Humbling

There's nothing more humbling than being proven wrong. Case in point, swearing up and down that you absolutely positively put away your favorite necklace back in the jewelery box. In fact you're so sure that you've decided some phantom jewelry thief must have come in the middle of the night, snuck undetected past the 3 dead bolts and took this prized piece. Of course after turning the apartment upside down with fraught anxiety you realize (oops!) that you left it in your purse when it was your turn to stay at "his place". Definitely humbling!

So when a bump with a white head appeared on my face I decided it absolutely must be a pimple. A whitehead to be exact. Fast forward to three weeks of blemish clearing products, steam and attempted extractions when I realized that this "breakout" was not budging. And then it dawned on me. This isn't a whitehead! It's a milia! I know what you're thinking...a whata? Milia, sometimes referred to do as baby acne since they are commonly found in infants, occurs when dead skin cells become trapped in the pores causing clogging. The white bumps almost look cyst-like and are resistant to any acne treatment medication. Attributed to poor exfoliation, common culprits include heavy skincare products, sun damage causing epidermal thickening thereby inhibiting proper exfoliation and even genetics. Unfortunately milias are not something that can be "popped" or extracted at home. If you try you risk scarring that beautiful face. Instead pay a visit to your aesthetician or dermatologist who will open the milia with a sterile lancet or needle and extract the oily content. This should not be tried at home as you risk puncturing the milia incorrectly or infecting the area. One visit, a few minutes later and that nagging "whitehead" is gone!

Usage tip: Of course with the proper care you can avoid milias all together by gently exfoliating regularly. Whether you cleanse with the Clarisonic, manually slough with a facial polish or even do a mild glycolic peel you will help prevent dead skin cells from lingering and trapping pores. Remember gentle exfoliation. Overdoing it will cause a whole host of other problems.

The result: A small reminder that you're not always right!