If you’ve noticed small, hard, pearly white bumps on your face — particularly around your eyes, nose, or cheeks — that simply won’t go away no matter what you try, you’re probably looking at milia.
Milia are one of the most common skin concerns we treat at Sine Beauty, and one of the most misunderstood. Many clients have spent months trying to squeeze them, exfoliate them away, or cover them with makeup — none of which works, and some of which makes things worse.
Here’s a clear guide to what milia actually are, why they form, and how to remove them safely.
Milia (singular: milium) are tiny keratin-filled cysts that form just beneath the skin’s surface. Unlike blackheads or whiteheads, they are not caused by clogged pores filled with oil and bacteria. They are small, enclosed sacs containing keratin — the same protein that makes up your hair and nails.
This distinction matters enormously, because it explains why milia cannot be removed the same way as other congestion. They have no pore opening. There is no way for the keratin inside to escape on its own or be pushed out with squeezing.
Milia typically appear as:
Milia form when dead skin cells become trapped under the skin’s surface rather than shedding normally. Several factors contribute to this:
Rich moisturisers, thick eye creams, and occlusive products (like petroleum-based balms) can trap dead skin cells beneath the surface if they’re not fully absorbed or if your skin turnover is slow. This is especially common around the delicate eye area, where the skin is thinner and more prone to product buildup.
Prolonged sun damage thickens the outer layer of skin, making it harder for dead cells to shed properly. In Singapore’s year-round high UV environment, this is a genuine contributing factor for many people.
Milia can form after skin resurfacing procedures, chemical peels, or laser treatments as the skin heals. This is a known side effect of certain treatments that disrupt the normal skin renewal process.
Some people are simply more prone to milia regardless of their skincare habits. If your parents had them, you’re more likely to develop them too.
Newborns often develop milia in the first few weeks of life — this is completely normal and resolves on its own without any treatment.
This is the most important section of this guide, because the instinct to squeeze milia is almost universal — and almost universally counterproductive.
Here’s why squeezing doesn’t work: Milia have no pore opening. When you press on a milium, there is nowhere for the keratin to go. The pressure doesn’t expel anything — it simply traumatises the surrounding skin, causing redness, inflammation, and sometimes scarring or post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation that takes far longer to heal than the milia itself.
What about exfoliation? Regular exfoliation can help prevent new milia from forming by encouraging healthy skin turnover. But it will not remove existing milia. The keratin is too deeply and firmly encapsulated beneath the skin surface for exfoliation to reach.
What about retinol or acids? Long-term use of retinol or chemical exfoliants can gradually thin the skin layer above the milia and may eventually allow some to surface on their own. But this is a slow process measured in months — not a reliable removal method — and using actives strong enough to accelerate this significantly increases the risk of irritation, particularly around the sensitive eye area.
The only reliable, safe, and immediate way to remove existing milia is professional extraction.
At Sine Beauty, our Milia Seed Removal Treatment is a 90-minute professional procedure that removes milia safely and completely. Here’s how it works:
Your therapist examines your skin to identify all milia, assess the surrounding skin condition, and confirm the bumps are milia rather than another type of skin lesion. This step matters — not all small bumps are milia, and a trained eye makes the correct identification.
A topical numbing cream is applied and left for sufficient time to take effect. This is what separates a proper professional milia removal from a rushed job. Milia extraction involves making a very small incision in the skin above the cyst — numbing cream ensures this is comfortable throughout.
Using a sterile lancet, the therapist makes a tiny opening in the skin above each milium. The keratin content is then carefully extracted using a comedone extractor. The incisions are minute — when done correctly, they leave no visible marks once healed.
Post-extraction, a stem cell repair mask is applied to calm the skin, support healing, and reduce any post-procedure redness. This aftercare step is important for clean, scar-free healing.
Immediately after the treatment, you may notice small red spots where each extraction took place. These typically fade within 24–48 hours. Your skin may feel slightly sensitive for a day or two.
For the best healing results:
Professional milia removal permanently removes the existing cysts. Once a milium is properly extracted, it does not come back in the same spot.
However, new milia can form over time, particularly if the underlying causes — heavy product use, sun damage, slow skin turnover — are not addressed. Your therapist at Sine Beauty will advise on adjustments to your home routine to reduce the likelihood of recurrence.
People often confuse milia with whiteheads because both appear as white bumps. The key differences:
| Milia | Whiteheads | |
|---|---|---|
| Feel | Hard, firm | Soft, compressible |
| Cause | Trapped keratin | Clogged pore (sebum + dead cells) |
| Pore opening | None | Yes (closed) |
| Location | Around eyes, cheeks | T-zone, chin, nose |
| Duration | Months to years | Days to weeks |
| Home removal | Not possible | Limited |
If you’re unsure whether you have milia or another type of skin concern, book a consultation with us. Your therapist can identify the issue correctly and recommend the right treatment.
| Treatment | Duration | First Trial | Usual Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Milia Seed Removal | 90 mins | $148 | $198 |
No commitment. No hard-selling. Just an honest consultation, precise extraction, and skin that feels smooth again.
Sine Beauty Toa Payoh
Blk 66 Lor 4 Toa Payoh, #01-319, Singapore 310066 | 5 mins from Toa Payoh MRT
đź“ž +65 6255 5823 | WhatsApp: +65 9825 9838
Sine Beauty Woodlands
#04-11, 8 Woodlands Square, Woods Square, Singapore 737713 (near Causeway Point)
đź“ž +65 6980 5981 | WhatsApp: +65 8463 2238
Opening hours: Mon–Fri: 10.30am–8.30pm | Sat: 10.00am–5.00pm | Sun: 10.00am–3.00pm
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Sine Beauty — caring for Singapore skin since 2011.
Sine Beauty, A Skincare Blog by Sine Beauty Facial Salon is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Based on a work at www.sinbeauty.sg/blog
