Many people look in the mirror and find small, bumpy milia-like growths under their eyes, often mistaking them for milia or acne. Today, we will learn more about syringomas, which are commonly confused in this way.
Syringomas, why do they appear?
The exact cause of syringomas is still unknown. It is generally understood to have a familial tendency. That is, if a parent has syringomas, there is a higher chance for their children to develop them as well.
There are also reports linking them to genetic conditions such as Down syndrome, but these are very rare cases. If syringomas suddenly appear in multiple areas, there is talk of a connection to diabetes, but typical under-eye syringomas are not largely related to such specific diseases; you can consider family history to be the cause.
Syringomas are particularly more common in women than men, usually starting to appear in their teens and being prevalent in women in their 20s and 30s.
Where do syringomas mainly appear?
Syringomas primarily appear most often under the eyes. They can also occur on the eyelids, forehead, or above the lips. Rarely, they can appear all over the body, including the vulva, but typical syringomas are mostly found under and around the eyes, with some appearing on the forehead.
Are there any symptoms other than cosmetic issues?
Syringomas generally have no specific symptoms. Therefore, there is no particular discomfort, and most people seek treatment for cosmetic reasons. Many people worry when something suddenly appears on their skin, but as mentioned earlier, while syringomas have a familial tendency and some talk of a slight connection to diabetes, they are generally not significantly related to other physical problems.
Caution: Because syringomas resemble acne, some people try to squeeze them or use needles. However, syringomas are skin tissue, so nothing comes out when squeezed.
Since syringomas are skin tissue, they cannot be treated by squeezing. This can only damage the skin, so direct treatment using a laser at a clinic is necessary to see results.
Can syringomas be treated in one session? Reasons for frequent recurrence
Generally, syringomas can be expected to show clear improvement with a single laser treatment. However, there are two main reasons why syringomas are perceived to recur frequently:
- Lesions appearing at different times: Just as some weeds emerge before others after summer rain, syringomas also have lesions that appear first and those that appear later. Even if the initial lesions are treated, new ones may appear later, so you can consider treating them with a laser whenever they become bothersome.
- Depth of the lesion: Syringomas are located deep within the skin. Therefore, treating them too deeply can cause scarring, and treating them too shallowly increases the likelihood of recurrence.
'Pinhole Technique' treatment to reduce recurrence rates
The Pinhole Technique is a method that can treat syringomas deeply while minimizing damage to the surrounding skin. Using the Pinhole Technique may help reduce recurrence rates.
How often should syringoma treatment be received?
At our clinic, we generally perform syringoma treatment 2 to 3 times, with an interval of about two months. This is because the red marks under the eyes, which remain for about a month after treatment, can sometimes obscure new syringoma lesions. Therefore, we take a break of about two months between treatments to ensure accurate lesion identification and effective treatment.