Milia bumps often resolve on their own without treatment in babies but are commonly extracted or removed in adults. Certain products can help get rid of them faster and prevent more from forming.
Milia are small white bumps that appear on the skin. They’re usually grouped on the nose, cheeks, and chin, though they may appear elsewhere.
Milia develop when skin flakes become trapped under the surface of the skin or when keratin builds up and gets trapped.
They occur most often in newborn babies. About
In newborns, Milia almost always resolves on their own without treatment. In adults, this is much less often the case, and they’re commonly extracted or otherwise removed.
There are a few things you can do to help speed up the healing process and prevent more milia from forming. Keep reading below to learn more.
If milia on your face or your child’s face irritates you, don’t pick at the affected area. Trying to remove milia can cause the bumps to bleed, scab, and scar. Scraping the skin can also introduce germs to the area. This can cause infection.
In the case of babies under 6 months old, the best thing to do for Milia is to leave the bumps alone. If the bumps are concerning you, see your child’s pediatrician.
Make sure you’re washing your face with a gentle, paraben-free soap each day.
Any soap that isn’t mild will strip your face of the oils it needs to stay balanced and healthy.
After washing, pat your skin dry instead of letting it air dry. This will help prevent your skin from chafing or drying out.
After cleansing, you may find it beneficial to steam open your pores to further remove irritants.
One way to do this is to:
- Start by sitting in your bathroom with the shower running in a hot setting. The room will fill slowly with warm steam.
- Sit in the steam for 5-8 minutes. The steam will gently open up your pores, releasing skin flakes or other irritants that may be trapped underneath.
- After sitting in the steam, turn off the shower and wait a few minutes. Pat your face dry, and rinse with lukewarm water to wash away any irritants before you step out of the steamy room.
Gentle skin exfoliation might help keep your skin free of irritants that cause milia. Some
Exfoliating too much can irritate the skin, so don’t do it every day. Start by using an exfoliating cleanser once a week and see if it improves your milia.
Facial peels that contain exfoliating ingredients may also help, but use them with caution. Using a facial peel that’s too strong for your skin can cause more milia to appear.
If you’ve already been using facial peels as part of your skin care routine, it’s probably safe to continue doing so. It might even help clear up milia. If you can, stick to peels that have
If you’re new to facial peels, don’t use them just to get rid of milia bumps. Your skin might be sensitive to the ingredients in a facial peel. This can worsen milia.
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Use any product that contains retinoid — or its lower-strength form, retinol — just once per day. Put it on when your face is scrubbed clean and dry.
When using a retinoid or retinol cream, it’s essential to use sunscreen every day. They make your skin more susceptible to skin damage caused by sun exposure.
You should already be wearing sunscreen every day to protect the skin on your face from ultraviolet rays. An additional benefit of the right sunscreen can be a decrease in skin irritation that causes milia.
Look for a sunscreen specifically designed for use on the face. Make sure the SPF is 30 or higher. If your skin is very sensitive to the sun, consider using a product with an SPF of 100.
The most skin-friendly sunscreens will have mineral oil as their base as opposed to other oils that may clog the skin. Read the ingredients of your sunscreen carefully to make sure it doesn’t contain anything you’re allergic or sensitive to.
Most milia bumps really will resolve on their own after a few weeks, particularly in babies. However, this isn’t often the case for adults with milia.
If your baby has recurring milia outbreaks, or if milia don’t go away, you may need to see a dermatologist.
Sometimes a dermatologist will use a tiny needle to manually remove the milia. This will quickly heal the affected area.
What triggers milia?
The cause of milia in newborns is unknown, but in older children or adults, milia are thought to be caused by skin damage from various skin conditions, burns, or sun damage. Some medications may also trigger it.
Learn more about milia causes.
Will milia go away on its own?
In babies, milia usually go away on their own within a few weeks or months. They may also go away on their own in adults. If not, speak with your dermatologist for advice on how to proceed.
How are milia removed?
The most common milia removal procedure is cryotherapy, in which the milia are frozen with liquid nitrogen. Other options include using heat or laser or removing them with a needle.
Milia are tiny, white bumps that can appear on the surface of the skin. They typically form in clusters on the nose, cheeks, and chin but may also appear in other areas.
While these bumps can often go away without treatment in babies, you can have them extracted or removed. Caring for your skin speed up their disappearance and prevent new ones from appearing.