How to Get Rid Of a Stye

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Co-authored by Bailey Cho Medically reviewed by Paul Ursell, MD

Last Updated: March 10, 2026 Fact Checked

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• Treating a Stye
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• Preventing Styes from Recurring
|
• Video
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• Tips
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• Warnings

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A stye is a painful, swollen bump on the edge of your eyelid, sometimes caused by an infected eyelash follicle or oil gland. They usually go away on their own after about a week, but you can take measures to ease the pain and reduce the swelling in the meantime.

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Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Treating a Stye

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1. 
   1
   Clean the stye. Styes are generally caused by chance, but can occasionally result from exposure of the eye to foreign substances (such as dust or makeup). The stye itself is a small bacterial infection. If you develop a stye, the first thing you should do is clean the area.

   • Wash your hands thoroughly, then use a cotton ball or clean hands to gently cleanse the stye with warm water. You can also use a special eyelid scrub or diluted tear-free "baby" shampoo.
   • Make certain that both your hands and the cotton balls you use to wash the stye are clean. Otherwise, you may transmit more debris or germs to the area.
   • Styes are most commonly caused by staphylococcal bacteria that get into a hair follicle or a gland in the corner of the eye, often through touching the eye with dirty hands. Other bacteria, however, can also cause styes.
2. 
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   Apply a warm compress. The painful swelling caused by a stye is best treated with warm compresses. Make a warm compress with a clean towel or washcloth by dipping it in warm water. Place the compress over your eye and let it rest there for 10-15 minutes.

   • After the compress cools, re-soak it in warm water and repeat for another 5-10 minutes.
   • Apply warm compresses 3-5 times a day. Be consistent about this treatment until the stye is gone.
   • Warm (but not hot) and damp tea bags may also be used to treat a stye. Some believe green tea has anti-inflammatory properties, but there isn’t enough research to suggest it’s more effective than a traditional warm compress.
   • The warmth of the compress may cause the stye to shrink or release pus. If this occurs, gently rinse away the drainage. Do not press or squeeze the stye; just apply the warm compress and let it drain naturally.
   • Once the pus from the stye emerges, the symptoms should abate fairly quickly.
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   Do not squeeze or try to pop the stye yourself. It can be tempting to try to force any pus or debris out of the stye, but resist! Squeezing or attempting to pop a stye can make the situation much worse, spreading or deepening the infection to your eye and the surrounding tissues.
4. 
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   Use antibacterial cream. Buy an over-the-counter antibacterial cream made for treating styes, available at any drugstore. If you are unsure about which cream to choose, discuss the available options with the pharmacist. Apply a small dab on the stye, taking care not to get it inside your eye.

   • These creams may help your stye heal faster.
   • The local anesthetic many of these creams contain can also provide temporary relief from the discomfort caused by a stye. However, should it get in your eye, the anesthetic can also cause significant damage. Apply with extreme caution.
   • If you do get any cream in your eye, flush it out gently with warm water. Then, contact your doctor.
   • Do not use more often than indicated on the packaging.
5. 
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   Use an over-the-counter painkiller. If your stye is extremely painful, take an over-the-counter pain reliever to make you more comfortable during the first few days. Choose acetaminophen or ibuprofen for immediate pain relief.

   • Take only the recommended dosage listed on the packaging.
   • Do not give aspirin to children under 16 years of age. Doing so could give them a fatal condition called Reye's syndrome.
6. 
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   Go to a doctor. Seek treatment if your stye does not go away after 1-2 weeks. If you are in extreme pain, if redness or swelling spreads, or if your vision becomes affected, seek immediate medical attention. If a stye gets worse, this may be a result of another condition, and you may receive one of the following treatments:

   • The doctor may prescribe antibiotic medicines, especially if you have bacterial conjunctivitis, commonly referred to as pinkeye. This condition is usually resolved quickly after antibiotics are administered.
   • The doctor may make a small cut to drain the stye. This involves puncturing the stye so that the pus drains out of a small hole and the stye goes away.
   • If you have a skin condition such as rosacea or seborrhea, you might be at risk of blepharitis, the inflammation of the eyelid rims. In this case, your doctor will advise you to begin a new hygiene regimen for that area of your eye.
   • If you don't already have an eye doctor, you can consult your primary care doctor and ask for a referral, check your local phone book under ophthalmologists, or search on the internet for “ophthalmologist” plus your city or area.
   • You should feel free to contact a doctor at any point during this process. You do not need to wait a week before contacting a professional.
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Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Preventing Styes from Recurring

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1. 
   1
   Wash your eyelids. If you get styes frequently, your eyes may be particularly sensitive to bacterial infection. Use a clean towel and a gentle shampoo, such as baby shampoo, or a special eyelid scrub to gently clean your eyelids. Rinse well with warm water.

