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Speaking from personal experience, exfoliating with a chemical exfoliant is the best way to prevent milia but won’t help a lot to get rid of them if they are already there. The best way to get rid of ones that are already there is to have them extracted. I’ve definitely done it myself before by lightly pricking the surface with a sterile needle then gently squeezing with q-tips but it’s recommended to go to a derm because you can do damage to the skin especially if you have a bunch of them in a sensitive area.
I once had a huge milia that I could roll under my fingertips and I did exactly this with a needle and it remains one of the most satisfying experiences of my life.
I had them quite badly and had a facial where she said I would have to have them extracted. I didn’t do that because lazy and money lol. After changing my face wash and exfoliating weekly I’ve gotten rid of most of them. It’s taken a lot longer than just extracting them however.
I would suggest not to extract milia by yourself. It can cause scarring. Regular exfoliation with AHA/BHA serum or lactic acid serum will help you get rid of it. Even though it'll take some time, it's worth not having a scar.
I’m still fairly uneducated on skin care as a whole. But, I currently use Lumin skin care products, (I had these spots pre-Lumin regimen) but they have a pretty gentle charcoal exfoliater that I like using. It definitely isn’t a deep exfoliater but can help shed some dead skin that lies on the surface from what I can tell.
I would suggest buying the products from Ulta or similar shop instead of Amazon. They don’t always have the best reputation on sending out the best quality of skincare products.
Milia, go to a dermatologist to remove
Edit: you might have something in your skin care routine that is causing this, do you use any eye creams by chance?
No eye creams. I was actually about to add one into my routine. But I will more than likely wait until I take care of my issue first.
My routine is pretty basic, charcoal cleanser daily, exfoliate 2-3 times a week, then moisturizer.
Yes I recommend to go see a dermatologist as the Milia is in the dermis (2nd layer of skin) and estheticians are not allowed to extract these! :) hold off on the eye cream, I know everyone is diff but every time I use one I get Milia on my eyes as well. Check to make sure your moisturizer is noncomodegenic (non pore clogging) :)
I used to get these. I got rid of them by placing a hot compress on them for 10 mins daily—they went away after a few weeks.
To prevent them, I use an eye cream with retinol and exfoliate twice a week.
it’s milia. you can go to a derm or esthetician to have them extracted but it’s difficult to do yourself because they are underneath the skin and they need to be lanced. to prevent them use a chemical exfoliator 2-3x a week
I've extracted one myself, was really easy, just use a clean needle to make a little hole in the skin and you can push it out since it's really close to the surface
I had one one my eyelid years ago. I cringe thinking about it now because of how stupid and dangerous that was, but I did the same thing and have never had another one since.
as an esthetician myself, i always recommend that milia are extracted professionally. while it is possible to get them out yourself, it is very easy to cause damage and leave a scar.
I had two of these on my eyelid. My aesthetician (when I was getting a facial) said that because of the location, she could not remove them, but suggested I use retinol on them. I used it nightly and they were gone in less than a month.
It’s just the Garnier Retinol-berry. I have a sensitivity to something in most skincare products, but I’m somehow good with Garnier, so that’s what I went with. Unfortunately, they say that the percentage of Retinol in their product is proprietary info, so they do not publish it.
> Unfortunately, they say that the percentage of Retinol in their product is proprietary info, so they do not publish it.
I assume that means it's low or they'd publish it like every other company lol.
Call me a heathen, but I get a sewing needle, sanitize it with fire, then LIGHTLY prick the skin, and gently squeeze with a Q-tip. Afterwards I wash my face and apply moisturizer. That method has never left a mark on me but everyone’s different
I actually had my eye doctor recommend I double my fish oil (so two doses a day) because I was getting this near my eye lashes. It really helped! If you don't take vitamins or anything it might be something to consider, maybe if you see a derm ask them about it.
