Plagued by stubborn whiteheads that won't budge? Maybe they're not whiteheads. Milia are common cysts, typically found on the face. These fall in to the acne-imposter category, as they aren't related to acne at all. They aren't contagious and will not spread.
Milia is the plural word for these benign lesions. A single lesion is called a milium. There are several different types of milia.
Neonatal milia: Neonatal milia affects infants and causes white cysts to form on a baby’s skin, most often on or around their nose. This type of milia is present at birth.
Primary milia: Primary milia are small cysts that are common on your eyelids, forehead, cheeks or genitals. They affect both children and adults.
Secondary milia (traumatic milia): Secondary milia are small cysts that occur after damage to your skin, either from burns, rashes, blisters or sunlight exposure. They can also form as a reaction to a heavy skin cream or ointment.
Juvenile milia: Juvenile milia are cysts that are a symptom of an inherited condition. These can be present at birth or show up later in life.
Milia en plaque: This rare type of milia often affects women or people assigned female at birth between the ages of 40 and 60. The milia clump together on a raised patch of skin, usually behind your ears, on your eyelid, on your cheek or jaw.
Multiple eruptive milia: This rare condition causes groups of cysts to form over weeks to months on your face, upper arms and upper abdomen. These cysts can be itchy.
Milia form when skin cells fail to slough off and become trapped beneath the surface of your skin. Additional causes of milia include:
Damage to your skin from an injury or sun exposure.
Long-term use of steroid creams or ointments.
A symptom of a genetic condition.
An autoimmune response.
Milia are common among newborn babies, affecting approximately half of all healthy babies at birth. These will go away, so it is best to leave your baby's delicate skin alone. Your adult milia may also go away with time, but if they linger longer than you would like or if their appearance is bothersome to you, we can treat them quickly at Aesthetica. The procedure is quick and requires no down time, so we'll have you loving your skin in no time!
Love your skin.
Love yourself.
Love, Faith
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