Cholesterol Deposits vs Milia – Are They Related?
You may hear about milia. It’s a small white spot appears around the eyes. Some people believe there is a connection between high cholesterol and milia. Sometimes, milia are mistaken as xanthomas because it looks similar to milia and usually appear in yellowish-orange bumps around the eyes.
Contents
- 1 Cholesterol Deposits vs Milia – Is Xanthelasma The Same As Milia?
- 2 What are Cholesterol Deposits?
- 3 What Causes Cholesterol Bumps?
- 4 How can you find Cholesterol Deposits?
- 5 How to get rid of Cholesterol Deposits?
- 6 What do you mean by Milia?
- 7 Where will you have symptoms of Milia?
- 8 What are the Symptoms of Milia?
- 9 Types of Milia
- 10 How can you Identify Milia?
- 11 How to remove Milia?
- 12 Difference between Cholesterol deposits and Milia
- 13 Conclusion
Cholesterol Deposits vs Milia – Is Xanthelasma The Same As Milia?
It happens due to excessive fat deposits in the blood. It can be a symptom of an underlying severe condition. People are confused about whether is there any relationship between cholesterol deposits and milia, the cause of both conditions, etc.
Read the entire article to know more about cholesterol deposits and milia and their differences.
What are Cholesterol Deposits?
Cholesterol deposits are skin growths that appear in people with high cholesterol. When you have high cholesterol in your blood, the body naturally deposits excessive fat under the skin.
The fat may deposit in different parts of the body including palms, legs, and eyelids. The excessive cholesterol deposit is called Xanthomas. The fat deposits are painless. Xanthomas can be identified with the help of a blood test.
In some people, it may show symptoms. But mostly, it doesn’t expose any kind of symptoms until it becomes a severe health condition. The cholesterol deposits show a person’s health risk of cardiovascular diseases.
What Causes Cholesterol Bumps?
Most cholesterol deposits build up around the eyes. It deposits soft, flat, and yellowish lumps on the upper and lower eyelids. The lesions may grow or remain the same size. Sometimes it leads to joining together to form larger lumps. It affects vision or eyelid movement. The condition is known as Dyslipidemia. The cholesterol deposits come due to various reasons. They are,
- High level of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol
- High level of total cholesterol
- Low level of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol
- High level of triglycerides
In addition, dyslipidemia is linked to familial cholesterolemia. If you have genetic disorders or a family history of high cholesterol, then you have more chance of diagnosing with dyslipidemia. Familial hypertriglyceridemia and lipoprotein lipase deficiency also contribute to dyslipidemia.
How can you find Cholesterol Deposits?
As you all know cholesterol deposit is the by-product of high cholesterol. If you have high low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglycerides, there has a high chance of getting cholesterol deposited in different parts of the body.
High cholesterol does not show any symptoms. But these cholesterol deposits are indicating high cholesterol levels. Therefore, people with cholesterol deposits should consult a doctor. Health physicians test your blood to know the count of good cholesterol and bad cholesterol.
Your total cholesterol determines if you need any medications to manage your cholesterol level in the body. When it comes to xanthelasma, it can be diagnosed with a visual examination. The doctor also tests for diabetes and liver function to know about the status of cardiovascular health.
How to get rid of Cholesterol Deposits?
Are you a person with cholesterol deposits? Don’t worry about your body. If you feel any discomfort or irritation, it can be surgically removed. Most people are using a variety of methods for removing the excessive fat deposited in the body.
The method may vary depending on the size, characteristics of the deposit, and location. There are plenty of surgical options such as cryotherapy, chemical cauterization, carbon dioxide, argon laser ablation, surgical excision, and electrodesiccation are helpful to get rid of cholesterol deposits.
The above-mentioned surgical methods have their own side effects like swelling and bruising around the eyelids for a few weeks. Therefore, doctors mostly recommend avoiding unhealthy lifestyles are the best way to avoid cholesterol deposits. Some of them are
- Losing weight
Being overweight leads to obesity. It results in a high level of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglycerides. Therefore weight loss helps to reduce dyslipidemia.
- Regular exercise
Regular exercise helps to burn excessive fat in the body. It is essential in treating xanthomas. Physical activities help to boost high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in the blood. Brisk walking, cycling, swimming, and running are some of the best physical activities that you can do for reducing cholesterol deposits.