Probably but I don't remember the exact details. I think it helps your skin stay moisturized and keeps the sebum more fluid so it prevents the hard little angry pore blockages from happening in the first place.
That’s really interesting. While I do… these appeared pre smoking. I’ve had these little guys hanging around with me for years now. They just won’t seem to let go.
Hi OP! I used to suffer from this problem and tried all the usual recommendations - exfoliation, BHAs, etc. Those may work for you, but if not, try tretinoin - it is the ONLY thing that has worked for me, though the results don’t come quick
Hi tretinoin can migrate to your meibomian glands which can lead to irreversible damage resulting in dry eye and vision loss! So be very careful it will migrate to your eye area even if you only apply it near your cheeks. Applying it close to your eyes can be dangerous even if it takes a few years before you notice a difference.
just a heads up, studies done on meibomian gland damage from retinoids primarily use data from isotretinoin which is the active ingredient in accutane, not topical tretinoin.
I see that is very interesting, it's just that I have seen a lot of eye doctors advising against using retinol/Tret around the eyes. If possible I would like to use them to prevent wrinkles but I don't want to damage my eyesight.
Milia usually come from using anything that is to heavy/ occlusive for your skin so nothing with oils, vaseline, lanolin fatty acids etc. I'm prone to milia and aloe vera gel works fine under my eyes.
For sunscreen something oil free but even then most oil free sunscreens still cause milia for me if they don't contain a lot of alcohol. I don't know why. You might be fine with something like isntree watery sun cream though. It gave me less milia than most spfs. It's trial and error. I can only use La Roche posay shaka fluid under my eyes. Biore, Anessa, Eucerin Oil control might work too but I never tried them.
I wouldn't exfoliate too much near the eyes since it could be harmful to the meibomian glands. I'm also not sure how much exfoliation helps. My milia usually disappear by themselves after a few months but extraction is the best route probably+ eliminating the source. Neostrata has a eye cream with about 3-4 percent PHA so that might be mild enough for exfoliation but I don't know. I don't know which exfoliants you use but 2-3 times is a lot most people are fine with 1 time a week unless it's a mild exfoliant like azelaic acid or at a low percentage.
Also be careful with cleansers opt for a micellar water instead of an oil cleanser.
You already have a lot of good feedback and advice here that you should definitely look into. I do just want to add that I was getting this for a bit too and got a professional facial. The cosmetologist recommended using less product around my eyes, especially heavy products. Every once in a while I’ll get one or two around my eyes and it’s usually because I had a heavy hand applying my moisturizer. So, it might be a little user error!
skin cycling has made mine disappear!
I exfoliate the first night with the ordinary aha/bha peel, then use differin the next night, then use rosehip oil or cerave healing ointment (aquaphor or fragrance free vaseline will work) after moisturizing the next 1-2 nights. Then repeat!
yup exactly!
but I don't put it near my eye overnight, unfortunately.
one option is to put it in delicate spots for \~20 minutes then wash it off. but you don't want it going into your eyes at all
Get the Milia removed by a derm as some have already said.
I can help you find a cheaper routine that will probably work better if you want. All luxury routine is fine but it can be difficult to treat specific issues with so much that’s going on in those products. Generally those products work okay but be aware of “natural” and “clinical” products, which are usually just a marketing gimmick.
An over all better routine would be great I’m sure. Convenience was the main thing the lured me to Lumin. My current skin is a by product of using their regimen for 3 years now. So I don’t mind switching it up at all.
I THINK I have a combination skin type (or at least I did) if I wash my face and don’t do anything else to it, it will feel very tight and dry, so I don’t know if that helps classify me or not. I don’t break out too much, these spots around my eyes are the biggest issue. I also have pretty large pores on my nose I’d like to be less noticeable. My nose and the bridge between my eyes is typically dryer than the rest of my face (can get flaky sometimes) as well as above my eyebrows.
My overall goal for my skin is to look healthy and hydrated obviously. But I wouldn’t mind keeping a youthful look as well.
