The most effective thing to put on a stye is a warm compress, held against your closed eyelid for 10 to 15 minutes at a time, 3 to 5 times a day. Most styes heal on their own within a week or two with this simple treatment. Beyond warm compresses, a few other products can help with comfort and healing, while some popular remedies aren’t worth your time.
Warm Compresses Are the First-Line Treatment
A clean washcloth soaked in hot water is the single best thing you can put on a stye. The heat increases blood flow to the area and helps the blocked oil gland that caused the stye open up and drain on its own. Soak the washcloth, wring it out, and hold it gently against your closed eyelid for 10 to 15 minutes. Repeat this 3 to 5 times throughout the day.
The washcloth cools down quickly, so re-soak it in hot water every few minutes to keep the temperature consistent. You want the compress warm enough to be therapeutic but not so hot that it burns the delicate skin around your eye. Use a fresh, clean washcloth each time to avoid reintroducing bacteria to the area.
If pain and swelling haven’t started improving after 48 hours of consistent warm compresses, that’s a signal to see a doctor.
OTC Stye Ointments
You’ll find stye-specific ointments at most pharmacies. These products typically contain mineral oil and white petrolatum as their active ingredients. They work as lubricants and emollients, meaning they soothe irritation, reduce burning, and keep the area from drying out. They won’t kill bacteria or speed up healing directly, but they can make the stye more comfortable while your body does the work.
Apply these ointments to the outer eyelid as directed on the packaging. They’re meant to relieve symptoms, not cure the stye itself. Warm compresses remain more important than any ointment you can buy without a prescription.
Keeping Your Eyelid Clean
Gentle eyelid hygiene helps prevent the stye from worsening or spreading. A simple cleaning solution is a few drops of baby shampoo mixed into a cup of warm water. Dip a cotton ball, cotton swab, or washcloth into the mixture, close your eyes, and gently wipe across the affected eyelid about 10 times, making sure to wipe across your lashes too. Rinse well afterward.
The key word here is “gently.” Don’t scrub the stye or try to rub it open. When wiping, use a light touch across the lid rather than pressing into the bump. If you shower, you can let warm water run over your closed eyes for a minute, then use a washcloth with a small amount of baby shampoo to softly clean your lids and lashes before rinsing.
What Not to Put on a Stye
Tea bags are a popular home remedy, but the American Academy of Ophthalmology says there is no evidence that a tea bag works any better than a plain warm washcloth. If you prefer using one as your compress, it won’t hurt, but you’re not getting any extra benefit from the tea itself.
Never squeeze or pop a stye. It might look like a pimple, but forcing it open pushes bacteria deeper into the eyelid and can cause a more serious infection. Let it drain naturally with the help of warm compresses. Avoid putting contact lenses in while you have a stye, and skip eye makeup until it heals. Both can introduce more bacteria and slow recovery.
When Prescription Treatment Is Needed
Most styes resolve with home care alone, but sometimes they need more help. If a stye isn’t improving with warm compresses after a few days, a doctor may prescribe antibiotic eye ointment or drops to apply directly to the eyelid. If the infection has spread beyond the bump into the surrounding eyelid or eye, oral antibiotics may be necessary.
Certain symptoms signal that you should see a doctor sooner rather than later: your eye swells shut, pus or blood leaks from the bump, redness and swelling spread across the entire eyelid or into your cheek, blisters form on the eyelid, or your vision changes. These suggest the infection may be more serious than a typical stye.
Styes vs. Chalazions
A stye is an acute infection, usually caused by bacteria, that forms a painful red bump near the edge of your eyelid. A chalazion is a blocked oil gland without active infection. It tends to be firmer, less painful, and sits farther from the eyelid’s edge. Both respond to warm compresses, but the treatment paths can diverge.
With a chalazion, you can gently massage around the bump with a clean finger after applying warmth to help the clogged gland clear itself. Styes should not be massaged. If a chalazion becomes very swollen, a doctor may treat it with a steroid injection to reduce inflammation, which differs from the antibiotic approach used for infected styes. If either condition affects your vision or refuses to go away, a doctor can drain it in the office under local anesthesia.