Speed up the healing process with these tips.️
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| Maybe this is TMI, but I get styes fairly frequently. And speaking from firsthand experience, it is so annoying to have one! While most styes usually resolve on their own within a week to a week and a half, there are some things you can do to potentially speed up the process. I know I’ll be keeping these tips in mind the next time I get a stye. |
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I’ve got my eye on it,
Sarah Choi
Newsletter Editor, Healthline |
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Written by Sarah Choi
June 12, 2026 • 3 min read |
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| Goodbye, stye! |
| Styes develop when specific substances — such as dead skin, dirt, or oil — build up, leading to bacterial growth in the tiny oil glands around your eyelashes or in your eyelash follicles. This buildup can clog these glands, allowing the bacteria already present on your skin to multiply. |
| Never try to pop a stye! This can spread the infection and potentially cause complications. Instead, here are a few strategies you can use to help speed up the healing process: |
| 🧺 Use a warm compress: You can make a warm compress by wetting a clean washcloth with warm (not hot!) water and placing it over your affected eye for 10 to 15 minutes. To keep it warm, dip it in the water every 30 seconds, wringing out any excess water, and replace it over the stye. Repeat this process around 4 times each day for the best results. |
| The wetness of a warm compress may irritate the skin for some. You can make a dry compress by putting uncooked rice in a sock, microwaving it for about 20 seconds, then holding it to the stye. Repeat this process 3 to 4 times each day. |
| 🍵 Use a tea bag: Much like a warm compress, you can also place a warm green tea bag over the stye for 5 to 10 minutes. Green tea may have antibacterial properties that can promote healing. Let the tea bag steep in boiling water for about 1 minute, then wait until it’s cool enough to touch your skin. You can use a tea bag as a compress twice daily. |
| 🧼 Clean your eyelid: Cleaning your eyelid can help prevent future styes. Make sure to choose hypoallergenic and nonirritating products, as the skin around your eyes is much thinner than the rest of your face. You can also mix tear-free baby shampoo with warm water, then apply it to the eyelid with a cotton swab or a clean washcloth. You can do this every day until the stye is gone. |
| 💄 Avoid wearing makeup: Makeup can further irritate the eye and impede the healing process. You can transfer additional bacteria to your makeup and tools, potentially leading to a secondary infection. It’s best practice to throw out eye products, like mascara and eyeliner, that are over three months old. You should also throw out any products you’ve used while having a stye, as they may contain bacteria. |
| 👓 Avoid wearing contact lenses: If you wear contacts, stick to wearing glasses until your stye heals. Bacteria from the stye can get onto your contacts and spread. After the stye heals, change to a new set of contact lenses to prevent reinfection. |
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| 🪻 Over to you: What’s your favorite home remedy? Email wellnesswire@healthline.com to let us know! |
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| Summer spritz |
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| Touchland Power Mist |
| You may be able to reduce the likelihood of styes by keeping your hands clean and avoiding touching your eyes. Touchland hand sanitizer makes the first half of this equation easy! Its spray nozzle is a fun, novel way to dispense hand sanitizer without leaving your hands too wet. My friends genuinely get excited when I ask them if they want any of this hand sanitizer. |
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| Every product we recommend has gone through either Healthline’s or Optum Now’s vetting processes. If you buy through links on this page, we may receive a small commission or other tangible benefit. Healthline has sole editorial control over this newsletter. Potential uses for the products listed here are not health claims made by the manufacturers. Healthline and Optum Now are owned by RVO Health. |
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| Until next time, |
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Take care of yourself, and we’ll see
you again soon! |
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| This edition was powered by |
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Every product we recommend has gone through either Healthline’s or Optum Now’s vetting processes. If you buy through links on this page, we may receive a small commission or other tangible benefit. Healthline has sole editorial control over this newsletter. Potential uses for the products listed here are not health claims made by the manufacturers. Healthline and Optum Now are owned by RVO Health.
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