Kare Plastic Surgery & Skin Health Center · Santa Monica & Los Angeles
Milia Removal Santa Monica
804 7th Street, Santa Monica, CA 90403 · Near Montana Avenue · (310) 998-5533
Precise lancet extraction of primary and secondary milia on the face, eyes, cheeks, and body with minimal exposure scarring by board-certified dermatologist Dr. Tiffany Sierro at Kare Plastic Surgery Santa Monica
Call (310) 998-5533 Request an Appointment
BoardCertified Dermatologist
LancetPrecision Extraction Technique
FaceEyelid · Cheek · Body
Primary& Secondary Milia Treated
Milia Removal Santa Monica
Expert Milia Removal by a Dermatologist
Dr. Tiffany Sierro, MD Board-Certified Dermatologist Milia Extraction · Comedone Removal · Periocular & Facial Milia · Kare Plastic Surgery & Skin Health Center, Santa Monica
Milia are keratin-filled epidermal inclusion cysts — tiny, firm, white or yellowish bumps that develop when dead skin cells become trapped beneath the skin surface and form a small cyst rather than shedding normally. Unlike blackheads and whiteheads, which have an open follicular canal through which their contents can migrate toward the surface, milia are completely enclosed within a membranous cyst wall that prevents natural expression. This is why milia cannot be squeezed out like a pimple — the cyst wall physically prevents expression without a lancet puncture to open it first.
At Kare Plastic Surgery & Skin Health Center at 804 7th Street in Santa Monica near Montana Avenue, board-certified dermatologist Dr. Tiffany Sierro, MD removes milia using precise lancet extraction — the only technique that reliably removes the intact keratin plug without trauma to the surrounding skin. A tiny opening is made with a sterile lancet over the milium dome; gentle comedone extractor pressure then expresses the pearl-white keratin plug completely and cleanly in a single pass. The procedure takes 30–60 seconds per milium. No anesthesia, no downtime, no scarring — as documented in the three-step clinical photography below.
PrecisionPrecise milia extraction with magnification
Professionalismboard certified experts in managing your skin
Milia & Comedone Services at Kare Skin Health Center Santa Monica
- Primary milia extraction — face, cheeks, nose, forehead
- Periocular milia — eyelid margin and undereye milia
- Secondary milia — post-traumatic, post-laser, scar-associated
- Multiple milia — extensive facial milia field clearing
- Comedone (blackhead/whitehead) extraction
- Topical retinoid prescription — milia recurrence prevention
- Chemical peel for patients with milia and skin texture concerns
Kare Skin Health Center · Santa Monica · Near Montana Avenue
Dermatologist Appointment for Milia
Clinical Documentation — Dr. Tiffany Sierro · Kare Plastic Surgery, Santa Monica
Milia Extraction — Before, During & After
Actual patient of Dr. Tiffany Sierro · Individual results may vary
① Before Primary milium — white dome visible on medial cheek below eyelid
② Extraction Lancet puncture — keratin pearl being expressed with comedone extractor
③ After Milium completely cleared — tiny puncture site, no scarring, same visit
Left: A single primary milium on the medial cheek as a white, firm, dome-shaped keratin cyst. Center: Active extraction — the keratin plug visibly expressed as a pearl through the lancet puncture opening. Right: Immediate post-extraction — the milium site is clear, the skin surface is intact, and only a small red puncture point remains that resolves within 24–48 hours. Dr. Tiffany Sierro · Kare Plastic Surgery, Santa Monica
Primary vs. Secondary Milia
Understanding the Milia Diagnosis in Dermatology
Primary Milia
Primary milia form spontaneously without an identifiable preceding skin injury — arising from the trapping of keratin debris within the vellus hair follicles or eccrine sweat ducts. Most common around the eyes, on the cheeks, nose, and forehead. Primary milia are the most frequently seen presentation at Kare Plastic Surgery and respond immediately to lancet extraction. They may recur in patients with oily or keratinizing skin types who benefit from a topical retinoid maintenance prescription to slow reformation.