   • If styes are a frequent problem for you, clean your eyelids daily.
2. 
   2
   Wash your hands before touching your face. One of the most common ways to get styes is by transferring bacteria from your hands to your eyes. Avoid rubbing or touching your eyes.

   • Wash your towels regularly, and never share a washcloth or towel with someone who has a stye.
3. 
   3
   Practice good contact lens hygiene. Wearing contacts requires touching your eyes often, so make sure your hands are clean each time you put them in and take them out. The contacts themselves can also transmit bacteria, so be sure to use a cleansing solution to wash them daily.

   • Do not wear contacts if you have a stye. Placing a contact lens on the eye that has a stye on it increases your risk of transmitting the infection from the stye to the underlying cornea.
   • Don't wear your contacts longer than you're supposed to. If you have dailies (i.e., disposable contacts intended for single use), throw them away every day. If you have monthlies (reusable lenses that are intended to be replaced once a month), be sure to change to fresh ones after four weeks have passed.https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/eyes-contact-lenses
   • Don't wear your contacts overnight. Even contacts made for safe overnight wear might cause you problems if you are prone to styes.
   • Always follow your eye doctor’s recommendation about appropriate contact lens use. Do not wear contact lenses in situations that are specifically approved, such as while swimming (unless you wear them under tight-fitting swim goggles).
4. 
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   Apply eye makeup properly. Eyeliner and eye shadow applied under the rim of your eyelid may cause styes, especially if you tend to wear a lot of makeup and reapply it throughout the day. Apply makeup above your lash line and avoid tightlining (lining inside the lash line).

   • Don't go to sleep wearing makeup. Use eye makeup remover to clean it off, then splash warm water on your face to rinse it off before going to bed.
   • Change your eye makeup and applicators every 3 months. Brushes, wands, and pencils used to apply eye makeup get dirty over time, and you may be transmitting bacteria every time you use them.
   • Similar to contact lenses, makeup pencils, brushes, and the like make frequent contact with your eyes. If they harbor harmful bacteria, these agents can easily cause styes.
   • Do not share eye makeup with other people.
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Tips

• If you don't want to buy new makeup brushes every 3 months, use antibacterial soap and warm water to clean them.
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• Avoid swimming while you have a stye. If you do go swimming, try only to go in a pool that's properly chlorinated, and wear goggles at all times. Don't touch your eye, and don't let others touch your stuff.
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• If you wear corrective lenses, wear glasses rather than contacts when you have a stye.
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Tips from our Readers

The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.

• Wash your makeup brushes like you wash your hair. Use argan oil (or whatever oil you prefer), dish detergent, and a good shampoo. Mix it in a bowl and wash your brushes. To condition it, use a deep conditioner and argan oil mixed. Let it sit for about 15 minutes then rinse it. Cover with a towel until it is fully dry.
• If your stye gets infected or is extremely uncomfortable and does not go away in a week, go to your eye doctor and have him/her prescribe amoxicillin. This medication will reduce the swelling and pain. It will remove the stye in a week or two.
• Don't use eye makeup or any sort of makeup, especially mascara or kajal as it hurts the stye, and prolongs the infection. If you or someone else uses your mascara or any eye makeup, the stye will reappear.
• Try to apply some petroleum jelly. It won't get rid of it but it will stop the itching and swelling. It will fell better as soon as you put it on.
• You should go to the doctor immediately after getting a stye. Do not wait. It can get worse if you don't get medication for it immediately.

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Warnings

• It is best to consult a doctor before attempting to treat a stye yourself.
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• Do not wear makeup around the eye when you have a stye, as this may worsen the problem.
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• Don't try to pop or lance a stye yourself. You could make the infection worse by spreading the bacteria, which may also cause scarring.
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• Never give aspirin to anyone under 16, as this can cause a fatal disease called Reye's syndrome. Acetaminophen may be a better option, but the doctor is best to ask
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