Question: I HAVE A STYE BUT IT'S ON THE INSIDE OF MY UPPER EYELID. WILL YOUR STYE CLEANSING SYSTEM STILL WORK?

I’m Dr. Tanya Gill, Optometrist and I know how confusing it can be when a stye appears on the inside of your eyelid. I call this an INNIE STYE. Let's chat about INNIE VS. OUTTIE STYES, and how my STYE CLEANSING SYSTEM can help with both.

Understanding The INNIE VS. OUTTIE STYE

What Makes an Innie Different?

In general, an OUTTIE STYE (aka external hordeolum) forms at the base of an eyelash where an eyelash gland gets clogged & infected. You see the swelling on the surface of the eyelid. 

An INNIE STYE (aka internal hordeolum) is a clogged & infected meibomian oil gland. Because the conjunctiva inside the inner eyelid is clear, it's easily viewed when the eyelid is flipped open. 

INNIE STYE Signs & Symptoms

• Localized tenderness of the upper or lower eyelid
• A small bump you can feel rather than see
• Localized, circular lesion when eyelid is flipped open for viewing

OUTTIE STYE Signs & Symptoms

• Localized tenderness of the upper of lower eyelid
• A small bump you can see when looking at a mirror
• Localized lesion on the eyelid, usually near the margin

How Stye Cleansing System Addresses Both INNIE & OUTTIE STYES

It doesn't matter if you have an innie or outtie stye. The cleansing steps are exactly the same because: 1) the exit site for stye debris is 100% ALWAYS at the eyelid margin,  regardless if it's an innie or outtie; and 2) The WARM COMPRESS step is 100% always performed on the on top of the eyelid. It is NEVER done inside the inner eyelid. Never. Ever.

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Step-by-Step INNIE & OUTTIE Eyelid Stye Care

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. 

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.

Daily Eye Care Routine Tips

Do all the steps once a day before bedtime. Stye Cleansing System was designed over many years of trial and error with the help of hundreds of my patients. Be consistent. Be diligent. It takes work.

When to See Your Optometrist

See your optometrist right away if you think you have a stye. First, the diagnosis is key. It could be something else. For example, if it's a herpetic eye infection that looks like a stye - warm compresses would make it worse. Second, pre-septal cellulitis always needs to be ruled in or out. Pre-septal is a vision threatening condition where the bacteria spreads from the gland to the eyelid. 

• INNIE VS. OUTTIE STYE

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• Stye Cleansing System

• upper eyelid stye care

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• posteror stye management

• warm compress for stye

• We Love Eyes STYE kit