Secondary Milia
Secondary milia form in response to a preceding skin injury that disrupts the normal epidermal architecture — including blistering conditions, burns, laser treatments (particularly ablative CO2 resurfacing), dermabrasion, or chronic sun damage. The disrupted skin surface traps keratin debris during the healing phase. Secondary milia may be more numerous, more stubborn, and more prone to recurrence than primary milia. Dr. Sierro addresses the underlying skin condition alongside the extraction protocol for secondary milia patients.
Precise Extraction of Milia
Milia removal is offered by estheticians and medspa technicians throughout Los Angeles and Santa Monica, but the clinical literature and patient outcomes consistently favor physician-level extraction for several specific reasons. Periocular milia — those within 2–5mm of the eyelid margin or lower lid — require extreme precision to avoid inadvertent scleral or conjunctival contact during the lancet puncture. Multiple closely spaced milia on the cheek or nose require individualized depth assessment for each extraction to avoid the dermal penetration that produces scarring. And for patients with extensive secondary milia after prior CO2 laser or dermabrasion, the underlying skin fragility increases the risk of procedural trauma that a dermatologist is specifically trained to identify and prevent.
Dr. Sierro’s lancet technique at Kare Plastic Surgery Santa Monica uses the standardized extraction protocol: a sterile lancet creates a 1mm opening directly over the milium dome at its highest point; a sterile comedone extractor is placed over the opening and gentle lateral pressure expresses the keratin pearl completely in a single pass. The three-step clinical photography above shows the complete procedure in a single patient encounter — before, during active extraction, and immediately after — demonstrating both the technique and the immediate cosmetic result.
“Fotunately, there is a simple and non-traumatic method to extract milia.”
Board-Certified Dermatologist · Kare Skin Health Center, Santa Monica
Milia on the eyelid: Periocular and eyelid milia are the most technically sensitive extraction site on the face and should only be removed by a physician — ideally a dermatologist with periocular skin experience. Dr. Sierro routinely treats eyelid margin milia at Kare Skin Health Center near Montana Avenue in Santa Monica, providing the precision and anatomical awareness that this location requires. Call (310) 998-5533 for an eyelid milia evaluation appointment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I get milia removal in Santa Monica?
Kare Plastic Surgery at 804 7th Street in Santa Monica near Montana Avenue offers expert milia extraction by board-certified dermatologist Dr. Tiffany Sierro. Primary and secondary milia on the face, eyelids, cheeks, nose, and body removed by precise lancet extraction in a quick in-office appointment. No anesthesia, no downtime, no scarring. Call (310) 998-5533. We serve patients from Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, Brentwood, Pacific Palisades, Malibu, and all of Los Angeles.
How do I prevent milia from coming back after removal?
Milia recurrence prevention requires addressing the keratin retention mechanism that produces them. Dr. Sierro prescribes a topical retinoid (tretinoin or a retinoid equivalent) to patients with recurrent primary milia — retinoids accelerate epidermal cell turnover and prevent the accumulation of dead keratin debris within follicular canals. Gentle exfoliation with a mild chemical exfoliant (AHA or BHA) removes surface keratin before it can accumulate. Patients should avoid heavy, occlusive face creams around the eye and cheek areas, as occlusive products trap dead skin cells and promote milium formation.
Are milia the same as whiteheads?
Milia and whiteheads (closed comedones) look similar but are structurally and clinically distinct. Whiteheads are follicular plugs of sebum and dead cells within a dilated hair follicle that can be expressed with pressure because the follicular opening remains accessible. Milia are keratin-filled cysts enclosed within a complete membranous wall that has no follicular opening — they cannot be expressed without a lancet puncture to open the cyst wall first. This is why squeezing milia produces no result: there is no exit point for the contents. Treatment is also different — retinoids and salicylic acid treat comedones but are much slower to work on milia, which require physical extraction.
Related Resources at Kare Plastic Surgery
Kare Plastic Surgery & Skin Health Center · Santa Monica · Near Montana Avenue
Schedule a Milia Removal Appointment
Schedule a milia extraction appointment with Dr. Tiffany Sierro, board-certified dermatologist at Kare Skin Health Center in Santa Monica — precise lancet extraction of primary and secondary milia with no anesthesia, no downtime, and immediate results.