A stye is a red, painful bump on your eyelid caused by a bacterial infection, and the best first step is applying a warm compress for five minutes several times a day. Most styes drain on their own within a week or two with consistent home care. Here’s what to do, what to avoid, and when the bump on your eyelid needs professional attention.
Start With Warm Compresses
Warm compresses are the single most effective thing you can do for a stye at home. Moisten a clean washcloth with warm water, wring it out, and hold it gently against your closed eyelid for five minutes. Do this several times throughout the day. The warmth increases blood flow to the area and helps the clogged gland open up and drain naturally.
The washcloth will cool down quickly, so re-wet it with warm water as needed to keep steady heat on the bump for the full five minutes. Use a fresh, clean washcloth each time to avoid reintroducing bacteria. You can start doing this as soon as you notice the stye forming, and continuing the routine consistently over several days makes a real difference in how quickly it resolves.
What Not to Do
The most important rule: do not squeeze or try to pop a stye. It looks like a pimple, and the urge to drain it yourself can be strong, but popping a stye risks spreading the infection deeper into your eyelid. Potential complications include severe infection, scarring or permanent discoloration of the eyelid, and damage to the surface of your eye (a corneal abrasion). Let the warm compresses do the work. If the stye needs to be drained, a doctor can do it safely with sterile instruments.
Avoid wearing contact lenses while you have an active stye. The American Academy of Ophthalmology notes that contacts are fine with an uninfected bump (a chalazion), but a stye is an active infection, and a lens sitting against inflamed tissue can trap bacteria and slow healing. Switch to glasses until the stye clears. You should also skip eye makeup during this time, since applying anything near the infected area can introduce more bacteria or contaminate your cosmetics.
Stye vs. Chalazion
Not every eyelid bump is a stye. A chalazion looks similar but behaves differently, and knowing which one you have helps you decide how urgently to act.
- External stye: Starts at the base of an eyelash, caused by an infected hair follicle. It’s very painful, red, and tender to the touch. It often comes to a visible head, like a small pimple right at the lash line.
- Internal stye: Forms inside the eyelid when an oil-producing gland gets infected. Also very painful, but the bump may be less visible from the outside. You might notice it more when you blink.
- Chalazion: A blocked oil gland that swells but isn’t actively infected. It typically develops farther back on the eyelid than a stye and is usually not painful. A chalazion can last longer than a stye and sometimes needs different treatment.
If your bump isn’t painful and sits deeper in the eyelid, it’s more likely a chalazion. Warm compresses still help, but chalazions are slower to resolve and more likely to need a doctor’s intervention if they don’t shrink on their own.
When a Stye Needs Medical Treatment
Most styes clear up with home care alone, but some need professional help. If your stye hasn’t improved after a week or two of consistent warm compresses, see your doctor. You may need a prescription for antibiotic eye ointment or drops to fight the infection. If the stye grows very large, a doctor may need to lance it with a small, sterile incision so it can drain and heal properly.
Certain symptoms signal something more serious. An eyelid infection can, in rare cases, spread to the tissue surrounding the eye, a condition called orbital cellulitis. Watch for these red flags:
- Swelling that spreads beyond the eyelid to the skin around your eye
- A bulging eye
- Pain or difficulty moving your eye
- Changes in your vision
- Fever
If you or your child develop any of these symptoms, go to the emergency room. Orbital cellulitis requires urgent treatment and can become dangerous if it progresses.
How to Prevent Styes From Coming Back
Some people get styes once and never again. Others deal with them repeatedly, often because of a chronic condition called blepharitis, where the oil glands along the eyelid margin stay partially clogged or inflamed. A simple eyelid hygiene routine can break the cycle.
Add a few drops of baby shampoo to a cup of warm water. Dip a cotton ball or clean washcloth into the mixture, close your eyes, and gently wipe across each eyelid about ten times, making sure to clean along the lash line. Rinse well afterward. You can also do this in the shower: let warm water run over your closed eyes for a minute, then use a washcloth with a small amount of baby shampoo to gently scrub the lids and lashes before rinsing. Doing this daily, especially if you’re prone to styes, keeps the oil glands clear and reduces the bacterial load on your eyelids.
Beyond eyelid cleaning, basic habits help: wash your hands before touching your face or eyes, replace eye makeup every few months (mascara and eyeliner are common culprits), and clean your contact lenses properly if you wear them. These small steps make recurrence far less likely.