What is the Last Stage of a Stye?

From flare up to waiting for stye (aka hordeolum) debris to actually drain - the journey of a stye from start to finish is JUST NO FUN. It causes a lot of stress and frustration especially for my patients that are experiencing a stye for the first time. Here, I’ll guide you through the final stage of a stye, what you can expect during recovery, and how to maintain healthy eyelids to prevent a stye from coming back.

 

 

 

 

 

The Final Stage of a Stye Explained

The healing process of a stye typically progresses through several phases. The last stage is crucial as it signals recovery. Here’s what to expect:

• Resolution of Inflammation:
  • The redness and swelling gradually subside, indicating that your body is overcoming the infection. 
• Drying Out:
  • The stye begins to dry and form a crust-like appearance at the eyelid margin as the healing process completes.
• Fading Bump:
  • The lump becomes less noticeable and eventually disappears completely.
• Restoration of Normal Appearance:
  • The eyelid returns to its usual condition without residual marks or discomfort.

 

 

What's The Timing?

TIMING: Early styes where the infection is addressed right away, the journey could last just 2 days. Styes that grow fast and angry tend to be stubborn, ugly ones and these unfortunately can take 4-6 weeks to resolve. IMO, I'm not a huge fan of antibiotics, but antibiotics used to address the infection (oral or eye drops) work extremely well to drastically cut down the healing time. 

 

 

 

 

Important Tips for a Smooth Recovery

To ensure that you achieve a full recovery, this is what I tell my patients:

• You Need to Clean Eyelids EVERYDAY: Patients that follow the eye care routine I give them, do well. Patients that decide to go rogue or ignore me - usually regret that they did. 
• The Purge: Usually there's an underlying cause to the stye. When one stye appears, others often start coming out especially with warm compresses and cleasing. The purge is annoying but good for long term recovery. 
• Knowing Triggers: I have some patients, no matter how well they clean - their lifestyle is a trigger for styes. In addition to a consistent eye care routine, lifestyle changes are needed in some cases. Sleep, exercise, diet, stress, hormones, medication - can all be triggers for stye flare ups.
• Stye Prone: If you've had 1 stye in your lifetime, I'm good. If you've had at least 2 styes in your lifetime - I automatically want to rule in or rule out Demodex mites. This is commonly missed underlying cause for styes.
• Stop Playing & Picking & Looking: My slit lamp microscope doesn't lie. I can tell if my patient is full of it. Playing with the stye. Picking the stye. Deny it all you want. Best advice is to limit the amount of time you're spending in front of a mirror. The temptation is too great. 

 

 

 

 

Stye Cleansing System

I have my patients follow these 4 steps:

1) ROLL the heat.

2) SCRUB the exit site.

3) WASH it off.

4) SPRAY it spotless.

Following these methodical steps offers a smooth recovery and the knowledge to address the tiny, tiny flare ups before they become ugly ones. Discover more about my system here: Stye Cleansing System. READ the tutorial HERE.