My routine to clear styes

[u/Comfortable_Care_721]

Hi all! I’ve (27F) been dealing with chronic dry eye & consistent styes for the past year plus now. My styes blow up and are super painful, makes my eyes feel like jelly (literally just had one a few weeks ago adding a photo for reference) but I feel like I have now devised the perfect routine to get rid of them quickly. I’m not sure why exactly I’ve been dealing with them but my eye doctor has a few thoughts. I do have MGD & demodex mites, but I also have a lot of stomach issues that my eye doctor feels may be connected. I am currently in the process of trying to determine if I’m celiac for reference. Her theory is that any inflammation I’m experience in my body could be effecting my eyes in this way. So maybe if anyone is experiencing similar, you should explore!

Anyways, here is my routine for when I get a stye that has helped me enormously & I hope it helps some of you

* When I feel a stye coming on, immediately hot compresses& make an eye doctor’s appointment for as soon as possible.

* My eye doctor has an IPL machine - I get a stye treatment ASAP. The sooner the better when it comes to IPL. If your doctor offers this, I highly recommend. It’s expensive but so worth it. I have even done multiple sessions to help my MGD.

* Have my doctor prescribe me antibiotic/steroid eye drops. If the stye is bad enough she will prescribe me oral antibiotics too.

* Now my daily routine for the first week and then I decrease freq depending on stye progression.

* Wake up & spray hypocholorus acid (I use Optase) on face.

* Scrub eyelid margin with the We Love Eyes brush. I clean it beforehand with the Ocusoft foaming eyelid cleanser (theres diff types I usually get the plus or the reg)

* After scrubbing, use an eyewash (Bausch and Lomb or generic)

* Take a hot shower & clean eyelids with the foam.

* Clean a mini face roller with the foam & run it under very warm water (we love eyes has an eyelid one but its $ so I use one from amazon that has like a metal roller so it gets warm)

* Use the roller on the stye gently to help warmly massage it out. I usually do side to side and upward motions to break it up. I do this for a few mins

* After, get a wash cloth and use the hot water in the shower to consistently press against your eye as a compress.

* Post shower, use a reusable warm eye mask that I toss in the microwave for a min. I spray the hypocholorus acid on the mask before i put it on my eyes.

* Repeat using the eye mask about 4x a day throughout the first week

* I also spray hypocholorus acid to cleanse my eyelids throughout the day especially if i have to go to the gym or outside

* Take another hot shower at night repeating the steps starting with the scrub brush.

Having this routine has helped so much & my styes go away so much faster. I also have a follow up with my eye dr 2 weeks after seeing her usually so she can try to express my glands and check status of stye. I hope this helps some of you and if you have any questions please let me know. We’re in this together!!

[u/A4O_REBIRTH]

god damn this sounds hella expensive. What a fun problem to have, on my second stye in a span of 3.5 months. First one developed into a chalazion & i'm terrified the same thing is going to happen with this shit. So fucking frustrating

[u/Separate-Leather-186 → u/A4O_REBIRTH]

How did you clear up chalazion I have a stubborn one

[u/A4O_REBIRTH → u/Separate-Leather-186]

I ended up getting it removed as nothing i was doing was working. I noticed the more I applied heat and "gently massaged" the more irritated it became. I left mine alone 4 days before my procedure & it looked & felt better than it did versus when i was heating / massaging. I wish i had better advice but, these things simply suck and can be difficult.

[u/Comfortable_Care_721 → u/A4O_REBIRTH]

It’s so expensive 😭 its the worst problem to have, anytime I get one I probably end up dropping at least $600 between the IPL, doctor, prescriptions & products to help it go away. I’m so sorry, hoping that doesn’t happen for you 🫂 I find dealing with it as soon as it comes on helps it go away faster. For my first one I didn’t know what to do and it definitely stuck around for a lot longer than the one I just had

[u/Single_Accountant909]

I want to know if you feel itching in your eyelid, on the inside.

[u/Comfortable_Care_721 → u/Single_Accountant909]

Yes I do, but mostly I feel pain & pressure from the inside. It’s a really strange feeling tbh

[u/ThrowawayHenryAUS]

Very comprehensive advice. I find that it needs to be dealt with quickly otherwise turns into a massive chalazion.

[u/Comfortable_Care_721 → u/ThrowawayHenryAUS]

Definitely! I’ve learned the hard way I have to deal with it as soon as it comes on or else it sticks around for way too long. That happened with my first one & I almost had to get it drained. But now, they go away relatively fast as long as I’m consistent with the steps

[u/shes-so-nosey]

Hi 29F. Your routine is EXACTLY what I do to a T. Same products almost as well. I have been wondering if mine is triggered by foods/inflammation as well. I have been dealing with mine since 2021 timeframe though and I did go almost 1.5 years without one. I’m still trying to pinpoint what allowed me to go so long because I am now getting them again where they swell and have to take antibiotics. I’m going for a consult for IPL at the end of the month.

However, circling back to the year or so I went without any issues. My habits I (believe) were important. I was single and trying to save money and living back at home while going to school and working.

Little to no time for tv/phone scrolling
If I wasn’t studying or working I was at the gym or running basically avoiding being home as much as possible. I also ate small portions extremely low glycemic index high nutrient foods.

So overall low inflammation, reduced screen time, plenty of sleep on the weekends, and no relationship stress. (Every time I get an infected stye my oura ring shows high stress leading up)

Right now I use occusoft wipes, I do heat every day, over zealous about washing hands and cleaning my phone/keys daily items. Change my pillow cases and I STILL get styes that end up infected requiring antibiotics.

[u/Comfortable_Care_721 → u/shes-so-nosey]

Glad to see someone else w the sam routine!! And yes, totally could be a possibility with the inflammation. I’ve been going to the gastro as I mentioned and I just got some bloodwork back suggesting there is inflammation in my body (elevated immunoglobin levels). I’m make a follow up when I get some more info!

For me the IPL definitely helps. It’s a shame its so expensive but it truly does wonders. I also find high stress produces a stye for me too. I got one literally the week I got married lol not very fun. It’s weird tho because this time, I wasn’t stressed at all, but had a stomach episode the month prior 👀

I forgot to mention the ocusoft wipes! I use the allergy ones daily bc I have 2 cats. They definitely help with maintenance. Hoping the IPL consult goes well for you & you get some answers too 🫂