By Basil Russo, Founder, Bar Beauty Medical, 46 Fort York Blvd, CityPlace Toronto. Reviewed by Julia Barabas, Medical Aesthetician and Glow Specialist.
Milia are tiny white bumps of trapped keratin, a protein found in skin. They sit just under the surface, they’re harmless, and they aren’t acne. At Bar Beauty Medical in CityPlace, we take them out during any facial at no extra cost, including under the eyes. The one place we don’t work on is the eyelid itself. Facials start at $160.
Book a facial → See facial prices →
The short version
- Milia are small cysts filled with keratin. One on its own is called a milium. Some people call them milk spots.
- They’re common at every age, and 40 to 50 percent of newborns have them.
- Many clear up by themselves within a few months.
- You can’t pop them like a pimple. Trying can scar the skin or cause an infection.
- With us, removal is included in any facial, under the eyes too. Never on the eyelid.
What are milia?
A milium is a tiny cyst filled with keratin. People usually have a few at once, which is why you mostly hear the plural, milia. They look like small white or pearly dots, and they’re sometimes called milk spots.
Milia are common in men and women of all ages. You’ll most often see them on the face, especially on the eyelids, under the eyes, and on the cheeks, nose and forehead. They can show up on other parts of the body too.
Milia or whiteheads? How to tell
It’s easy to mix them up, since both are small, pale bumps. A whitehead is a clogged pore, and it’s part of acne. A milium is a cyst under the skin, and it isn’t acne at all.
| Milia | Whiteheads | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A tiny cyst filled with keratin | A completely blocked pore (a closed comedone) |
| Is it acne? | No | Yes |
| Where it shows up | Around the eyes, cheeks, nose, forehead | Most often the forehead and chin |
| Can you squeeze it? | No. It won’t pop like a pimple, and trying can scar the skin or cause an infection | Better not. Squeezing can rupture the follicle under the skin, which may lead to more blackheads and whiteheads |
| What helps | Often nothing, since many clear on their own. Professional removal if they bother you | Acne treatments such as salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide or retinoids |
If your bumps turn out to be whiteheads, our acne treatments are the better fit.
What causes milia?
Most milia form when dead skin cells don’t shed the way they normally would. New skin grows over the top, the old cells get trapped, and they harden into a little cyst just under the surface.
Doctors also sort milia into types, which can point to the cause:
- Primary milia usually appear on the eyelids, cheeks and forehead. Children and adults both get them.
- Secondary milia form where skin has been damaged, for example after a burn, a blistering rash, sun damage, or a resurfacing procedure such as dermabrasion.
- Milia from creams and topical medicines. Heavy creams and ointments can sometimes set them off, and so can long-term use of steroid creams. Rarely, medicines such as hydroquinone or 5-fluorouracil cream are involved.
- Rare types. Milia en plaque is a cluster of milia on a raised, inflamed patch of skin, often on the eyelid, behind the ear, or on the cheek or jaw. Multiple eruptive milia are crops of many milia that appear over weeks to months and can itch. Both are worth showing to a doctor, since milia en plaque is sometimes linked to another skin condition.
Less often, milia come with a genetic condition or an autoimmune response.
Do milia go away on their own?
Often, yes. In newborns they usually clear within a few weeks. In adults they can last anywhere from a few weeks to a couple of months, and some stay for months or longer. They don’t need treatment unless they bother you.
How to get rid of milia
If you’d rather not wait, these are your options.
First, leave them alone at home. Milia can’t be popped like a pimple, and squeezing or scraping them can scar the skin or cause an infection. Injured skin can also go on to form new milia.
Gentle skin care can help. Wash with warm water and a mild cleanser, pat your skin dry, and wear sunscreen when you’re outside.
Retinoid creams can help too, especially when there are a lot of milia. Adapalene gel is one option, and tretinoin cream is another that your doctor can prescribe. Your pharmacist or doctor can tell you which suits your skin.
Or you can have them taken out by a professional. That’s what we do during facials, and the steps are below. Doctors can also freeze milia off (cryotherapy) or use heat (diathermy), and for milia en plaque they may prescribe a medicated cream or an antibiotic called minocycline.
Milia removal at Bar Beauty Medical
- It’s included. Milia removal comes with every facial on our menu. There’s no add-on fee.
- Tell us about them. Mention your milia when you book, or at the start of your appointment.
- Under the eyes, yes. The eyelid, no. We remove milia under the eyes. We don’t treat milia on the eyelid itself or along the lash line.
- Who does it. Our medical aestheticians Julia Barabas, Vivian Temesvari and Elizabeth Naranjo. Meet the team.
What happens during milia removal
This is done during your facial, once your skin has been cleansed and softened, often with steam.
- Your aesthetician opens the skin over the milium just a little, with a sterile, single-use lancet or a fine needle, so the trapped keratin has a way out.
- They press gently around it with cotton swabs, gloved fingertips or a small extractor tool until the little white bead of keratin comes out.
