What are milia?
Milia (milk spots) are small, white cysts on your skin. Cysts are filled pockets under the surface of your skin. The most common place to find milia are on your face. Milia are harmless and only affect your appearance.
It’s common to confuse the white bumps on your face with whiteheads, which are a type of acne. Milia aren’t a type of acne.
What’s the difference between milia and milium?
“Milia” is the plural word for the small cysts called milk spots. One cyst is called a “milium.” A milium is also known as a single milk spot or an oil seed.
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What are the different types of milia?
There are different types of milia including:
- Neonatal milia: Neonatal milia affects infants and causes white cysts to form on a baby’s skin, most often on or around their nose. This type of milia is present at birth.
- Primary milia: Primary milia are small cysts that are common on your eyelids, forehead, cheeks or genitals. They affect both children and adults.
- Secondary milia (traumatic milia): Secondary milia are small cysts that occur after damage to your skin, either from burns, rashes, blisters or sunlight exposure. They can also form as a reaction to a heavy skin cream or ointment.
- Juvenile milia: Juvenile milia are cysts that are a symptom of an inherited condition. These can be present at birth or show up later in life.
- Milia en plaque: This rare type of milia often affects women or people assigned female at birth between the ages of 40 and 60. The milia clump together on a raised patch of skin, usually behind your ears, on your eyelid, on your cheek or jaw.
- Multiple eruptive milia: This rare condition causes groups of cysts to form over weeks to months on your face, upper arms and upper abdomen. These cysts can be itchy.
How common are milia and who do milia affect?
Milia are most common among infants, but different types of milia can affect anyone at any age. About half of all healthy infants have milia when they’re born. Milia can appear later during infancy among premature babies.
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How do milia affect my body?
Milia are harmless and only cause temporary cosmetic changes to your body or your newborn’s body. Small white bumps (cysts) form on your skin or your baby’s skin. These cysts usually disappear on their own after a few weeks.
