Photo by Elisa Photography on Unsplash

We all take great care of our skin these days, but how often do you think about your eyes? If you don’t take adequate care of your eyes, you might end of with a stye – an infection of oil glands in the eyelid that causes a red and painful bump.

Don’t worry, most styes are harmless to your health, but they sure can be irritating. Read on to learn about what causes styes and how to treat them.

Causes

Expired cosmetics
That mascara in your drawer doesn’t last forever. According to the University of Rochester Medical Center, “Eyelashes naturally have bacteria on them. As soon as you use a makeup brush on the eyelash or eyelid, the brush is contaminated. Over time, the infected brush leads to a buildup of bacteria in the cosmetics container.” Reduce the risk of infection by switching out products every three to four months and avoid sharing makeup.

Non-disinfected contacts
Always wash your hands before applying your contact lenses and make sure to disinfect them. Once you have a stye, you can’t wear your contacts until it has healed, so try to always have an extra pair of glasses just in case.

Overnight eye makeup
There’s a myriad of reasons to wash your face before bed, and now you have one more. Your eye follicles can get plugged at night if you keep your makeup on, which can lead to a stye.

Rosacea
This common disorder that usually affects facial skin by causing the nose, chin, and cheeks to appear red can also cause a stye. Rosacea is easily treated, but pus-filled pimples can sometimes occur in and around the eyes. According to the Cleveland Clinic, 14 million people in America have rosacea, so know you’re not alone if this is you!

Sleep deprivation
Styes occur more often with weakened health, poor sleep, and poor nutrition. Anything that compromises your immune system boosts your chances of getting eye irritation.

Treatments

Warm washcloth
Place a warm washcloth over your closed eye for five to 10 minutes, rewetting it as it loses heat. Then, gently massage it with clean hands.

Antibiotics
If your stye persists, call your doctor and they might prescribe you antibiotic eye drops to heal the stye quickly.

xx, The FabFitFun Team