plural milia
ˈmi-lē-ə 
1
: a very small whitish to yellowish firm noninflammatory cyst of the skin (as of the face) that forms due to retention of keratin below the skin's surface
Milia are surface cysts that resemble buried rice kernels. They contain keratin, a skin protein. The face is a favored milia location, often around the eyes or on lids.—
Paul Donohue
Paul Donohue2
: whitehead
Basically there are blackheads (the black ones) and there are milia (aka whiteheads).—Shannon Buettow
Shannon BuettowExamples of milium in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Jump to: What are milia?
—Lisa Bain, Good Housekeeping, 31 Mar. 2023
While milia do indeed look like whiteheads, that's where most of the comparisons come to a halt.
—Kaleigh Fasanella, Allure, 19 Oct. 2017
Those are caused by cell overgrowth from the sweat glands — and not milia, like originally expected.
—Amanda Chan, Teen Vogue, 8 Oct. 2017
In older children and adults, milia are typically associated with skin damage, including blistering, burns, skin resurfacing procedures, long-term use of steroidal creams/ointments and long-term sun damage.
—Meredith Cohn, baltimoresun.com, 4 May 2017
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Lisa Bain, Good Housekeeping, 31 Mar. 2023
While milia do indeed look like whiteheads, that's where most of the comparisons come to a halt.
—Kaleigh Fasanella, Allure, 19 Oct. 2017
Those are caused by cell overgrowth from the sweat glands — and not milia, like originally expected.
—Amanda Chan, Teen Vogue, 8 Oct. 2017
In older children and adults, milia are typically associated with skin damage, including blistering, burns, skin resurfacing procedures, long-term use of steroidal creams/ointments and long-term sun damage.
—Meredith Cohn, baltimoresun.com, 4 May 2017
Cite this Entry
“Milium.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/milium. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share