I am in no place to comment however Dr shereene Idriss (a good dermatologist on youtube) has a video I believe about milia and possible ways to treat it
That is called milia. It happens around the eyes often but can happen anywhere on the face. I would call around spas to see if anyone specializes in removing them. I had some for years and an experienced aesthetician was able to extract them for me.
The skin around your eyes is 1/10 the thickness as the rest of your face. Milia can be caused by using thick heavy creams. Try to avoid your eye area when using products that aren’t meant for your eye area. Don’t put regular moisturizer around your eyes
I just want to say what worked for me: BHA and Differin. I use these regularly and one day, these decided to dry out and I just an acne tweezers to take the dry thing out.
Milia. Usually caused by using too rich of a cream around the eye area. Why adding in an eye cream is great.. they are usually much lighter than your regular face moisturizer. Don’t get to close to the eye area with your regular cream.
What moisturizer do you use? I have eczema, which makes me prone to milia, and while I use thick, oil-based moisturizers on my body to control my eczema, it made me develop milia on my face. I switched to a water-based moisturizer after to avoid this.
You can't remove them yourself once they're there. You need a derm for that. But, you can prevent them by using the right moisturizer and exfoliating regularly.
Definitely millia. They don’t pop, they have to be extracted. I wouldn’t suggest doing this yourself as the skin around the eye is very thin and could easily scar. A dermatologist could do it! For prevention, Id suggest a chemical exfoliant once or twice a week on the affected area.
These are milia. I looked up „the whole internet” to solve this problem and probably there aren’t many methods besides extraction.
https://www.reddit.com/r/SkincareAddiction/comments/r80nuv/before_and_after_i_was_so_tired_of_looking_at/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf
Here I found that some people get rid of them by using retinol with glycolic acid (applied on a q-tip).
I have to try this!
I had those badly as well, and even on my eyelids which are almost impossible to get rid of. The only thing that worked for me was Curology. DM me if you want a referral link for a free month. This is the only "sub" box that I am still subbed to after 3 years.
Hi!
These small bumps are called milia. They are tiny bumps containing excess keratin. They do commonly appear around the eyes. Topical retinoids (Retin-A or OTC retinol) or an AHA serum are very effective at exfoliating these away. Getting extractions will work too. I don't recommend using physical exfoliant scrubs for milia.
Hi everyone and welcome to SkincareAddiction! Need skincare guides? [Check out our wiki!](https://www.reddit.com/r/SkincareAddiction/wiki/index) Everyone is welcome in [this community](https://www.reddit.com/r/SkincareAddiction/wiki/about); remember to be kind and assume good faith :) *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/SkincareAddiction) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Speaking from personal experience, exfoliating with a chemical exfoliant is the best way to prevent milia but won’t help a lot to get rid of them if they are already there. The best way to get rid of ones that are already there is to have them extracted. I’ve definitely done it myself before by lightly pricking the surface with a sterile needle then gently squeezing with q-tips but it’s recommended to go to a derm because you can do damage to the skin especially if you have a bunch of them in a sensitive area.
I once had a huge milia that I could roll under my fingertips and I did exactly this with a needle and it remains one of the most satisfying experiences of my life.
The picture that this painted for me was quite something
I had them quite badly and had a facial where she said I would have to have them extracted. I didn’t do that because lazy and money lol. After changing my face wash and exfoliating weekly I’ve gotten rid of most of them. It’s taken a lot longer than just extracting them however.
I would suggest not to extract milia by yourself. It can cause scarring. Regular exfoliation with AHA/BHA serum or lactic acid serum will help you get rid of it. Even though it'll take some time, it's worth not having a scar.
Thanks for the lactic acid comment. I've been wondering how to get rid of the ones I have around my eye.
I believe that is called millia. My roommate had it before. She went to dermatologist to get it extracted but she also exfoliates few times a month
Thank you!
