# Zits... lurking between my eyelashes?!? Is that possible? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 14, 2005, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zits-lurking-between-my-eyelashes-is-that-possible/326226 "2005-10-14T15:48:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2005, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zits-lurking-between-my-eyelashes-is-that-possible/326226/1 "2005-10-14T15:48:43Z")
Last night before I went to bed, I noticed that my right eyelid was a bit sore. I didn’t think much of it - maybe I had rubbed it with something, or the doggies had irritated it. This morning, it _still_ hurts, and it’s puffy. I just went and looked in the mirror. Hmmm… what’s that, in my eyelashes? Two little white-topped bumps. Good Og, they look like ZITS. Can one get zits in one’s eyelashes? Or is my eye going to dry up and fall out? If it is, is there any way I can postpone it a week, since I’m going on vacation tomorrow? ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2005, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zits-lurking-between-my-eyelashes-is-that-possible/326226/2 "2005-10-14T15:53:19Z")
And FYI, I don’t think they’re stys (sties?). A sty, at least in my experience, develops on the lower eyelid. This is on my UPPER eyelid, nowhere near any tear ducts or anything. ---
**Author:** ![cher3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2005, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zits-lurking-between-my-eyelashes-is-that-possible/326226/3 "2005-10-14T15:58:43Z")
I had a sty on my upper eyelid, but it was a larger, puffy area, not a little white spot. In any case, the opthamologist recommended hot compresses. ---
**Author:** ![jackelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2005, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zits-lurking-between-my-eyelashes-is-that-possible/326226/4 "2005-10-14T19:18:48Z")
A hot compress is a good idea; I’ve had a stye on my upper eyelid surgically removed (this was not fun). Take a washcloth or a hand towel and run it under the hottest water that will come out of your tap. Wring it out just a little bit, so the water’s not running out of it, and then press it over your eye for a while–until you feel the heat begin to drop off. Then run it under the water again and repeat. Do this for five or ten minutes. I found I enjoyed it, and even though my eyelids are (thankfully) fine, I still do it occasionally for relaxation. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2005, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zits-lurking-between-my-eyelashes-is-that-possible/326226/5 "2005-10-14T19:23:44Z")
You can get ingrown eyelashes, which is no fun. I actually get tiny little moles on the edge of my eyelids which is also no fun. ---
**Author:** ![ioioio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ioioio/32/316_2.png) [@ioioio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ioioio)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2005, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zits-lurking-between-my-eyelashes-is-that-possible/326226/6 "2005-10-14T20:06:50Z")
My mother taught me a home remedy for sties that has always worked for me (and usually quickly): rub the affected area with a metal ring (Mom said gold, but silver works for me). ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2005, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zits-lurking-between-my-eyelashes-is-that-possible/326226/7 "2005-10-14T20:12:21Z")
At the risk of doling out medical advice, IANAD, E&OE, etc., it sounds rather like conjunctivitis, which is quite nasty and highly transmittable: stop rubbing it - that’s the fastest way to spread it - and go see a doctor. ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2005, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zits-lurking-between-my-eyelashes-is-that-possible/326226/8 "2005-10-15T01:37:34Z")
> [@Case Sensitive](#): > > At the risk of doling out medical advice, IANAD, E&OE, etc., it sounds rather like conjunctivitis, which is quite nasty and highly transmittable: stop rubbing it - that’s the fastest way to spread it - and go see a doctor. Nope, definitely not conjunctivitis. I’ve had conjunctivitis, and this ain’t it. Trust me, if it were pink-eye, I’d be at the doctor already. ---
**Author:** ![zweisamkeit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zweisamkeit/32/4360_2.png) [@zweisamkeit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zweisamkeit)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2005, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zits-lurking-between-my-eyelashes-is-that-possible/326226/9 "2005-10-15T03:07:42Z")
Trust me, stys can appear on your top eyelid as well. That’s the only place I ever got them, in fact. If hot compresses don’t burst them on their own, you should go to a doctor to get them lanced. It’s not fun (trust me), but it’s better than letting them fester. ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2005, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zits-lurking-between-my-eyelashes-is-that-possible/326226/10 "2005-10-15T03:32:49Z")
I had a problem of the eyelash folicle pores getting plugged up for about 2 years. It really sucked, especially if the doctor has to cut it open. In addition to the hot compress, I had to carefully clean my eyelashes using baby shampoo (no tears). Actually worked pretty well once I started using the baby shampoo ---
**Author:** ![lorinada](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b5e925/32.png) [@lorinada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lorinada)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2005, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zits-lurking-between-my-eyelashes-is-that-possible/326226/11 "2005-10-15T03:57:48Z")
A horoleum (stye) can progress to a chalazion (a chronic knot in your eyelid), but usually doesn’t. If you can, rub some neosporin on it, but if it doesn’t start showing improvement in a day or two I’d see a physician. I get them all the time, presumably because I have such awful allergies and a mildly compromised immune system. They’re a pain in the…eye. ---
