A white bump under your eye is most likely a milium, a tiny cyst that forms when dead skin cells get trapped beneath the surface. These are extremely common, completely harmless, and often appear in clusters around the eyes, cheeks, and nose. Less commonly, the bump could be a syringoma, a chalazion, or a cholesterol deposit, each with its own distinct look and cause.
Milia: The Most Common Cause
Milia are small epidermoid cysts that develop when keratin, the protein that makes up your outer skin layer, becomes trapped inside a tiny pocket near a hair follicle. They look like firm, round, white or yellowish pearls just beneath the skin. Unlike pimples, milia have no opening to the surface, which is why they don’t respond to squeezing or acne treatments.
Primary milia appear spontaneously, especially on the thin skin around the eyes. They’re particularly common in newborns but affect adults of all ages. Secondary milia form after some kind of skin damage: a burn, a rash, heavy sun exposure, or even long-term use of thick creams or ointments around the eye area. In both cases, the cyst contains the same trapped keratin material.
Most milia stick around indefinitely once they form. Some gradually shrink on their own, but the majority stay put until a professional removes them. The good news is they carry zero health risk. They’re a cosmetic concern only.
Syringomas: Sweat Gland Bumps
If the bumps under your eye appear as a cluster of small, firm, skin-colored or yellowish papules (each about 1 to 3 millimeters across), you may be looking at syringomas rather than milia. Syringomas are caused by an overgrowth of cells in the eccrine sweat glands, and they tend to appear symmetrically, meaning both eyes at once. They’re benign, painless, and more common in women and people of Asian or African descent.
The key visual difference: milia look like individual white pearls trapped just under the skin, while syringomas tend to form in groups of similarly sized bumps that can look slightly translucent. Syringomas don’t resolve on their own and typically require a dermatologist to treat if you want them gone.
Xanthelasma: Cholesterol Deposits
Flat or slightly raised yellowish patches on the inner corners of the eyelids are a different condition called xanthelasma. These are fatty deposits in the skin, and they look quite different from milia or syringomas. They’re soft rather than firm, and their borders tend to be less defined.
There’s a widespread belief that xanthelasma signals high cholesterol, but a study published in the journal Ophthalmology found that rates of abnormal lipid levels were essentially the same in people with xanthelasma (42%) and people without it (46%). So while it’s reasonable to get your cholesterol checked if you notice these deposits, having them doesn’t necessarily mean your lipid levels are off.
Sebaceous Hyperplasia
Oil glands can also enlarge and produce visible bumps near the eyes. Sebaceous hyperplasia shows up as small bumps, typically 2 to 6 millimeters, that are skin-colored, yellow, or brown. The telltale sign is a small dent or dimple in the center of the bump. These become more common with age as oil glands enlarge over time, and they’re harmless.
Warning Signs That Need Attention
The vast majority of white or yellowish bumps under the eye are benign. However, certain features warrant a closer look. Basal cell carcinoma, the most common type of skin cancer on the eyelid, can present as a small, firm, raised nodule with a pearly or translucent appearance. The distinguishing features are an ulcerated (crater-like) center, rolled edges, and tiny visible blood vessels running across the surface.
Another concern is a bump that looks like a persistent stye or chalazion but refuses to heal with treatment or keeps coming back in the same spot. The M.D. Anderson Cancer Center notes that any stye that doesn’t resolve with medical treatment or surgical drainage should be biopsied to rule out a rare cancer of the oil glands in the eyelid. A bump that bleeds, changes shape, or grows steadily over weeks also warrants professional evaluation.
How Milia Are Removed
If your bump is a milium and you want it gone, the fastest option is professional extraction. A dermatologist uses a sterile needle or blade to create a tiny opening in the skin over the cyst, then presses out the trapped keratin. Results are immediate, and the procedure takes seconds per bump. It can leave a small pale mark as the skin heals. The skin around the eyes is especially delicate, so this is not something to attempt at home. Squeezing or piercing the skin yourself risks infection, scarring, and spreading bacteria into the surrounding tissue.
For people with many milia or recurring clusters, dermatologists sometimes use cryotherapy (freezing the bumps with liquid nitrogen) or laser resurfacing, which uses targeted light pulses to remove the outer layer of skin precisely. Both options are effective but may require a brief healing period.
Preventing New Bumps
If you’re prone to milia, consistent use of a retinoid or retinol product can help. Retinoids accelerate skin cell turnover, which reduces the chances of dead cells becoming trapped beneath the surface. For the undereye area, start with a low-concentration retinol to avoid irritation on that thin skin.
Chemical exfoliants containing glycolic acid or other alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) also help by dissolving the bonds between dead skin cells so they shed normally instead of accumulating. These products can slowly reduce existing milia over time and make new ones less likely to form. Avoiding heavy, occlusive creams and thick sunscreens directly around the eyes can also help, since these products sometimes contribute to pore blockage in milia-prone skin.
Sun protection matters too. Chronic UV damage thickens and roughens the outer skin layer, creating more opportunity for keratin to get trapped. A lightweight, non-comedogenic sunscreen applied daily is one of the simplest long-term prevention strategies.