Most sties heal on their own within one to two weeks, and the single most effective thing you can do is apply warm compresses consistently. A sty is a small, painful bump on the eyelid caused by a blocked and infected oil gland, and while it looks alarming, it’s rarely dangerous. The goal of treatment is to encourage the blocked gland to open and drain naturally.
Warm Compresses Are the Main Treatment
Apply a warm, moist compress to your eye for 5 to 10 minutes, 3 to 6 times a day. This is the single most recommended treatment across every major medical institution, and it works by softening the hardened oil trapped inside the gland so it can drain on its own. Use a clean washcloth soaked in warm (not hot) water, and reheat it when it cools down during the session.
Some people find that the compress cools too quickly. A simple fix is to microwave a damp washcloth for 10 to 15 seconds, testing the temperature on the inside of your wrist before placing it on your eyelid. You can also use a rice-filled sock or a commercially made warm eye mask that holds heat longer. The key is consistency: doing this three times a day for several days matters more than one long session.
After each warm compress session, you can gently massage the area around the sty with clean fingers to help the gland release its contents. Light pressure in a downward motion toward the lash line works for bumps on the upper lid, and upward for the lower lid. Don’t force it. If nothing drains, that’s fine. The compress alone is doing its job.
Don’t Squeeze or Pop It
It’s tempting to treat a sty like a pimple, but squeezing it can push the infection deeper into the eyelid tissue. This can lead to preseptal cellulitis, a more serious infection of the skin and soft tissue around the eye that causes widespread redness, swelling, and sometimes fever. What starts as a minor nuisance can become something requiring oral antibiotics or, in rare cases, hospital treatment. Let the sty drain on its own through warmth and gentle pressure.
Keep the Eyelid Clean
Gently cleaning your eyelid and lash line helps prevent bacteria from worsening the infection or causing new sties. In the shower, let warm water run over your closed eyes for about a minute. Then put a few drops of baby shampoo on a clean washcloth, gently scrub along your lashes and lid margin, and rinse thoroughly. You can also buy pre-made eyelid scrub pads at most pharmacies.
While the sty is healing, avoid wearing contact lenses and eye makeup. Contacts can trap bacteria against the eye, and mascara or eyeliner can reintroduce contamination to an already irritated gland. Switch to glasses until the bump is completely gone.
What a Sty Looks and Feels Like
An external sty, the most common type, forms at the base of an eyelash where the follicle or a small oil gland gets blocked and infected. Within a day or two, it develops into a small yellowish pustule right at the lid margin, surrounded by redness and swelling. You may also notice watery eyes, sensitivity to light, and a gritty feeling like something is stuck in your eye.
An internal sty forms deeper inside the eyelid, in a larger oil gland embedded in the lid tissue. These tend to be more painful and less visible from the outside. You’ll feel a tender lump when you touch the lid, and if you gently flip the eyelid, you might see redness and swelling on the inner surface. Internal sties take longer to resolve but respond to the same warm compress treatment.
Sty vs. Chalazion
If your bump has been around for weeks and isn’t particularly painful, it may have turned into a chalazion. A sty is an active infection: red, swollen, tender, and relatively short-lived. A chalazion is what happens when the blocked gland becomes chronically inflamed without much active infection. It feels like a firm, round lump under the skin of the eyelid, and while it’s annoying, it usually doesn’t hurt.
Chalazia still respond to warm compresses, but they’re slower to clear. If one persists for more than one to two months despite consistent home treatment, a doctor may recommend draining it surgically.
When Home Treatment Isn’t Enough
Most sties start improving noticeably within a couple of days of consistent warm compresses. If the pain and swelling haven’t begun to get better after 48 hours of home care, it’s worth seeing an eye doctor. You should also seek care if the redness and swelling spread beyond the bump itself to involve the entire eyelid, your cheek, or other parts of your face. That pattern suggests the infection is spreading beyond the gland.
Your doctor may prescribe a topical antibiotic ointment to apply to the lid. In stubborn cases, especially when a sty or chalazion doesn’t heal after weeks of compresses and medication, a minor in-office procedure can drain it. The doctor numbs the area, makes a small incision on the inside of the eyelid, and clears the blocked material. The eyelid feels sore for a few days afterward, but you can shower and return to normal activities right away. You’ll typically use antibiotic drops or ointment for about a week after the procedure to prevent reinfection.
Preventing Sties From Coming Back
Some people get sties repeatedly, and the underlying cause is usually chronic low-grade inflammation of the eyelid margins, a condition called blepharitis. The oil glands along the lash line produce thickened secretions that clog easily, creating a cycle of blockage and infection. If this sounds familiar, a daily eyelid hygiene routine can break the pattern.
Make lid cleaning part of your regular shower or face-washing routine, even when you don’t have an active sty. The baby shampoo scrub described above works well as a preventive measure. If your eyes tend to feel dry, preservative-free artificial tears can help keep the oil glands functioning properly. Replacing eye makeup every few months, never sharing cosmetics, and always removing makeup before bed also reduce your risk. These habits aren’t dramatic, but for people prone to sties, they make a real difference over time.