Chalazions

If you're prone to them, avoid wearing makeup.
If you can't avoid wearing makeup, take it off soon as you can (like soon as you get home - don't wait for bedtime).
ALSO - totally replace all your eye makeup every few weeks (can get expensive).
Why?
Bacteria can grow and multiply in the makeup and applicators/brushes/pads/etc.
Every time you re-use makeup you are applying a fresh coat of germs.
(Gross but true.)
It's also a good reason never to borrow/loan/share makeup with anyone else.
My skin is a lot healthier if I avoid makeup most of the time.

Chalazion is caused by a blocked oil duct. I found nothing about repeated chalazions except the comment that if one returns it may need surgery. I'm guessing a return in the same spot may indicate that the gland is still blocked and is not healing its self.

It sounds like a duct can be blocked from the surface or internally. Nothing I read indicated why it would become blocked. I suggest that you need to ask your question of your doctor.

The difference between a chalazion and a sty is that a sty is infected while a chalazion is not. If the doctor has said it's not infected then you can continue to use the same make up.

I do agree, tho, that it makes sense that makeup can block the ducts. I've known some to apply eye liner to their inner lid. That is where the oil ducts are located and I think doing that could cause chalazions.

I stopped wearing make up years ago. That doesn't matter. So far, I have had at least six chalazions, over the past 25 years. They are blocked ducts, and there is essentially nothing you can do to prevent them. Half of them went away on their own, or with warm chamomile compresses (just use chamomile tea bags), and the other half I had "drained" after trying for about six months to get rid of them. The ones in the lower lids are much more painful to have removed, than the ones in the upper lids.

Nina:

I'm sorry! I hope it doesn't hurt!!

Styes and Chalazions are different but very much the same. I know. Confusing.

Both are caused by blocked glands in the eye lids. The Stye is usually a staph infection. A Chalazion is NOT a staph infection - just a blocked oil gland.

DO NOT wear eye make up. Get rid of all the make up you have used. Buy all new and DO NOT use it until the sty or chalazion is gone. PERIOD. If you use it - the bacteria will transfer from the skin to the applicator and cause the sty to come back again.

To avoid these in the future? Make sure you take off ALL of your make up before you go to bed. Especially your mascara.

Good luck!!!

I've had quite a few (see my other post on the topic) but from what I can tell, it seems like once you have one, it's as though the body remembers and another on can show up in the same place. Kinda like acne, which if you've ever had it, the same pimples show up in the same places. I think when it comes to the eyes, there are many reasons as to why you can get them there, makeup is a big culprit, at least in my case.. whereby some clogged the pore on my lower lid.. I've had them on my upper lid as well..

Chalazion is just a fancy word for a more imbedded pimple.. hot presses do work but my eye doc said if mine didn't go away in a about week , he'd give me meds.. In some cases, I have taken them, but when the Chalazion wasn't too big or irritated, I just let it run it's course.

Since having my last one, I am ALWAYS sure to wash off all my makeup at night and I am careful not to put eye cream too close to my lower or upper eyelids. In the same way that I have sensitive skin and break out easily on my face, I realize now that I have to be careful as to what touches my eyelids.. as the area around it is equally sensitive to oils or things like makeup..

I got my first one at 32 and it lasted almost a year. I did the compresses and then had it cut out (twice). The second time I had it cut out it stayed out, but my eyelid is red now even though it was under and they didn't cut the outside at all.

I recently got 2 more, one in each eye, and in the exact same place. I actually think it might be connected to the fact that 2 weeks before they appeared I switched to CeraVe foaming face wash (sensitive). It works great on my skin, but I think it might be too harsh around my eyes.

Some tips:

The doctor told me to take fish oils with Omega 3, (I never do) but I guess some studies suggest that it helps the eye stay healthy and that helps prevent them. I don't know if it's true or not, the doctor just mentioned it.

When you feel one coming on use a warm compress as many times per day as you can manage. It's easier to prevent them than get rid of them. (Cutting them out isn't pleasant, it's not super painful, but it still sucks)

Use baby shampoo to scrub your eye make up off. I've been told this over and over, I don't know why I don't listen.

If you do get one and the warm compresses don't work, your doctor will give you Tobradex or some other eye drop. That's great, but I haven't had very good luck with it. (of the 3 I have had, it got rid of 1 and it took 3 weeks).

Good luck!

My son was just diagnosed with one last week. I just posted here about this a few days ago. You can probably find the post and the answers I got. I had never heard of them before. I'd also be curious to know why some people are prone to them. In my son's case it started with stubborn pink eye, then he got an ordinary sty and now the chalazion. If they remain persistent you can see an opthalmologist for a removal procedure. In the answers I got some people recommended that and some people said it wasn't worth it--it's not a pleasant procedure.