Milia don’t respond to exfoliation or at-home extraction the way a regular pimple does. Here’s why — and how Plexr gets rid of them quickly, without cutting or traditional cautery.
If you’ve tried to scrub, extract, or wait out a cluster of small white bumps under your eyes or across your cheeks with no luck, you know about milia.
If you’ve been searching how to get rid of milia and wondering why regular skincare doesn’t seem to work, there’s a reason — milia are trapped beneath intact skin, where exfoliation and at-home extraction can’t easily reach them. The good news: professional milia removal with Plexr treats them directly, in a single short session, with minimal downtime.
What Milia Actually Are (And Why They Won't Just Go Away)
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- Milia are small, firm, white or yellowish bumps that form when keratin — a protein your skin naturally produces — becomes trapped just beneath the surface instead of shedding normally.
- Unlike a pimple, milia don’t form in an open pore — they sit in a small, fully closed pocket beneath the skin, which is why cleansers, acids, and pore strips generally don’t touch them.
- They’re benign and don’t carry any health risk, but they don’t reliably resolve on their own, particularly once they’ve been present for months.
- Picking or attempting to pop them at home carries a real risk of scarring or irritation, since the skin over top is intact and has to be properly opened, not squeezed.
In my practice, typical milia respond very well to Plexr — removal is quick, usually takes a single session, and the result is visible right away.
Regular Milia vs. the Cases That Need a Different Conversation
Most milia are straightforward, but there are a few types worth distinguishing.
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- Typical (primary) milia: isolated bumps or small scattered clusters, most common around the eyes, cheeks, and nose, with no underlying cause — this is what most people mean when they ask about milia removal.
- Secondary milia: linked to prior skin trauma — burns, blistering conditions, dermabrasion, certain medications, or a reaction to a heavy skin cream — these need the cause understood first, not just the bump removed.
- Milia en plaque: a rare, plaque-like cluster of milia, most often on the head or neck, and notably more common in women between 40 and 60. Because it can resemble other conditions, it’s worth checking with your primary provider before assuming it’s the same thing.
Q&A: Are milia the same as whiteheads?
No. Whiteheads form inside an open pore and are related to oil and bacteria; milia form in a closed pocket beneath the skin and are unrelated to acne.
Milia Under the Eyes: Why Plexr Is a Safe Treatment Option
Milia under the eyes and around the eyelids are especially common — which naturally raises the question of whether it’s safe to treat there at all. It is. Plexr is Health Canada-approved specifically for use around the eyes and is the only plasma device of its kind with that certification. It also doesn’t require internal eye shields the way many other technologies do. It’s used by ophthalmologists across Canada, and a peer-reviewed study has even tested the device directly on ocular surface tissue itself, with the surface staying healthy throughout. You can read the full safety picture here.
That safety profile isn’t limited to milia. Plexr can also be used to remove other small, benign lesions around the eyes and elsewhere on the face, including moles, skin tags, and similar minor irregularities. Because not every bump is a milium, a consultation first confirms what you’re dealing with and whether Plexr is the right treatment.
Milia Removal Options: What Works?
A comparison of common milia removal methods.
Not Laser, Not Cautery, Not Extraction, Not a Chemical Peel
If you’ve researched milia removal before, or been to a clinic that doesn’t offer Plexr, you’ve likely come across some combination of manual extraction, electrocautery, cryotherapy, laser, or chemical peels — common approaches used to treat milia. Plexr isn’t a variation on any of them; the mechanism is different.
- Not cutting or extraction. The traditional approach nicks the skin with a needle or blade, then physically expresses the trapped keratin with a comedone extractor or curette. Plexr sublimates the milium directly — there’s nothing to cut open or squeeze out.
- Not cautery or burning. Electrodesiccation destroys the lesion using heat delivered through an electric probe placed against the skin. Plexr’s plasma point converts the tissue into gas on contact, without a heated probe touching the skin.
- Not freezing. Cryotherapy uses liquid nitrogen to freeze the lesion, which then resolves as the treated tissue heals. With Plexr, the result is visible immediately.
