Who doesn’t love flaunting clear skin, dressing up pretty and looking their best! Yet, there are times when you suffer from annoying spots on your face. Generally, you would just cover them up with some makeup hoping that they would disappear on their own, sooner or later. Yet, even with makeup, you’d constantly be worried if those spots are visible to others or not. Whether you are suffering from acne, eczema or any other blemishes on your face, and with that thought you tend to lose your confidence. Re-gaining that confidence is a tough task until and unless those spots disappear.
Well, if you are suffering from those weird small white dots that refuse to go away and dull your appearance, then you are just in luck! This article is all about those unexplainable annoying spots and how to tackle them.
What Are Those Small White Dots?
The very first objective is to rule out exactly what you have. If those small white dots that appear on your face are anything like the image above, then they are definitely ‘milium’ or milk spots. A milium cyst generally occurs in small groups that are referred to as milia. This happens due to keratin being trapped under the surface of the skin.
Where Can They Be Found?
Milia cysts are mostly found near or around the eyelids, nose, and mouth. In babies, milia cysts can spread throughout their face. However, they are entirely different from baby acne (2).
What Causes Milia?
The cause of milia in newborns is yet to be discovered and generally, infants are born with it. In older children and adults, however, milia can arise due to reasons such as burns, sun damage, use of steroid creams, skin blistering injuries or even a laser treatment .
How To Treat Milia?
For infants, there is no treatment required as the cysts usually clear up within a few weeks.
As for older children and adults, it may take a few months for milia to disappear on its own. Nevertheless, there are certain remedies that can work really well in eradicating milia. The following is a list of the top 5 remedies you could reach out for in your battle with milia:
1. Aloe Vera Leaf Gel
This is considered as the best remedy for milia. Use one aloe vera leaf and massage the gel on to the affected area. Try keeping this on for a long duration, preferably overnight, before rinsing it off. Doing this twice a day has been reported to have a quicker response in terms of eliminating milia.
2. Steam
Steaming your face regularly helps tremendously with these stubborn white spots. Convert your bathroom into a steam room by running a hot shower or using a steamer (available at any drugstore). Alternatively, you could always go old school and pour water into a cooking pot and bring it to a boil on your stove then proceed to place a towel over your head and steam your face.
Do this for about 10-15 minutes daily. This helps your pores open up and your skin gets a breather. It is extremely useful for getting rid of any toxins.
3. Tea Tree Oil
This oil helps disinfect the affected area. Tea tree oil also has great soothing properties and gives relief from burning or itching. Apply a few drops of tea tree oil onto your face after cleansing it at night, just before going to bed. This too should be kept overnight for the most effective results.
4. Exfoliation
Exfoliating your face once a week is crucial to get rid of any toxins that are trapped under your skin. Lemon juice and sugar are recommended as the best natural scrubbers but alternatively, you can always use a commercially available exfoliating face scrub instead. After exfoliating, apply some ice cubes to soothe your skin and close your pores to prevent any toxins from reentering it.
5. Dermatologists
If you don’t have the time or patience for home remedies and want to get rid of milia spots immediately, there are certain surgical procedures that can be done. ‘Cryotherapy’ is the most common type of procedure used for milia spots. This procedure involves exposing your face to a cold gas that freezes the affected area in order to terminate those cysts.
The other treatments suggested by dermatologists include chemical peels, medicated creams, laser therapy and even ‘deroofing,’ which involves using a sterilized needle to pluck and extract the cysts out. Sometimes, dermatologists even use a surgical blade to nick the skin and then extract the cysts (4).
So there you have it! Now you know all about those stubborn white milk spots on your face and how to handle them. Beautiful, unblemished skin doesn’t have to be a dream anymore, let’s make it a reality.