Can You Really Pop Those Sneaky Whiteheads at Home? The Ultimate Guide

Can You Pop Milia at Home?

Milia, unlike acne vulgaris, are small and filled with sebum. One might confuse them with a type of benign skin tumor, but milia are a type of acne characterized by high sebum secretion, visible as a small pore in the middle. When someone pops them, they release a white, sticky substance: sebum. So, how should you manage and pop milia, which differs from regular acne?

How to Pop Milia?

It is best not to touch milia at home. Sebum accumulates inside the pore, and the entrance often narrows like a bottleneck. If you apply pressure around it to squeeze out the sebum, a hole larger than the pore size can form and burst, even causing bleeding.

If the pore bursts and injures the entrance, a scar may form. It is better to have it extracted at a dermatologist or skin care clinic. If you have no time to go to the hospital and must pop it yourself, pressing gently with a cotton swab held vertically rather than pressing it horizontally is better.

Can Milia Turn Into Acne Vulgaris?

Milia, also known as whiteheads, are formed by accumulated sebum. If sebum is prevalent, it can naturally disappear, but if acne bacteria proliferate and inflammation occurs, it often turns into acne vulgaris.

Extracting whiteheads can resolve them, but increased sebum production in areas prone to high sebum levels can cause inflammatory reactions, turning into acne vulgaris and leading to post-acne hyperpigmentation. If you have a lot of whiteheads, you can use sebum-suppressing drugs or undergo procedures.

How to Prevent Milia?

Milia form when the body produces or blocks too much sebum. Sebum production is usually genetic, but diet management and external temperature can also increase or decrease it.

Blocked sebum can occur if you apply oily cosmetics or fail to remove makeup properly. Therefore, controlling your diet and washing your face correctly can be a way to prevent milia.