- Not laser. Laser ablation may also be used to treat milia, particularly more extensive cases, but works through a different mechanism and can involve more significant recovery. Plexr’s healing typically runs 7–10 days.
- Not a chemical peel. Peels work at the skin’s surface to support turnover and may help prevent new milia, but they don’t directly remove a milium that’s already established. Plexr treats the lesion itself.
This becomes especially relevant around the eyes, where milia commonly appear and manual extraction can be more difficult. It’s also where Plexr’s eye-area safety profile really matters.
What to Expect
- Consultation and assessment — confirming what’s being treated is in fact typical milia, and identifying how many lesions are present.
- Treatment — a precise, localized plasma point sublimates the milium directly, converting the trapped tissue into gas on contact rather than cutting it open or extracting it the way a needle or comedone extractor would. The full mechanism is covered here → How Plexr Works. Published research on plasma-based removal of benign lesions — including moles, papillomas, and similar growths — has reported no procedural complications and average treatment times of just a few minutes per lesion, which lines up with what a milia removal session looks like in practice.
- Immediate results — the milium is visibly gone right away, and tiny carbon crusts form directly over the treated area.
- Healing — the carbon crusts naturally flake away over 7–10 days. The healing process is the same as other Plexr treatments, but the treatment area is much smaller — typically only about three plasma points per milium rather than the more diffuse pattern used for a full eye or skin-tightening treatment. See the day-by-day Plexr healing process → Recovery Guide.
Q&A: Does milia removal with Plexr hurt?
Numbing is used as standard practice, so most clients describe the treatment as comfortable rather than painful.
MYTH — Any exfoliating product will eventually dissolve milia if you use it long enough.
FACT — Chemical exfoliants like salicylic or glycolic acid can support healthy cell turnover and help prevent new milia, but once a milium is established beneath intact skin, exfoliation alone rarely clears it — at that point, it needs to be removed directly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will milia come back after removal?
New milia can form elsewhere over time, since the keratin-trapping process can recur, but the lesion that’s been removed doesn’t return.
How long does milia removal take?
A session for a handful of milia is brief — under an hour, depending on how many are being treated. Healing takes about 7–10 days as the treated spots crust and resolve.
Can milia be removed safely at home?
It isn’t recommended. Because milia sit under intact skin, proper removal requires sterile, controlled technique to avoid scarring or infection.
Does insurance cover milia removal?
No — milia removal is considered a cosmetic procedure. Pricing starts from a base rate and is confirmed with an exact quote at consultation.
Does Plexr only treat milia, or other things too?
Milia is one of several small, benign lesions Plexr can treat — it’s also used for moles, skin tags, and similar minor irregularities, using the sublimation approach described above.
As with any Plexr treatment, results are immediate for what’s directly treated, and following your aftercare plan supports clean healing. Individual results vary, and if you’re managing several milia or a more complex case, a quick consultation is the best way to confirm the right approach.
If you’d like to explore milia removal with Plexr, you’re welcome to book a personalized consultation through the form below.
Sarah is a Registered Nurse and founder of Gia Sena, providing regenerative plasma aesthetics in Calgary. With over 23 years in nursing, her work focuses on supporting long-term skin vitality through regenerative treatments tailored to perimenopausal and menopausal skin.
Sources
- Berk, D.R., Bayliss, S.J. (2008). Milia: A review and classification. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 59(6), 1050–1063. DOI: 10.1016/j.jaad.2008.07.034
- Ucar, F., Unluzeybek, M. (2024). Plasma Exeresis for the Treatment of Benign Eyelid Lesions: A New Surgical Approach. Ophthalmic Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery, 40(5), 533–537. DOI: 10.1097/IOP.0000000000002635
- Milia. StatPearls [Internet]. NCBI Bookshelf.
- Milia: Practice Essentials, Background, Pathophysiology. Medscape.
- Milia (Milk Spots): Causes & Treatment. Cleveland Clinic.
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