What Is Milia? What Causes Those Stubborn White Bumps & How to Treat Them
Let’s talk about those tiny white bumps that show up under your eyes, across your cheeks, or around your nose and just… refuse to leave.
If you’ve ever picked at one thinking it was a whitehead and gotten absolutely nowhere, you may have been dealing with milia.
And no, milia is not just a baby thing. Adults get it too—more often than you might think.
Here’s what milia actually is, why it shows up, and how we take care of it at Carla Thomas Med Spa in La Grange, IL.
What Is Milia?
Milia are small, firm, white or yellowish bumps that sit just beneath the surface of the skin.
They’re often mistaken for whiteheads, but the two are very different.
A whitehead is inflamed and has an opening. Milia is a tiny trapped pocket of keratin—the same protein that makes up your skin, hair, and nails—with no opening at all.
That’s exactly why picking at it doesn’t work. There’s simply nowhere for it to go.
There are a few different types of milia, including:
Primary milia — the most common type, often with no obvious cause
Secondary milia — may appear after skin disruption such as sun damage, burns, or healing from another treatment
Milia en plaque — a less common type that tends to cluster around the cheeks or eyelids
Neonatal milia — the classic baby version, which usually clears on its own
Where Does Milia Show Up?
The most common areas are around the eyes, cheeks, nose, and chin.
Milia can show up as one tiny bump or as a little cluster. It usually doesn’t hurt, doesn’t have a visible “head,” and can sit there unchanged for a long time if nothing is done about it.
Sun exposure, heavier skincare products, and changes in exfoliation can all play a role, which is part of why we tend to see more of it as skin changes over time.
Why You Shouldn’t Try to Extract Milia at Home
This is the part we really want people to hear:
Please don’t attack it with your fingers, a pin, or a random extraction tool from the internet.
Because milia doesn’t have a natural opening, there’s nothing for you to simply “pop.” Trying anyway can leave you with redness, irritation, or a scar you didn’t need.
Getting milia out cleanly takes the right preparation and the right technique.
That’s where our estheticians come in.
How We Treat Milia at CTMS
At Carla Thomas Med Spa, milia extraction isn’t treated like a rushed little add-on.
Karina and Natalie take the time to properly prepare the skin first with steps like steam, deep cleansing, and—depending on your skin—hydrodermabrasion or dermaplaning to help soften things up before extraction.
That prep matters.
It can make the difference between a clean, comfortable extraction and the irritation that comes from forcing something at home.
Just as important, our estheticians know what they’re actually looking at.
Milia can sometimes be mistaken for closed comedones, syringomas, or certain cysts, and treating every bump like a blackhead isn’t going to get you very far. Having trained eyes on your skin means you’re getting an informed answer—not a guess.
Have a spot or two? We may be able to take care of it as part of your regular facial.
Dealing with a larger cluster? We can build a more focused treatment around it.
The Takeaway
Milia is common, harmless, and much more manageable than it can seem when you’ve been staring at the same stubborn bump for months.
If you’ve got something that looks like a whitehead but never changes, bring it up at your next appointment.
We’ll take a look, help you figure out what it is, and talk through the best next step for your skin.
Ready to say goodbye to stubborn milia? Book a facial with one of our estheticians at Carla Thomas Med Spa in La Grange, IL.
