- Dr. Pimple Popper treated a woman who had a cluster of milia, or tiny cysts, on her cheek.
- Milia can't be popped because they're flat, so Lee used a blade and looped tool to extract them.
- She also suggested using retinol, a chemical exfoliant, since it removes dead skin cells that contribute to milia growth.
Dr. Pimple Popper's social media feeds have been recently filled with large growths. But in a recent video, the celebrity dermatologist tackled smaller bumps in the form of tiny cysts, called milia, on a woman's face.
Milia, according to Dr. Pimple Popper, form on the top layer of a person's skin, usually on their face. They're filled with keratin, a type of protein the skin creates, and are non-cancerous.
Despite their smaller size, the milia delivered a show, spurting out a thick white substance that resembled Oreo creme, Dr. Pimple Popper said.
To treat the woman, Dr. Pimple Popper, whose real name is Dr. Sandra Lee, used the tip of a surgical blade to create small perforations in the milia.
In the video, Lee explained that milia can't be popped or squeezed because of their flat and close-to-the-skin nature.
Instead, she used a looped metal tool to press down with even pressure on the growth, and a thick white substance erupted from the incisions she had made.
Lee continued that process multiple times until the milia she was operating on was completely drained of pus.
Then, she moved onto other milia in the cluster. Dr. Pimple Popper used the same technique, poking tiny holes into each milia and then using her looped tool to drain them.
According to Lee, her goal with these extractions is to remove the small sac that contains each milia.
After a marathon of milia extractions, Lee gave the woman a retinol serum to incorporate into her
Retinol is a hyper-potent form of vitamin A. According to Lee, this helps to reduce milia by removing dead skin cells that would otherwise buildup and potentially get caught under the skin's surface.