How to Get Rid of Milia: Causes, Prevention, and Removal

Never Try To Pop

Milia are very small cysts that are found under the surface of the skin. A lot of people lump them in with breakouts or mistake them for whiteheads, especially when they pop up on those areas of our complexions where some of us get acne (like on the cheeks or forehead acne). Unlike acne, however, you can’t pop milia (not that you should ever try that with your pimples, either) because they are comprised of a protein called keratin. You may have heard of keratin and how it relates to hair, but keratin also makes up your skin’s outermost layer and can build up over time, leading to bumps. “Milia are tiny white bumps on the skin that are often mistaken for pimples and occur when the skin cells don’t turn over rapidly enough and a buildup of keratin—a protein found in the skin—hardens and becomes trapped,” says Astarita, founder of Just Ageless Body Sculpting and Beauty Lab in New York City. “These can linger for years if not treated."

Make Sure You Are Using the Right Eye Care

On adults, milia can be classified into two general types: Primary milia and secondary milia. “Primary milia is the most common, and the same type seen in babies and adults, caused by dead skin cells that build up in the pore-lining because they are unable to shed properly,” says Engelman. “Secondary milia occur when a skin condition or infection (such as herpes) leads to blistering, which actually damages the pore lining.

Skin trauma, such as burns or even some types of laser treatments can also cause milia to form. Secondary milia is sometimes known as “traumatic milia,” which can sometimes also pop up as a reaction to thick creams or ointments that may clog pores. Make sure you are using the right eye products for you. If you are experiencing milia around the eyes, try a lighter eye cream and avoid oily eye makeup removers.

Start Using an Exfoliating Treatment

If you’re not into seeking a professional treatment to rid your face of milia, no problem. According to the experts, you can take simple measures to keep milia under control by adding a regular exfoliating treatment to your weekly or bi-weekly skincare routine, depending on how sensitive your skin is.

“Milia forms most often on under-exfoliated, dry skin or where an occlusive product is used and is clogging the pores,” explains Astarita. Exfoliating sheds old, unnecessary layers and cells from the surface of the skin. Just in the same way that people have an exfoliation regimen to keep their acne symptoms at bay, exfoliating to prevent milia can possibly keep keratin and dead skin cells from becoming trapped under the surface by getting rid of them altogether.

Wear Sun Protection

In addition to exfoliating, practicing smart skincare in the sun can also prevent milia from forming on the face. “Sun damage can be a contributing factor to milia because it makes skin rough and leathery, so it’s more difficult for dead cells to rise to the skin’s surface and shed normally,” says Engelman. “The resulting clogs can trigger milia formation—and they’ll stick around unless steps are taken to unclog the pores.”

To protect against sun damage, wear SPF daily (even when it's cloudy, even when it's cold) and remember to reapply throughout the day. The sun can reach you even when you think you're protected—like through your car or office window.

Try Manuka Honey

Similarly, milia can also form when dry skin on the surface just gets stuck underneath it. “When dead skin cells clump together, they can become trapped under the skin's surface, forming small, hard cysts,” explains Engelman. “These bumps aren’t painful, nor do they cause permanent scarring, like scarring that occurs from certain types of acne.” That said, many people prefer to live with milia-free complexions for aesthetic reasons as those tiny bumps can add texture to the surface of the skin. “Upon closer inspection, they are hard, almost pearly, seed-like granules trapped under the surface of the skin,” adds Astarita. So, even though milia isn’t technically something that breaks out on the skin, it can still be irritating—especially when it pops up around the eyes (a common spot for milia to appear on the face). 

If you're looking for a more natural way to deal with your milia, manuka honey might be the right solution for you. Due to its antimicrobial properties, manuka honey may help reduce the inflammation that sometimes leads to milia. Look for skincare that contains real honey or DIY a mask with raw manuka honey from your farmer's market.

Try a Retinol

"Retinoids can be used and sometimes help to prevent formation," says Sperling. Due to the nature of a retinoid encouraging cellular turnover, the retinoid also works to help unclog any buildup on the skin, such as milia. "At home, you can rub a rough washcloth on the skin gently to help loosen it," says Sperling, then apply the retinoid. This combination of gentle physical exfoliation from the washcloth and chemical exfoliation from the retinoid should help to reduce the appearance of the milia.

If All Else Fails, See a Dermatologist for Extractions

For some people, milia can last for a long time if left alone, but in many cases, milia will go away on its own within a matter of weeks. If you want to say goodbye to those bumps sooner rather than later, however, a dermatologist or licensed esthetician can extract milia using a lancet to draw the impacted keratin out from under the skin or break it down with chemicals or lasers.

“A dermatologist can remove them right there in the office using a needle or a tiny lancing utensil and, sometimes, a comedone extractor,” says Engelman. “This in-office procedure is fast, painless (numbing cream may be applied) and heals quickly for most people.”

Astarita adds that occasionally milia can grow into clusters, which requires "a gentle laser resurfacing treatment like a low setting Fraxel treatment, Halo by Sciton, or a series of chemical peels [to] push the reset button on your skin."

Overall, milia isn’t something that you should be worried about from a health standpoint, but if you’re still looking to keep your skin milia free, you’re not alone. If you wait for your symptoms to go away on their own, they will usually pass within a matter of weeks, but you may be able to help speed up the process by adding a gentle exfoliation routine with a chemical exfoliant to your skincare practice. If you need to get rid of bumps fast, a professional, like a dermatologist or esthetician can remove them for you, but it’s best to leave treatment to the pros, so if you can, resist the urge to take matters into your own hands with an extracting tool.