In a new Instagram video, Dr. Pimple Popper removes a stubborn pearl-like milia from a patient. Milia are tiny, dome-shaped bumps on the skin that contain dead skin cells. The growths are actually sometimes nicknamed “Epstein pearls" in medical spaces.
Molluscum contagiosum is a skin condition that is common in children but can occur at any age. It is caused by a virus that gives you pimple-like spots with a dimple in the middle. It can be spread by skin-to-skin contact, or when you bathe or share a towel with someone who has the infection.
Milia are commonly associated with newborn babies, but may appear on people of any age. They are usually found around the nose and eyes, and sometimes on the genitalia, often mistaken by those affected as warts or other sexually transmitted diseases.
Milia can't be popped, and attempting to remove them yourself can cause complications like a skin infection.
You may be tempted to pick at or pop the milia. This irritation may only make it worse and cause complications. Picking at the skin around the milia can lead to scarring or an infection. If you're worried about how milia look, you can take a few steps to help the treatment process.
Milia can also happen when a skin infection or trauma clogs the sweat ducts (i.e. laser treatment, chemical peels, herpes). A lack of sleep, smoking, poor personal hygiene or long-term steroid use can also contribute to the milia. Milia will naturally come to the surface of the skin after a few weeks or months.
Luckily, milia are completely harmless.
Milia are commonly found on the skin of people of all ages. They are formed when keratin (a substance produced by the skin) becomes entrapped beneath the outer layer of the skin, forming a tiny cyst (an enclosed lump underneath the skin).
Another increasingly common cause is people slathering their skin with petroleum jelly, a skincare trend popularised by social media known as 'slugging'. The idea is to lock in moisture and prevent dehydration. While this does make sense for some skin types and your skin may feel smoother, slugging can cause milia.
Milia, also known as “milk cysts,” are caused by a protein called keratin that gets trapped under the skin. Milia are small cysts that look like tiny white bumps on the skin.
Syringomas and milia have similar symptoms where a group of bumps will form on your skin. Milia are tiny white bumps filled with the skin protein keratin that form most often on a newborn's skin. Syringomas are small sweat gland growths that look like a yellow or a natural skin tone pimple.
Epstein pearls are small, harmless white or yellow nodules that may appear along your newborn baby's gums or on the roof of their mouth. These bumps are common and usually go away within three months after birth.
Milia (singular: milium) are benign and transient subepidermal keratin cysts that present as small firm white papules in various numbers most commonly distributed on the face, but they can also be present on other anatomical areas such as the upper trunk, extremities, and genital area (prepuce).
You may have a blind pimple from time to time. Or you may have many blind pimples that take months to go away. A severe type of acne called nodular acne can cause multiple blind pimples along with raised red bumps. These painful blind pimples, or nodules, contain pus and bacteria and feel hard under the skin.
Milia removal is typically considered a cosmetic procedure and is not covered by most insurance plans unless there is a medical concern.
If you're someone who is prone to milia, Dr. Marchbein adds, you should try a skin-care routine using a combination of noncomedogenic products like the Best of Beauty Award-winning Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser, along with a cream or moisturizer containing a retinoid.
For many people, skin bumps on the face are caused by an acne breakout. But not all bumps are acne. Growths, like moles, cysts, and milia, can form bumps on your face. You can also get cancers on your face.
Using a cotton pad to apply a diluted solution of apple cider vinegar and water to the affected area may help remove dead skin cells and potentially aid in milia resolution. However, be cautious because undiluted apple cider vinegar may irritate the skin.
Heavy or rich face creams can also lead to clogged pores and milia, so if you're dealing with the condition, Dr. Nussbaum recommends switching to a lightweight water-based moisturizer. If you have dry skin and prefer something more, then at least make sure your eye cream is oil-free.
“People sometimes try to remove milia themselves by popping them as they would pimples,” said Dr. Schiff. “But milia have a very hard texture, and you can't get rid of them without making an incision in the skin.” Trying to pop a milium (one cyst) can lead to scarring.
Pustules are a type of pimple that contains yellowish pus. They are larger than whiteheads and blackheads. Home remedies and over-the-counter creams may help treat pustules. Pustules appear either as red bumps with white centers or as white bumps that are hard and often tender to the touch.