**Author:** ![Otanabi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Otanabi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otanabi)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2005, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zits-lurking-between-my-eyelashes-is-that-possible/326226/12 "2005-10-15T12:34:06Z")
This sounds like [blepharitis](http://www.nei.nih.gov/health/blepharitis/). It’s a very annoying chronic condition, but using warm compresses and baby-shampoo scrubs does keep it under control. At least that’s my experience. ---
**Author:** ![Zabali\_Clawbane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ecd19e/32.png) [@Zabali\_Clawbane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zabali_Clawbane)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2005, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zits-lurking-between-my-eyelashes-is-that-possible/326226/13 "2005-10-15T12:48:27Z")
I’ve had a [sty](http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001009.htm) in my upper eyelid (diagnosed by the doctor) that was as you describe. Better throw away any eye makeup you’ve recently used so you don’t [re-infect](http://health.yahoo.com/ency/healthwise/hw167057/hw167094) yourself and get out the hot compresses. (This is what the doctor told me to do, he asked if I’d worn make-up over the past two or three days and when I said I had, he said to toss it out because it was infected now.) Make a cup of hot tea, and use the (as hot as you can stand) tea bag on your eye. The tannic acid will help. (Note you need actual tea and not herbal tea for this.) ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2005, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zits-lurking-between-my-eyelashes-is-that-possible/326226/14 "2005-10-15T16:40:36Z")
Ugh I hope it’s not anything I have to go the doctor for - I’m supposed to be on vacation right now, but my flight was cancelled so I’m leaving tomorrow instead. Eye feels pretty much the same as yesterday. So doesn’t anyone get over these kinds of things without seeing a doctor? Going to a doctor on vacation is no fun, and my local doctor isn’t in the office today. Oh - and no eye makeup. No makeup at all, I don’t touch the stuff. I haven’t noticed anything other weird about my eye at all, except for a couple weeks ago one of my eyes (don’t know if was the same one or not) seemed to want to water a lot for about a 12 hour period. ---
**Author:** ![jackelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2005, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zits-lurking-between-my-eyelashes-is-that-possible/326226/15 "2005-10-15T22:49:39Z")
> [@Athena](#): > > So doesn’t anyone get over these kinds of things without seeing a doctor? Absolutely. Do the hot compress. A stye is an “inflamed oil gland on the edge of your eyelid, where the lash meets the lid” ([cite](http://www.drkoop.com/ency/93/001009.html)). A hot compress will help the pore open up, and loosen up the oil that’s clogging it; it’s entirely possible that doing this a few times (or even once) will clear it right up. ---
**Author:** ![ccwaterback](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@ccwaterback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ccwaterback)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2005, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zits-lurking-between-my-eyelashes-is-that-possible/326226/16 "2005-10-16T01:57:52Z")
You can get some stye meds over the counter. Put of drop or two of that goo on the spot before you go to bed at night. YMMV. ---
**Author:** ![ccwaterback](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@ccwaterback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ccwaterback)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2005, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zits-lurking-between-my-eyelashes-is-that-possible/326226/17 "2005-10-16T01:59:06Z")
And take Mom’s advice … don’t itch it. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Zabali\_Clawbane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ecd19e/32.png) [@Zabali\_Clawbane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zabali_Clawbane)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2005, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zits-lurking-between-my-eyelashes-is-that-possible/326226/18 "2005-10-16T06:07:37Z")
> [@Athena](#): > > So doesn’t anyone get over these kinds of things without seeing a doctor? Going to a doctor on vacation is no fun, and my local doctor isn’t in the office today. Heh, yeah I do now. I described the first time I’d ever gotten a stye, I was pretty young and had no idea what was going on. Mom sent me to the doctor because I do have bad allergies too. 😉 The tea bag compress works a treat, brings down the swelling/irritation, and helps the stye clear itself up too. ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2005, 11:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zits-lurking-between-my-eyelashes-is-that-possible/326226/19 "2005-10-16T11:00:01Z")
> [@Zabali\_Clawbane](#): > > The tea bag compress works a treat, brings down the swelling/irritation, and helps the stye clear itself up too. And then you can use it again to make a nice cup of tea. ---
**Author:** ![Zabali\_Clawbane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ecd19e/32.png) [@Zabali\_Clawbane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zabali_Clawbane)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2005, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zits-lurking-between-my-eyelashes-is-that-possible/326226/20 "2005-10-16T15:23:35Z")
> [@Case Sensitive](#): > > And then you can use it again to make a nice cup of tea. Ewww! Heh, I make a cup of tea befeorehand, and then use the tea bag since I don’t like to waste things. I sip the tea and by the time I’m done (15-20 minutes usually) the compress can come off. 🙂 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zits-lurking-between-my-eyelashes-is-that-possible/326226.md?page=2)