Milias

Hello,

Can anybody tell me if there is any painless way to remove milias or if there is any treatment for it? I have a client that has them all over her cheeks, but can not take the pain when we tried to remove some.

Thanks in advance,

Iliadys R.

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Permalink Reply by coldsalineplexus on February 26, 2014 at 11:27am

Those of us in states where estheticians are licensed to use lancets for extraction can get most milia quickly and easily. Contrary to what some others have stated, I personally prefer not to do much pre-treatment of the milia area, because steam will swell the skin and exfoliation prior to a milia extraction will increase the likelihood of a bruise or tear. As long as you are trained in lancet extractions, they are pretty easy to learn. One tip is to use the thumb and forefinger of the opposite hand and gently pinch the skin surrounding the milia upward, that way when you lance and express with your comedone tool, you have a little bit of positive pressure helping you along. When the milia is extracted you should have a tiny white round ball. If you're not getting that, it could be a cholesterol deposit, so double check your DD and don't force anything. A tiny drop of blood might be normal depending on how deep the milia is, but ordinarily you are only lancing into the thin skin that covers the milia, which does not contain blood vessels, so it is common to get them out without any blood.

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Permalink Reply by Cindy Greenwood on February 27, 2014 at 5:21am

I will admit to doing exactly as coldsalineplexus describes in the past on my own milia. Lancets are not allowed in our state.

Now, however I don't get milia because I use a hyaluronic acid serum. There has been a lot of discussion in the Skin Script groups about this...that milia are often a sign of poor oil/water balance in the skin. In practice, I have found this to be true. You can get amazing results (no more milia!) with proper home care - client just needs to be patient!

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Permalink Reply by Gail Cole on February 26, 2014 at 5:18pm

You have to use a lancet to poke a h*** literally in the milia....then squeeze like any other extraction....no other way.

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Permalink Reply by Taryn Hallal on February 27, 2014 at 8:05pm

I find that using steam with either a salicylic cleanser or an enzyme solution/masque softens them up to make them easier to extract. In Louisiana we are allowed to use lancets, so that definitely helps. I often do a couple of passes with microdermabrasion or an ultrasonic skin scrubber if they are being really stubborn! Hope that helps!