What Are the Symptoms of Milia?

A milium is a tiny cyst containing keratin, a protein found in the outer layer of skin. The bump may look white, cream, or skin-coloured and feel hard or smooth rather than soft like a fluid-filled spot. Milia are often clustered around the eyes, but they can occur elsewhere on the face and body. They do not have the open pore or dark centre typical of some Whiteheads. Redness, warmth, pus, marked tenderness, or rapid swelling suggests another problem or irritation rather than an uncomplicated milium.

Avoid squeezing or piercing a bump at home, especially near the eye, because this can injure the skin and introduce infection. Use a gentle cleanser and a non-comedogenic moisturiser. If bumps persist, multiply, or bother you, a clinician can confirm the diagnosis and discuss options such as carefully performed extraction, Topical Retinoids, or Curettage And Cautery. Treatment choice depends on location, skin sensitivity, and whether the bump is truly milia.

Arrange an assessment for a bump that is painful, inflamed, draining, rapidly enlarging, or changing colour. Seek urgent care for swelling around the eye with vision changes, severe pain, or fever. A persistent eyelid lump should be examined if its diagnosis is uncertain, because not every white or skin-coloured bump is milia.

Ask whether the bumps are milia or another type of Skin Bumps, whether treatment is needed, which products may worsen blockage, and how to protect delicate eyelid skin during removal.