Introduction
Milia are a group of benign and short-lasting cysts on the skin made of keratin. They are present as small white bumps on various parts of the skin, especially on the face. Sometimes they are also found in the genital area and upper trunk region of the body. They can occur at any age. However, it most commonly occurs in newborns. They last long, only for a few weeks. Therefore, they are not necessary to get removed, but a specific procedure removes them in adults for improving appearance.
Types
Milia are of the following types-
- Primary milia: These are the milia that occur in children and adults. They appear at the forehead, genital, cheek region of the body. They do not cause skin damage.
- Secondary milia: Secondary milia occur when there is any damage to the skin parts such as sweat glands, including burning, rashes, and excessive sunlight exposure. They are also known as traumatic milia. They are also caused due to the use of oily creams and heavy lotions.
- Neonatal milia: They are also known as baby acne. They occur in the nose region of the baby. They are common in half of the children.
- Multiple eruptive milia: They are rare form and occur on the face, upper arm, and abdomen region. They usually develop within months or weeks.
- Milia en plaque: They are the type of milia that affect middle-aged women. They occur on eyelids, cheeks, and ears.
- Juvenile milia: They occur from birth or usually come up at an interval of time.
Causes
Milia are caused when the dead skin cell get trapped under the skin. When built up below the skin surface, the protein called keratin also results in milia. Juvenile milia are caused at the time of birth. A secondary type of milia occurs due to skin conditions, such as:
- Burn of the skin.
- Injury to skin
- Excessive exposure to the sun
- Inflammation of the skin
- Using poor quality skin products.
- Poor vitamin A consumption
- Poor skin condition
Symptoms
Symptoms of milia are as follows:
- Itching of the skin
- Redness of the skin.
- White bumps on the skin.
Diagnosis
The following methods can diagnose Milia-
- Physical method: the doctor may do a physical examination just by seeing the skin condition.
- Diagnostic test: the doctor may order a diagnostic test such as a skin biopsy. During this, a piece of skin is taken out, which is then diagnosed with the help of a microscope.
Treatment
Milia can be treated by various methods, which include:
Home remedies: The home remedies for treating milia includes
- Use sunscreen cream before exposing to the sun.
- Wash face regularly.
- Use stems to open the pores of the skin.
- Use face wash and other products for cleansing skin.
- Use of rose water. Cinnamon can also help in treating milia.
Medications: the medication for treating milia includes
- Antibiotics such as minocycline help in treating milia.
- A retinoid cream that contains vitamin A promotes healthy skin and helps treat milia.
Other methods for treating milia
- Cryotherapy: During this procedure, the milia are frozen with the help of liquid nitrogen. Due to this, swelling occurs, which usually goes on within a few days.
- De-roofing: During this process doctor removes the milia with the help of a sterile blade or needle.
- Curettage: during this procedure doctor uses anaesthesia to numb the skin. The milia are then removed, and the skin is sealed using a hot wire.
Prevention
Milia can't be prevented when they occur in newborns. However, when milia are the result of skin conditions such as damage to the skin or overexpose of skin to sunlight, then they can be prevented by the following methods:
- Avoid the use of thick and poor-quality skincare products.
- Use vitamin A-containing creams.
- Keep skin healthy
- Do not expose to the sun more than necessary.
- Use sunscreen lotions and creams.
- Use facial peels.
- Use stem on the face whenever possible.
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