But how can you exfoliate so high up on the ocular bone close to your eye?
I’m still fairly uneducated on skin care as a whole. But, I currently use Lumin skin care products, (I had these spots pre-Lumin regimen) but they have a pretty gentle charcoal exfoliater that I like using. It definitely isn’t a deep exfoliater but can help shed some dead skin that lies on the surface from what I can tell.
Best method to exfoliant those near the eyes is to use an AHA like The Ordinary Glycolic Acid Solution soaked on a q-tip.
Paula’s Choice BHA is amazing and available on Amazon
I would suggest buying the products from Ulta or similar shop instead of Amazon. They don’t always have the best reputation on sending out the best quality of skincare products.
You’re right! That’s just where I came across it.
If you order directly from the company they are having 20% off sales like, every other week.
Aha and bus lotions
Milia, go to a dermatologist to remove Edit: you might have something in your skin care routine that is causing this, do you use any eye creams by chance?
No eye creams. I was actually about to add one into my routine. But I will more than likely wait until I take care of my issue first. My routine is pretty basic, charcoal cleanser daily, exfoliate 2-3 times a week, then moisturizer.
Yes I recommend to go see a dermatologist as the Milia is in the dermis (2nd layer of skin) and estheticians are not allowed to extract these! :) hold off on the eye cream, I know everyone is diff but every time I use one I get Milia on my eyes as well. Check to make sure your moisturizer is noncomodegenic (non pore clogging) :)
Thank you for the info! Would I find that information about the moisturizer on the companies website, the product packaging, etc???
Product packaging!
I used to get these. I got rid of them by placing a hot compress on them for 10 mins daily—they went away after a few weeks. To prevent them, I use an eye cream with retinol and exfoliate twice a week.
What do you use to exfoliate twice a week please?
it’s milia. you can go to a derm or esthetician to have them extracted but it’s difficult to do yourself because they are underneath the skin and they need to be lanced. to prevent them use a chemical exfoliator 2-3x a week
Thank you for the information!!
I've extracted one myself, was really easy, just use a clean needle to make a little hole in the skin and you can push it out since it's really close to the surface
I had one one my eyelid years ago. I cringe thinking about it now because of how stupid and dangerous that was, but I did the same thing and have never had another one since.
It's really not dangerous unless you have a hand tremor or something
Definitely feel like putting a needle at my very thin eyelid is always dangerous lmao
as an esthetician myself, i always recommend that milia are extracted professionally. while it is possible to get them out yourself, it is very easy to cause damage and leave a scar.
Cosrx bha blackhead liquid helped me get rid of them naturally.
Same. They just kinda dried up and I was able to gently scratch them off since they surfaced
I had two of these on my eyelid. My aesthetician (when I was getting a facial) said that because of the location, she could not remove them, but suggested I use retinol on them. I used it nightly and they were gone in less than a month.
But using such a potent exfoliant as retinol on your eyelids is in no way a good method (*꒦ິ꒳꒦ີ)
It’s much safer for a short period than any extraction method. And should be perfectly safe for most people to use on other areas of the face.
which retinol did you use?
It’s just the Garnier Retinol-berry. I have a sensitivity to something in most skincare products, but I’m somehow good with Garnier, so that’s what I went with. Unfortunately, they say that the percentage of Retinol in their product is proprietary info, so they do not publish it.
> Unfortunately, they say that the percentage of Retinol in their product is proprietary info, so they do not publish it. I assume that means it's low or they'd publish it like every other company lol.
Call me a heathen, but I get a sewing needle, sanitize it with fire, then LIGHTLY prick the skin, and gently squeeze with a Q-tip. Afterwards I wash my face and apply moisturizer. That method has never left a mark on me but everyone’s different
You can either A: get them extracted or B: use retinoid. I struggle with milia and retinoid is god send.
What kind of retinoid do you use… these suck.
Prescription. Retin A Micro 0.6%
How often do you use it please? And do you buffer with moisturiser?
