Are Whiteheads Milia?

Whiteheads and Milia

Whiteheads and milia are not the same thing. Think of a whitehead as as an “oil pocket” containing oil buildup and debris. Whiteheads occur because the oil pocket is causing a blockage as things are entering and leaving the skin. As that blockage moves closer to the surface of the skin, the whitehead opens. When opened it becomes a blackhead due to exposure to oxygen.

whitehead extraction dermica

A whitehead is a closed comedone, that is to say, a blocked pore.

On the other hand, milia are nodules (abnormal growths) that have formed in a sack. Think of milia as little “placentas” attached to the skin. These “placentas” are feeding and pulling nutrients from the skin. Extraction of milia involves the physical removal of the sac fully intact, whereas whitehead extractions involve emptying the pore.

Because milia is caused by internal factors, their treatment requires medical care. At Dérmica, we can help alleviate symptoms of conditions that show on the skin.

milia around eyes dermica

Milia are micro-cysts filled with keratin.

Don’t try popping at home!

We know milia are tempting to extract, but we highly recommend against popping your own milia. Successful and complete removal of the sac is important. Failure to remove all contents from the sac leaves the surrounding tissue exposed to infections. The service we recommend for the removal of milia is our Pore facial.


Is my eye cream to blame for my milia?

are whiteheads milia

The presence of milia is caused on an internal level. If milia would be caused by topical factors, it would create a blockage problem, like whiteheads do.

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Dérmica MedEsthetics
(780) 885 7108
dermica.ca

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Dérmica MedEsthetics

Jhoenna has taken her 15 years of experience in the beauty industry and known expertise to develop the Dérmica line of results-driven esthetic treatments that are sure to surpass your expectations!

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