Why You Should Never Just Squeeze Milia in Mokdong

Milia in Mokdong

Hello.

I am Kim Jin-hyun, the head doctor at You&I Clinic Mokdong Branch.

"I thought it was acne, so I squeezed it hard,

but no sebum came out, only blood did."

Many people are bothered by the white bumps that appear around the eyes.

At first glance, they can look like tiny whiteheads, so people often accidentally scratch them with a fingernail while washing their face or try to squeeze them.

But no matter how much you squeeze, nothing satisfying comes out. Instead, the area becomes red and swollen, or you only feel pain, which can be frustrating.

If you thought it was a simple skin concern but it does not go away and keeps staying there, it is likely not acne but "milia."

Today, I will carefully explain milia, which may look similar on the surface but requires completely different management, starting from why it develops.

Table of Contents

• Why shouldn’t you squeeze it like a whitehead?

• Why is pricking it with a needle at home dangerous?

• How can you prevent recurrence?

Milia in Mokdong

Why shouldn’t you squeeze it like a whitehead?

Some people wonder, "If I just leave it alone, won’t it go away?" and get frustrated when it remains the same even after several months.

Milia are small sacs about 1 mm in size that form in the superficial layer of the skin, and they are filled with keratin debris.

Normally, our skin goes through a "turnover" process every four weeks or so, in which old dead skin cells shed and new skin emerges.

But when this cycle does not work smoothly, the dead skin cells that should have been shed become trapped inside the skin, gather into a round clump, and turn into a small bead-like bump.

This is where the key difference from whitehead acne appears.

Acne has an open pore, or at least an opening through which sebum can be discharged, but milia are closed sacs with a blocked opening.

That is why, even if you squeeze hard with your hands, the contents do not come out, and instead only the surrounding skin tissue gets crushed, which can leave infection or scars.

Milia in Mokdong

Why is pricking it with a needle at home dangerous?

When browsing online, you may often see reviews like, "I pricked it with a needle at home and removed it," and some people try to copy that method.

However, as medical professionals, we do not recommend this method.

Using an unsterilized tool can lead to a secondary bacterial infection, and above all, if you puncture it without accurately knowing its size and depth, it can leave scars that are difficult to heal.

For safer and cleaner removal, it is important to visit a medical institution and receive an accurate diagnosis.

Usually, a precise laser device or a sterilized fine needle is used to make a very small hole (channel) on the skin surface, and then an experienced medical professional uses an extractor to neatly remove the keratin sac inside.

It is not just about scraping the surface; the particles inside must also be removed completely to reduce recurrence.

After the procedure, if you apply a regenerative tape (such as DuoDERM) for about 1 to 2 weeks and manage the area so that scabs do not form and new skin can fill in properly, recovery can be relatively smooth.

Milia in Mokdong

How can you prevent recurrence?

Some people worry, "Doctor, it comes back even after removing it."

Milia can be influenced by constitutional factors, but because they are also greatly affected by daily lifestyle habits, consistent care is needed.

The key is to keep the pores from getting blocked.

On days when you wear makeup, thorough cleansing to remove any residue is the most basic step.

In particular, you should not neglect the eye area or the cheeks, which are prone to dryness because they secrete less sebum.

Also, if your skin feels dry, applying too much oily eye cream or nourishing cream may actually block the pores and cause milia.

If your skin is oily, choose products with a high moisture content rather than oily products. It may also help to use products containing ingredients such as retinol or niacinamide that support exfoliation.

Lastly, ultraviolet rays reduce the skin’s regenerative ability and interfere with the shedding of dead skin cells, so be sure to wear sunscreen when going out.

Today, for those who searched for milia in Mokdong and came here, I explained the proper way to deal with milia.

It may be a small bump, but because it is located in one of the most visible areas of the face, I’m sure it has caught your attention every time you looked in the mirror.

Since skin thickness and the depth of the lesion differ from person to person, rather than handling it forcefully, I recommend removing it with a method suited to your skin through a careful diagnosis.

This was Kim Jin-hyun, head doctor at You&I Clinic Mokdong Branch.

Thank you.

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