What’s the best treatment for Milia?

Wondering what those little white ‘milk spots’ are, on your cheeks or near your eyes?  They are most likely to be Milia. So what exactly are they, and what’s the best treatment for Milia?

WHAT ARE THEY?

Milia are little white blemishes which look like tiny whiteheads and are common on the cheeks and around the eyes.  They often appear grouped together in little clusters.

The good news is that they are not at all dangerous.  However they can be quite annoying and don’t always go away by themselves.  Who do they affect?  Actually anyone can get them… men, women and even babies.

They are caused by a build up of oil and dead skin which gets trapped in the skin and forms a little cyst.

HOW TO GET RID OF THEM?

Milia can disappear by themselves.  However if they don’t you can try to remove them. (Don’t try and do this yourself unless you feel confident, see below for professional removal!)  You can soften the skin by steaming it and then use a very fine needle to remove them manually.

If they are sitting deep in the skin, you can help to bring them to the surface by using glycolic products or products containing retinol which sloughs away the surface skin cells.  This will then make them easier to remove.

Once you are rid of them, it’s a good idea to keep your skin well exfoliated either with a skin scrub or with products containing retinol to prevent them coming back.

The risk of trying to remove them yourself is that you may end up causing a scar.  It’s also more difficult to remove them if they aren’t sitting at the very surface of the skin.

So if you don’t want to do it yourself what is the best treatment for Milia? Here are a few options.

ADVANCED ELECTROLYSIS

Electrolysis is a method which uses a very fine heated needle to pierce the skin.  Then an electrical current is passed into the milia, melting it away.  It’s very effective and often will take just one treatment. It can leave the area a little red temporarily, and with a dot where the needle has pierced the skin.

MICRO-LANCE

This also involves using a very fine needle to pierce the skin. However in this case, the milia is drawn out/popped out. (A bit like fishing out a splinter) Your skin will be slightly red immediately afterwards, and also there may be a dot where the needle has entered the skin.

PLASMA PEN

This uses a pen which generates plasma energy, which is directed into the skin and vaporises the target. This usually takes just 1 treatment. You will get a brown carbon scab in the area, which will drop off after around 5-7 days.

FRACTIONAL LASER

Fractional Laser is a resurfacing laser, which vaporises tiny particles of skin, and will also help to remove blemishes such as milia.  Although this can work, it wouldn’t be my first choice, as there are much simpler ways of removing milia.

HOW MUCH WILL IT COST?

It will cost between £50-£100 to remove a cluster of Milia, depending on which technique is used. In my opinion either Electrolysis or Plasma is the best treatment for Milia.

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For Milia Removal prices at Radiant living – just click here.

If you have any more questions regarding milia or other skin blemishes, feel free to email me at: rach@radiantliving.co.uk.  Or if you’re in my area, you can come and see me for a free consultation.