Most folks have seen milia a jillion times but didn't know what it was. I always called it "baby zits" because you generally see it most often on infants.
It happens frequently to babies because their glands are not fully formed. More rarely it occurs in adults, most often the result of trauma to the sebaceous glands or from using facial products too rich for their skin type. Even in adults, they're most often seen around the eye, so if this happens to you, STOP using the eye cream you're using! (I started using a REN eye gel when this happened to me, so I ceased and desisted. In my case this was probably just being overly cautious as it only happened around one eye, the eye that I smashed up in an accident last year and where I still have nerve damage.)
Despite it's acne like appearance- THIS IS NOT ACNE. If you try to pinch or squeeze these, you won't accomplish anything other than permanently scarring your face. On babies they tend to disappear on their own, but for some reason with adults they stubbornly refuse to go. If you're a grown up and get these- you have to go to the dermatologist for removal. Much internet scanning showed some dubious home remedies that generally involved jabbing needles into the skin a few centimeters from my eyeball. No thanks.
Sadly, the average dermatologist charge roughly $150 apiece to remove these! I tried masks, serums, exfoliants... no dice. Then..... cue the sun breaking through the clouds.....
SHE appeared! My life, my love, my Clarisonic.
For a bit more than the cost to remove one milia, I bought my pretty pink Clarisonic. I had a discount code, so I got about 20% off and had heard nothing but raves. My mom considers hers to be as neccesary as oxygen so I finally gave in and got one as my Christmas present to myself. GLORY BE AND HALLELUJAH!
I use mine twice a day and the difference it makes is indescribable. The first time I used it, I was in awe of how soft my skin was afterwards and how much better my facial products seemed to absorb. It's waterproof, so I can use it in the shower and it holds it's charge for quite some time. I used to lazy out and not do a full ritualistic cleaning, but this makes it so easy that I feel as if I'm depriving myself of a mini facial if I don't give myself that 2 minutes of vibrating, cleaning bliss.
The best part? Within a week some of the smaller ones disappeared and in a month's time every single last one was gone. The Husband probably wanted to give me crap for such an extravagent purchase at first, but he was amazed by the results and now he thinks it's the bees knees. With daily use, the little buggers haven't come back and I have a happy face again!
Despite it's acne like appearance- THIS IS NOT ACNE. If you try to pinch or squeeze these, you won't accomplish anything other than permanently scarring your face. On babies they tend to disappear on their own, but for some reason with adults they stubbornly refuse to go. If you're a grown up and get these- you have to go to the dermatologist for removal. Much internet scanning showed some dubious home remedies that generally involved jabbing needles into the skin a few centimeters from my eyeball. No thanks.
Sadly, the average dermatologist charge roughly $150 apiece to remove these! I tried masks, serums, exfoliants... no dice. Then..... cue the sun breaking through the clouds.....
SHE appeared! My life, my love, my Clarisonic.
I use mine twice a day and the difference it makes is indescribable. The first time I used it, I was in awe of how soft my skin was afterwards and how much better my facial products seemed to absorb. It's waterproof, so I can use it in the shower and it holds it's charge for quite some time. I used to lazy out and not do a full ritualistic cleaning, but this makes it so easy that I feel as if I'm depriving myself of a mini facial if I don't give myself that 2 minutes of vibrating, cleaning bliss.
The best part? Within a week some of the smaller ones disappeared and in a month's time every single last one was gone. The Husband probably wanted to give me crap for such an extravagent purchase at first, but he was amazed by the results and now he thinks it's the bees knees. With daily use, the little buggers haven't come back and I have a happy face again!
