Words From The Wise: DERMAdoctor Has The Prescription for Reader’s Milia

Linda, a Spoiled Pretty reader, wrote me with the following skincare dilemma:

“I have a skincare question for you. A few years ago, I began to notice that I was developing these little white bumps on the tops of my cheeks just above my cheekbones. Thinking they were pimples, I tried to squeeze them to see if that would make them go away. They are hard little bumps, and my home extraction did nothing. I tried increasing my exfoliation, but this didn't reduce the number of bumps either. I have ignored it for the last few months as they didn't really bother me until recently. I looked in the mirror the other day and noticed that more of the bumps have appeared! I am starting to get worried, but I am not sure what product I should get as I have sensitive combination skin and am scared to try anything that might be too harsh and make the problem worse! Any help would be greatly appreciated! Love your blog!”

I immediately recognized Linda’s issue as milia. So I contacted DERMAdoctor's Dr. Kunin for some advice - and a prescription for this reader’s skin affliction.

Dr. Kunin’s response:

It sounds like you are trying to describe a condition called milia; these are essentially very deep seated white heads that have sealed themselves off from the surface of the skin. While these can form just because they can, frequently the use of skincare or cosmetic products that are too heavy for one’s particular skin type can lead to these. Read the labels of your products carefully and make certain they say they are non-comedogenic.

Next, exfoliation will help keep pores open and reduce your chances of forming more milia in the future. Try products such as DERMAdoctor Physical Chemistry once or twice weekly to obtain a simultaneous physical and chemical exfoliation. Use DERMAdoctor Poetry In Lotion every other night to keep those pores open and your complexion vibrant.

Milia often need to be extracted which is not to easy to perform upon yourself. Your facialist or dermatologist can easily pop them open and extract them.

Thanks for the wonderful advice, Dr. Kunin!

Oh...and Linda, Dr. Kunin will be sending you DERMAdoctor Physical Chemistry and Poetry In Lotion. Help is on the way!

Baffled by beauty? Overwhelmed by the number of products on the market? Desperately in search of answers to your hair, skincare and makeup dilemmas? Email me your query to spoiledprettyquestions@gmail.com - and if your question is answered on the blog, you will receive expert advice, plus a Spoiled Pretty-approved product that addresses your specific beauty issue! Be sure to include your full name and mailing address in your email.