Most of the time, a stye will resolve on its own and not require an office visit, says Bajic.Medication OptionsSometimes an oral antibiotic, antibiotic eye drops, or a topical antibiotic cream may be prescribed to treat the infection and reduce the inflammation associated with the infection.There are also a few procedures that can be performed in the office that may help, she says. “I can apply some gentle pressure to help manually release the oil blockage to help things heal faster. In some cases, patients may benefit from a steroid injection in the office,” says Bajic.For more stubborn and large styes, lancing may be required, she says. Lancing is when a small incision is made in the stye, and the fluid or pus is drained. Numbing medication is used, and in most cases, stitches aren’t necessary.Alternative and Complementary Therapies“A warm compress is one of the best ways to get rid of styes and is typically very inexpensive,” says Bajic. The purpose of the compress isn’t to reduce swelling but rather to open the pores of the tiny oil glands to promote drainage so the stye can heal.“You can run a washcloth under warm water and wring it out and apply it to the affected eye, but this is not my preferred way, because the heat does not last very long. My preferred way to do a warm compress is to use a reheatable eye mask,” says Bajic.Follow the instructions on heating the mask in the microwave. Test the temperature of the mask on a sensitive part of your skin, such as the inside of your wrist, before placing it on your closed eyelid. Leave it on until it cools, at which time you can perform a gentle eyelid massage to encourage the oil glands to open up and release the backed-up oil, she says.Never squeeze the stye, and don’t wear eye makeup until the stye goes away.Prevention of a Stye“The absolute best way to keep styes at bay is prevention, and that’s done primarily with good eyelid hygiene,” says Bajic.If you wear eye makeup, make sure you remove the makeup every night before bed, she says.“I find the best way to make sure you get every bit of makeup off is through a double cleansing method, first with makeup remover, followed by your preferred facial cleanser. For myself, I typically use micellar water on a cotton pad to remove my eye and face makeup, and then I follow this with a general facial cleanser,” she says.Micellar water is made up of micelles (tiny balls of cleansing oil molecules) suspended in soft water, and it can be used as a face wash and to remove light makeup.Some people have success preventing styes with eyelid wipes or scrub pads, says Bajic. “This can help remove the dead cells and debris from eyelashes and eyelids. Baby shampoo can be used with scrubs, or you can use premoistened eyelid wipes,” she says.If styes are developing due to an underlying condition like rosacea, that condition needs to be adequately treated in order to prevent stye formation.