Written & reviewed by Dr Rupinder Singh Walia — MBBS, FRACGP, Dip. Dermatology (Cardiff, UK) · AHPRA MED0001647256 · special interest in skin cancer medicine & dermoscopy
✓ Milia are tiny, harmless white or yellowish bumps just under the skin surface.
✓ They are common around the eyes and cheeks, and are not cancer.
✓ A single persistent, pearly, or growing bump can occasionally be an early BCC — worth a check.
✓ If in doubt, a doctor can tell you by secure email after review.
The signs that mean “get it checked”
New
a new, unusual spot
Changing
size, shape or colour
Growing
getting bigger
Bleeding
or crusting, or itching
Won’t heal
a sore that keeps returning
Any one of these is worth a doctor’s eye — skin cancer is often painless early on.
Milia are tiny white or yellowish bumps just beneath the skin’s surface — little cysts of trapped keratin, most common around the eyes and cheeks. They are completely harmless. The reason to know them is that a persistent, single white or pearly bump can occasionally be an early basal cell carcinoma, which is worth a doctor’s eye.
MiliaTiny white bumps, often around the eyes
Clinical image · dermatology atlas via the Fitzpatrick 17k dataset, used for education. Example only — appearances vary; see a doctor for any concerning spot.
What milia look like
Tiny (1–2 mm), dome-shaped, white to yellow.
Usually several, uniform, around the eyes, cheeks and nose.
Stable — they do not grow, bleed or change quickly.
Milia vs an early BCC: how to tell
Feature
Milia (harmless)
Early BCC — worth checking
Colour
Uniform white to pale yellow
Pearly or pink; may have tiny visible blood vessels
Size & number
Tiny (1–2 mm), often several together
Usually a single spot that slowly enlarges
Over time
Stable for months or years
Grows, bleeds, crusts, or will not heal
Surface
Smooth, dome-shaped, grain-like
Shiny, or a central dip that scabs and returns
When a “white bump” is worth checking
Have a bump looked at — rather than assuming it is milia — if it is single and growing, pearly with tiny visible blood vessels, bleeds or crusts, or will not heal. Those are features that can point to an early BCC rather than a harmless milium.
Not sure? Get it reviewed
Upload a photo and Dr Walia will provide written next-step advice from the submitted photographs, including when an in-person examination is appropriate. Get your spot reviewed — $49.
Not a diagnosis; cannot rule cancer in or out.
Worried about a mole, mark or changing skin area?
Most skin-cancer advice tells you to watch for change. Skin360AI helps you keep photos of one or more spots connected over time. A spot can be a mole, freckle, mark, lump, sore, patch or any skin area you want to watch. It is not a diagnosis and cannot rule skin cancer in or out.
Check and watch the spots you care about over time
Use the free AI-assisted skin check to save photos of moles, marks, lumps, sores, patches or other skin areas you want to watch. A photo record is not a diagnosis or a cancer all-clear.
A structured photo record is not a diagnosis, cannot exclude skin cancer and does not replace an in-person examination.
Medically reviewed by Dr Rupinder Singh Walia (MBBS, FRACGP, Diploma in Dermatology — Cardiff University, UK; AHPRA MED0001647256). Last reviewed August 2026. This information is general and is not a diagnosis; it cannot rule skin cancer in or out. See your GP or a skin-cancer clinic in person for anything that concerns you.
MiliaTiny white bumps, often around the eyes