Milia & Me

About a month or so ago, I noticed a teeny white dot high on my cheekbone, just beneath my eye. Although so small that it wouldn't be apparent to anyone else, I was conscious of the spot. My natural reaction- don't judge- was to attempt an extraction. All that this did was create a very obvious red area around the white dot. It finally disappeared, on its own, after quite some time only for a second white dot to appear. By this point, I was convinced that I was suffering from Milia.
So what are Milia? Milia are tiny keratin-filled cysts which are caused by conjestion. They have been linked to high mineral oil content in cosmetic products. I'm not sure what caused mine but I was keen to see a specialist, which I did at the Vaishaly clinic in London.
As part of my Vaishaly signature facial, the therapist examined my skin and confirmed my self-diagnosis of Milia. She gave me the option to leave the white spot or for it to be professionally extracted, which is the recommended treatment for Milia. To perform the extraction, my therapist used a tiny needle to pierce the skin and then performed an extraction in the same way as she would for a simple blackhead. Not painful at all, in fact, it was rather satisfying!
I'd definitely recommend seeing a specialist if you are concerned about Milia- they're really not a huge deal but something that was annoying me personally. If you suspect that you're suffering from Milia, don't even bother trying a home extraction- this needs to be left to the professionals, who will sort you out in no time at all.