What is Milia?
Usually seen around the eyes, including the eyelid and between the eyelashes, nose and upper cheeks.
Milia are irritating small, hard, round white nodules slightly raised above skin level, formed when keratin is trapped beneath the outer layer of the skin, forming a tiny cyst. Milia can also be confused with stubborn whiteheads but they are much harder in texture due to keratin, a protein found in hair and nails. They are called Milia plural or Milium singular and most people will experience at least one in their lifetime. Milia can appear on people of all ages, ethnicity and genders. They often develop when the ducts leading to the skin surface are clogged up, such as after an injury, blockage by rich creams/products (such as suncream) that create a barrier. They can also be caused by dry dehydrated skin when dry flakes of skin block the pores.
How do we treat Milia?
We use 2 methods to treat Milia.
• Advanced cosmetic procedure is performed by applying a Short Wave Diathermy or Thermolysis current. The energy created breaks down the hard fatty tissue and allows it to disperse into the body.
• Micro lance removal uses a sterile, fine needle to extract the keratin and oil from milia, causing them to disappear:
Your electrologist will decide on the methods depending on size and where the millia is.
What to expect after treatment?
Skin may be a little red and warm. a tiny crust may form which must not be removed but left to drop off naturally.
This client came in with a milia that had been there for a wee while. Whilst it caused them no issues they wanted to remove it for cosmetic reasons. After just a few minutes, the milia was removed using the micro lance. 4-6 weeks and this client will be fully healed with no scarring!