Ever woke up one day, looked in a mirror and saw some tiny, white bumps on your cheeks? It’s not a whitehead or a blemish, it’s actually called milia. If you’ve been around a newborn baby before, then you would have seen them. Newborns tend to have them on their foreheads or nose. It might seem unsightly to see on babies but they do eventually disappear.
But it does not really look good on adults. So what is milia? And how do we get rid of them? They are cysts formed under your skin. But don’t worry, they are keratin-filled and not considered dangerous at all. They appear on your skin due to several reasons, such as when dead skin is trapped in your pores or because of lack of sleep, poor personal hygiene or using too much oil-based make-up.
Getting rid of milia may take a while but it is possible. Here are some tried and tested ways to get rid of those nasty bumps safely.
1. Lancing – if you are hell-bent on getting rid of your milia as fast as possible, many say that this is what you should do. To do this, you need to get a sharp needle (make sure it is sanitized), then you make an incision on your milia in order excise the milium inside. Although this can be done in the safety of your own home, if you are not sure about this method, it is best to go to a professional to help you with this technique.
2. Apple cider vinegar – If you are more into the natural way of getting rid of milia, then you can use this technique instead. This kitchen product has so many uses, even Hollywood actress Scarlett Johansson uses it to wash her face every night! To use it to get rid of milia, what you can do is combine three teaspoons of cornstarch to one teaspoon of apple cider vinegar. Apply it on your face and leave it as is for about 30 minutes, then wash your face with water.
3. Honey – this is another natural remedy that you can use. It has been used for many years as a cure-all for many skin ailments. It can be used as a moisturizer and even softens your skin with regular use. For treatment against milia, make sure you use raw honey. Just put it on your skin for 10-15 minutes, then rinse. You can also mix it with other ingredients such as oatmeal and sugar to make a scrub. A scrub is helpful in unclogging the pores in your face, so you will surely see those milia disappearing after everyday use of this ingredients.
There are a lot of home remedies that you can use aside from the three mentioned above. Check out this milia removal products guide for a more detailed explanation of other techniques that you can use to get rid of them. Even though getting rid of milia may seem like an arduous task, it will be worth it once you see your face free of them.