- Once they’re all cleared, we put something calming and antiseptic on the area.
- Before you leave, we go over aftercare: be gentle with the skin, don’t pick at the spots, and wear sunscreen every day.
We don’t extract milia on the eyelid itself or along the lash line. That area needs a doctor, so for eyelid milia, see your family doctor, a dermatologist or an eye doctor.
These are some of the facials you can book. Milia removal is included in all of them.
| Facial | Price (CAD) |
|---|---|
| Extract & Decongest | $160 |
| Hydrabrasion Deluxe | $170 |
| Sculpt & Define Facial | $180 |
| Oxygen Glass Facial | $200 |
| Préime DermaFacial | from $250 |
| Advanced Decongest Facial | $280 |
| Aerolase NeoSkin Custom Facial | $350 |
Every facial and price is on our price list. Prices are in Canadian dollars, from our booking system, checked October 10, 2026. If you’d like help choosing, our consultations are free.
We’re at 46 Fort York Blvd in CityPlace, Toronto, ON M5V 3Z3. Call 416-923-1200, get directions, or book online.
Milia under the eyes
Under the eyes is one of the most common places for milia to show up. We remove them during your facial, and we don’t work on the eyelid itself or along the lash line. Just let us know when you book, or when you arrive.
Milia on the eyelid
We don’t remove milia on the eyelid or along the lash line. If you’d like eyelid milia removed, see your family doctor, a dermatologist or an eye doctor. A doctor should also look at any cluster of milia on a raised, inflamed patch of eyelid skin, since that can be a rare type called milia en plaque.
Milia in babies
Milia are very common in newborns. Somewhere between 40 and 50 percent of newborns have them, often on the nose. They don’t need treatment and go away on their own, usually within a few weeks. The Canadian Paediatric Society also says baby milia disappear on their own without treatment. Its handout calls them “tiny whiteheads”, but milia aren’t acne. We don’t treat babies, so if you’re worried about your baby’s skin, ask your baby’s doctor.
When to see a doctor instead
See your family doctor or a dermatologist if:
- you’d like milia on your eyelid or lash line removed (we don’t treat that area)
- a lot of them appear over a few weeks
- they sit on a raised, red or inflamed patch of skin
- they haven’t improved after a few months
- you’re not sure the bump is milia
Other bumps can look similar, such as other kinds of cysts, xanthelasma or syringomas. Small yellowish bumps on the forehead or cheeks in middle age and later may be sebaceous hyperplasia, which we treat with the Aerolase laser. A few look-alikes need a doctor to rule out, so get anything unusual checked.
Frequently asked questions
Is milia removal included with a facial at Bar Beauty Medical?
Yes. We remove milia during any facial at no extra cost, except on the eyelid.
How much does milia removal cost in Toronto?
At Bar Beauty Medical it costs nothing extra. You pay for the facial you book, and our facials start at $160.
How do you remove milia?
During your facial, your aesthetician makes a tiny opening over each milium with a sterile, single-use lancet or fine needle, then gently presses the keratin out.
Can you remove milia under my eyes?
Yes. We just don’t work on the eyelid itself or along the lash line.
Do you remove milia on the eyelid?
No, and that includes the lash line. If you’d like eyelid milia removed, see your family doctor, a dermatologist or an eye doctor.
Are milia whiteheads?
No. Whiteheads are clogged pores and a type of acne. Milia are tiny keratin cysts and aren’t acne.
Are milia contagious?
No. They don’t spread from person to person.
Do milia go away on their own?
Often. In adults they can last a few weeks to a couple of months, and some stay longer. In newborns they usually go within a few weeks.
Can I pop milia myself?
No. Milia can’t be popped like a pimple, and trying can scar the skin or cause an infection.
Can milia come back?
New milia can appear, and injury to the skin makes new ones more likely.
Who removes milia at Bar Beauty Medical?
Our medical aestheticians, Julia Barabas, Vivian Temesvari and Elizabeth Naranjo, during your facial.
Book a facial → Call 416-923-1200
Sources
- DermNet, Milium, by dermatologists Dr Monisha Gupta and Dr Amanda Oakley
- DermNet, Comedonal acne, reviewed by Dr Amanda Oakley
- DermNet, Sebaceous hyperplasia, reviewed by Dr Amanda Oakley
- Cleveland Clinic, Milia, medically reviewed
- Canadian Paediatric Society, Caring for Kids, Your baby’s skin
- American Academy of Ophthalmology, What Are Milia?
- Prices: Bar Beauty Medical booking system, checked October 10, 2026
Further reading: Berk DR, Bayliss SJ. Milia: a review and classification. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2008;59(6):1050-63. doi:10.1016/j.jaad.2008.07.034
This page is general information, not a diagnosis.
Questions about this treatment?
Ask us anything before you book. Consultations are free, and we will tell you honestly if a treatment is not right for you.