The best time to wash your face is in the evening before going to bed. You can also wash in the morning, especially if your dermatologist recommends it. Alternatively, you might just use lukewarm water and a clean cloth to gently wipe your face in the morning.
Milia aren’t caused by clogged pores, but letting the steam open your pores may make it easier to exfoliate dead skin cells covering the milia. Steam also softens your skin, which makes exfoliating a bit easier.
Don’t rub so hard that you cause redness or discomfort. Your goal is to remove dead skin cells from the area of the milia, not to try to rub the milia off! Exfoliate every other day, unless your dermatologist recommends doing so more or less frequently.
Alternatively, you can make honey masks with ingredients like turmeric, almond oil, aloe vera, or oatmeal. For a rose water face mask, mix together spoonfuls of plain yogurt and honey, then stir in a few drops of rose water. As with a plain honey face mask, leave it on your face for 15 minutes before wiping it away. There’s no real evidence that natural masks like these will help get rid of milia, but they’re also very unlikely to cause any problems.
Small amounts of concealing makeup shouldn’t impact how long the milia will last. Caking on heavy amounts of makeup may cause the milia to stick around longer, though.
The risk of injuring your eye with a sharp instrument is simply too great to risk. Think twice before trying to remove milia that aren’t near your eyes. Even if you properly sterilize your tools to reduce the risk of infection, there’s still a chance you’ll cause scarring. It’s always safer to see have a doctor remove milia.
Only use treatments that are specifically labeled for use near the eyes. Even then, be extra careful not to get any of the medication into your eyes. These topical treatments often include one of the following ingredients: alpha hydroxy acids; salicylic acid; retinol.
Retinoid is the active form of vitamin A. Keep in mind that this is purely cosmetic, since milia aren’t actually harmful, so you could just wait for them to go away.
This is an extremely delicate procedure when done anywhere near the eyes. Always leave it to the professionals, or simply leave the milia alone. [9] X Research source
Cryotherapy, in which the milia are frozen off with a small, specialized tool. Laser ablation, which essentially “zaps” the milia away with a targeted beam of light.
However, if having prominent milia under your eyes (or elsewhere) is causing you emotional distress, it’s reasonable to have them removed for your own wellbeing. Let your doctor know if this is the case for you.
Never try to remove milia from a baby yourself, and don’t expect to find a legitimate doctor who will do so either. The only reason a doctor might consider removing milia is if they are red, swollen, and possibly infected.
Applying sunscreen whenever you go outdoors. Wearing a broad-brimmed hat to keep the sun off your face. Removing makeup thoroughly at bed time. Contacting your doctor regarded the appropriate treatment for any abrasions or minor burns on your skin. Milia can sometimes occur in the area of healing skin.