- Quitting smoking
Smoking is injurious to your cholesterol. Smoking boosts bad cholesterol. A person with xanthomas strictly avoids smoking habits.
What do you mean by Milia?
Milia is a small, white bump that appears on the face, especially on the nose and cheeks. It is formed as a group of pimples.
These multiple cysts are called milia. Milia comes due to the keratin deposits beneath the surface of the skin.
The condition also occurs in newborn babies and people of all ethnicities or ages. Milia doesn’t cause any pain. sometimes it is confused with whiteheads, which is a type of acne.
Where will you have symptoms of Milia?
As aforementioned, milia affects the skin of your body, especially on the face. Usually, you can find milia on your body including your chest, inside the mouth, nose, forehead, cheeks, arms, legs, under the eyes or on the eyelid, and genitals such as the penis.
What are the Symptoms of Milia?
Milia is almost similar to pimples that usually appear white or yellow. It may cause discomfort to some people. The main symptom of identifying milia is the group of white to yellow cysts on the skin.
The cysts make temporary cosmetic changes in the body. It disappears on its own after a few weeks. Sometimes it may cause a patch on your skin depending on the type of milia.
Types of Milia
Milia are of different types. Each type occurs in different parts of the body. It can be classified based on the age at which cysts occur or their causes to develop the cysts. Let’s look at some of the common types of milia.
- Milia en plaque
This type of milia affects women who gave birth between the ages of 40 and 60. Milia en plaque makes patch marks on the skin. This type often occurs behind the ears, eyelid, cheek, and jaw.
- Neonatal milia
This type of milia occurs mostly in infants. White bumps form on the baby’s skin. Neonatal milia can be seen at the birth of a child. But it disappears after a week. it appears on the nose of the child.
- Juvenile milia
It is an inherited type of milia. Juvenile milia are commonly found at birth or show up later. It is a rare type that is found mostly in children.
- Multiple eruptive milia
It is an unusual condition that develops on the head and neck. It takes time to form cysts. Sometimes, Multiple eruptive milia can be itchy.
How can you Identify Milia?
If you find a group of pimples or cysts on the above-mentioned parts of the skin, then you must consult a doctor. Your doctor can identify whether you diagnosed with milia or not. It can be determined based on the appearance of the cysts on the skin. In rare cases, skin lesion biopsies are needed to remove the milia. It’s a medical procedure used to remove cysts. But in most cases, it disappears in its way.
How to remove Milia?
Milia do not cause long-term problems. However, it causes some kind of irritation. The cysts are mainly found in newborn babies and children. if you have symptoms of milia, don’t worry. Here are a few things you can do to avoid the condition.
- Do not pick or poke the affected area
If you have milia on your face, do not pick it. It may lead to bleeding in the affected area and introduce germs to those parts. If your baby has been diagnosed with milia, just leave the bum alone it will disappear in two to three weeks.
- Cleanse the area with paraben-free soap
Paraben-free soap is best for your skin. Always use mild soap to wash the face and pat your skin. Patting is good for your skin.
- Steam
Steaming is the best way to open your pores. Take 5 to 8 minutes steam helps to release skin flakes or other irritants.
- Gently exfoliate your skin
The method helps to keep your skin free from germs and irritants that make milia on your skin. Exfoliating agents help to minimize the overproduction of keratin in the skin.
Difference between Cholesterol deposits and Milia
Xanthomas come due to the excess fatty deposits under the skin. It can occur anywhere on the body, especially under the eyes. The size of dyslipidemia may vary from person to person.
It grows up to almost 3 inches. Xanthomas can not be considered a disease. But they are a strong warning of having high cholesterol. Xanthomas are appeared yellow, pink, or slightly reddish in color. However, mostly it can be seen in yellow color.
Milia is different from Xanthomas. Milia comes due to the overproduction of keratins and it is trapped under your skin. It is small in size compared to cholesterol deposits. Milia grows up to 1 to 2 millimeters in size. Milia mostly appear on the face, especially on the nose, cheek, and around the eyelids, though similar to cholesterol deposits it can occur anywhere on the skin.
Conclusion
The exact cause of milia is still unclear. However, it often relates to a high-cholesterol diet and dry dehydrated skin. Milia is different from xanthomas. Both conditions do not cause any pain. But you should be careful while dealing with cholesterol deposits like XPeyelid bumps.
