetic issue, so choosing whether to treat them is up to you.
If they bother you, you can try several treatment options. These range from at-home exfoliating products to professional manual extraction, prescription medications, and procedures like laser resurfacing.
Never try to pop milia on your own. Not only will you be unsuccessful, but it can cause complications like a skin infection.
11 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
USF Health.What are milia and how do you get rid of them?
Andriessen A, Rodas Diaz AC, Gameros PC, Macias O, Neves JR, Gonzalez CG.Over the counter products for acne treatment and maintenance in Latin America: a review of current clinical practice.J Drugs Dermatol. 2021;20(3):244-250. doi:10.36849/JDD.5779
Hinen HB, Gathings RM, Shuler M, Wine Lee L.Successful treatment of facial milia in an infant with orofaciodigital syndrome type 1.Pediatr Dermatol.2018;35(1):e88-e89. doi:10.1111/pde.13350
Kurokawa I, Kakuno A, Tsubura A.Milia may originate from the outermost layers of the hair bulge of the outer root sheath: a case report.Oncol Lett. 2016;12(6):5190-5192. doi:10.3892/ol.2016.5335
De Wet J, Jordaan HF, Visser WI.Bilateral malar milia en plaque as primary presentation of discoid lupus erythematosus.JAAD Case Rep.2017;3(2):106-109. doi:10.1016/j.jdcr.2017.01.010
Patsatsi A, Uy CDC, Murrell DF.Multiple milia formation in blistering diseases[published correction appears inInt J Womens Dermatol. 2021;7(5Part B):867].Int J Womens Dermatol. 2020;6(3):199-202. doi:10.1016/j.ijwd.2020.03.045
American Osteopathic College of Dermatology.Electrodesiccation and curettage (ED&C).
American Osteopathic College of Dermatology.Cryosurgery (cryotherapy).
American Society of Plastic Surgeons.Laser skin resurfacing.
American Academy of Ophthalmology.What are milia?
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