How Do You Pop a Stye Through the Eyelid?

Picking and playing with a stye is my patient's favorite activity. Joking aside - the urge to pick and play is hard to avoid. Here, I'll show you how to replace the pick and play with proper cleansing steps. 

EYELID versus EYELID MARGIN

100% of the time, stye debris will drain at the EYELID MARGIN (see green zones). Never through the eyelid (see red zones). Read about the 3 possible exit sites on my blog post "EXIT SITE Explained: Stye vs. Chalazion Drainage on the Eyelid Margin" here. 

Eyelid Scarring is Real

The eyelid skin is 4X thinner than the skin on your face. The chances of the dermis scarring is real. For my patients that already have acne scars, I'm so highly concerned for EYELID SCARRING if a stye is popped through the eyelid.

Here is a photo of a typical type of scar after stye / chalazion. The eyelid tissue changes in texture, color and elevation. The eyelid skin can also permanently change where eye makeup application can appear uneven. 

Step‑by‑Step: Clean & Drain a Stye via the EXIT SITE

1) Warm Compress & Massage: Heat is your friend. Use Focused Eye Roll for 30 seconds a day soften and slowly drain debris. Repeat 30 second sessions during the day as needed. Spread the sessions apart so the eyelid skin doesn't become damaged. For upper eyelid, roll down towards the eyelid margin. For lower lid, roll up towards eyelid margin. 

2) Gentle Eyelid Scrub: Add 1 drop of Tea Tree (brown label) or Rosemary (green label) Eyelid & Eyelash Cleansing Oil on Eyelid Margin Scrub Brush. Gently scrub along the eyelid margin to keep an exit site open for debris to drain. The body will want to heal itself. Without an exit site, the debris will likely pop through the eyelid and we don't want that.

3) Foaming Lid Cleanser: Finish the double cleanse Tea Tree (blue label) or SuperGLA (purple label) Eyelid & Eyelash Foaming Cleanser to wash away any drainage material. 

4) Spray it Spotless: Spray Calm or Tea Tree Water Eyelid & Eyelash Spray to keep the area completely spotless. The hypochlorous will clean away bacteria and also work to limit cross-contamination between eyelids.

Too Late, It's Popped Through the Eyelid

Your optometrist can help you manage the broken tissue. Here I always prescribe an antibiotic / steroid ointment to use 4X a day to prevent infection and eyelid scarring. Read my blog post "What to Do When Your Stye Popped: Expert Optometrist Advice from We Love Eyes" here.

• EXIT SITE

• how to pop a stye

• stye drainage

• stye removal technique

• eyelid scarring

• safe stye expression

• eyelid hygiene

• stye aftercare

• stye home treatment

• professional stye care