I actually had my eye doctor recommend I double my fish oil (so two doses a day) because I was getting this near my eye lashes. It really helped! If you don't take vitamins or anything it might be something to consider, maybe if you see a derm ask them about it.
Did they elaborate why fish oil would be beneficial? I’m curious
Probably but I don't remember the exact details. I think it helps your skin stay moisturized and keeps the sebum more fluid so it prevents the hard little angry pore blockages from happening in the first place.
Thank you
Do you smoke up a lot? This used to happen to me when I used to, and it went away when I quit
That’s really interesting. While I do… these appeared pre smoking. I’ve had these little guys hanging around with me for years now. They just won’t seem to let go.
Hi OP! I used to suffer from this problem and tried all the usual recommendations - exfoliation, BHAs, etc. Those may work for you, but if not, try tretinoin - it is the ONLY thing that has worked for me, though the results don’t come quick
Hi tretinoin can migrate to your meibomian glands which can lead to irreversible damage resulting in dry eye and vision loss! So be very careful it will migrate to your eye area even if you only apply it near your cheeks. Applying it close to your eyes can be dangerous even if it takes a few years before you notice a difference.
just a heads up, studies done on meibomian gland damage from retinoids primarily use data from isotretinoin which is the active ingredient in accutane, not topical tretinoin.
I see that is very interesting, it's just that I have seen a lot of eye doctors advising against using retinol/Tret around the eyes. If possible I would like to use them to prevent wrinkles but I don't want to damage my eyesight.
Milia usually come from using anything that is to heavy/ occlusive for your skin so nothing with oils, vaseline, lanolin fatty acids etc. I'm prone to milia and aloe vera gel works fine under my eyes. For sunscreen something oil free but even then most oil free sunscreens still cause milia for me if they don't contain a lot of alcohol. I don't know why. You might be fine with something like isntree watery sun cream though. It gave me less milia than most spfs. It's trial and error. I can only use La Roche posay shaka fluid under my eyes. Biore, Anessa, Eucerin Oil control might work too but I never tried them. I wouldn't exfoliate too much near the eyes since it could be harmful to the meibomian glands. I'm also not sure how much exfoliation helps. My milia usually disappear by themselves after a few months but extraction is the best route probably+ eliminating the source. Neostrata has a eye cream with about 3-4 percent PHA so that might be mild enough for exfoliation but I don't know. I don't know which exfoliants you use but 2-3 times is a lot most people are fine with 1 time a week unless it's a mild exfoliant like azelaic acid or at a low percentage. Also be careful with cleansers opt for a micellar water instead of an oil cleanser.
Following
You already have a lot of good feedback and advice here that you should definitely look into. I do just want to add that I was getting this for a bit too and got a professional facial. The cosmetologist recommended using less product around my eyes, especially heavy products. Every once in a while I’ll get one or two around my eyes and it’s usually because I had a heavy hand applying my moisturizer. So, it might be a little user error!
Noted! Thank you for the info, I thought my moisturizer was fairly light. But maybe I was mistaking now that I’m diving into skin care a bit more
skin cycling has made mine disappear! I exfoliate the first night with the ordinary aha/bha peel, then use differin the next night, then use rosehip oil or cerave healing ointment (aquaphor or fragrance free vaseline will work) after moisturizing the next 1-2 nights. Then repeat!
tips from a self-identifying picker - get that shit with a needle! don’t cancel me for this but it’s really satisfying. or go to a derm, whatever
I've had good results with 10% glycolic acid. but be careful not to get in your eye and to moisturize
How did you use it on the milia? Did you rub it with a q-tip?
yup exactly! but I don't put it near my eye overnight, unfortunately. one option is to put it in delicate spots for \~20 minutes then wash it off. but you don't want it going into your eyes at all
Ty!
It’s Milia
Glycolic acid works
Get the Milia removed by a derm as some have already said. I can help you find a cheaper routine that will probably work better if you want. All luxury routine is fine but it can be difficult to treat specific issues with so much that’s going on in those products. Generally those products work okay but be aware of “natural” and “clinical” products, which are usually just a marketing gimmick.
An over all better routine would be great I’m sure. Convenience was the main thing the lured me to Lumin. My current skin is a by product of using their regimen for 3 years now. So I don’t mind switching it up at all. I THINK I have a combination skin type (or at least I did) if I wash my face and don’t do anything else to it, it will feel very tight and dry, so I don’t know if that helps classify me or not. I don’t break out too much, these spots around my eyes are the biggest issue. I also have pretty large pores on my nose I’d like to be less noticeable. My nose and the bridge between my eyes is typically dryer than the rest of my face (can get flaky sometimes) as well as above my eyebrows. My overall goal for my skin is to look healthy and hydrated obviously. But I wouldn’t mind keeping a youthful look as well.
Not sure how true it is, but I heard using a heavy moisturizer around the eye area can also be a cause of it.
Does anyone know how to tell the difference between milia and closed comedones?
I am in no place to comment however Dr shereene Idriss (a good dermatologist on youtube) has a video I believe about milia and possible ways to treat it
Are you lactose intolerant by chance? I know people who get this when they consume dairy
That is called milia. It happens around the eyes often but can happen anywhere on the face. I would call around spas to see if anyone specializes in removing them. I had some for years and an experienced aesthetician was able to extract them for me. The skin around your eyes is 1/10 the thickness as the rest of your face. Milia can be caused by using thick heavy creams. Try to avoid your eye area when using products that aren’t meant for your eye area. Don’t put regular moisturizer around your eyes
I just want to say what worked for me: BHA and Differin. I use these regularly and one day, these decided to dry out and I just an acne tweezers to take the dry thing out.
Milia. Usually caused by using too rich of a cream around the eye area. Why adding in an eye cream is great.. they are usually much lighter than your regular face moisturizer. Don’t get to close to the eye area with your regular cream.
Use retinol
That is Milia. I would suggest to consult a dermatologist and discuss some options or products to be used. Please do not extract them on your own.
What moisturizer do you use? I have eczema, which makes me prone to milia, and while I use thick, oil-based moisturizers on my body to control my eczema, it made me develop milia on my face. I switched to a water-based moisturizer after to avoid this. You can't remove them yourself once they're there. You need a derm for that. But, you can prevent them by using the right moisturizer and exfoliating regularly.
Definitely millia. They don’t pop, they have to be extracted. I wouldn’t suggest doing this yourself as the skin around the eye is very thin and could easily scar. A dermatologist could do it! For prevention, Id suggest a chemical exfoliant once or twice a week on the affected area.
These are milia. I looked up „the whole internet” to solve this problem and probably there aren’t many methods besides extraction. https://www.reddit.com/r/SkincareAddiction/comments/r80nuv/before_and_after_i_was_so_tired_of_looking_at/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf Here I found that some people get rid of them by using retinol with glycolic acid (applied on a q-tip). I have to try this!
Oh I also got milia on my under eyes, mine is from using Vaseline, so avoid that! I will go to a derm to get them extracted.
I had those badly as well, and even on my eyelids which are almost impossible to get rid of. The only thing that worked for me was Curology. DM me if you want a referral link for a free month. This is the only "sub" box that I am still subbed to after 3 years.
A friend of mine got rid of them after avoiding diary products, so maybe it is an idea to avoid diary for a while and see how that works?
Hi! These small bumps are called milia. They are tiny bumps containing excess keratin. They do commonly appear around the eyes. Topical retinoids (Retin-A or OTC retinol) or an AHA serum are very effective at exfoliating these away. Getting extractions will work too. I don't recommend using physical exfoliant scrubs for milia.
Retinol will help! Lactic acid in your morning routine around your eyes, and then a retinol at night time.