Bump on Eyelid: Common Causes and When to Worry

A small, red, painful bump on the eyelid is typical of a stye, a bacterial infection in an oil gland, while a painless lump that may form after a stye is typical of a chalazion. In most cases a stye goes away on its own, and most chalazia clear up on their own in a few weeks to a month. Xanthelasma shows up as yellowish patches near the inner corners of the eyelids, and a papilloma is a benign, wart-like growth. Have an eye doctor look at any new growth, a sore that doesn't heal, or a bump that is crusty or bleeds, because those can be signs of skin cancer.

Key takeaways

Pain is the first clue, since a stye, an infected oil gland, is a red, painful bump and a chalazion is usually a painless lump.
Treat both with warmth first, never squeeze a stye, and expect most chalazia to clear on their own in a few weeks to a month.
Have an eye doctor check a new or growing bump, a sore that doesn't heal, or a crusty or bleeding spot, because these can signal skin cancer.
If redness and swelling spread beyond the eyelid, contact your eye doctor immediately, or go to an emergency room when the office is closed.

What causes a bump on the eyelid?

Like other parts of the body, the eyelids can get infected, swell, or develop growths, including cancer. Here is how the main types of eyelid bump compare:

Bump	What it looks like	What to know
Stye	Small, red, painful bump on the edge or inside of the eyelid	A bacterial infection, usually staph; in most cases goes away on its own
Chalazion	Painless lump in the eyelid, more often the upper lid	Generally not an infection; most clear up on their own in a few weeks to a month
Xanthelasma	Yellowish patches near the inner corners of the eyelids	Patches of cholesterol in the skin
Papilloma	Wart-like skin growth	Benign (noncancerous)
Molluscum contagiosum	Small, pearly bumps, white, pink or skin colored, sometimes with a dip in the center	A contagious viral infection, mostly in children ages 1 to 10

Table sources: MedlinePlus on eyelid disorders, the American Optometric Association on styes and chalazia, and the CDC on molluscum contagiosum, including its clinical overview.

Is it a stye or a chalazion?

Pain is the first clue. A stye is a small, red, painful bump caused by a bacterial infection in an oil gland, usually staph, and it can bring tearing, crusting of the eyelid, or a feeling that something is in your eye.

A chalazion comes from thickened oil blocking one of the eyelid's oil glands. It develops slowly, is usually painless, shows up more often in the upper lid, and is generally not an infection. The two are related, since a chalazion may form after a stye.

Our stye guide explains styes, and our stye and chalazion treatment page covers how we treat both.

What helps a stye or chalazion at home?

Warmth comes first. For a chalazion, apply warm compresses to the eyelid for 10 to 15 minutes, 4 to 6 times a day for several days, and gently massage the outside of the eyelid for a few minutes each day to help it drain. For a stye, use a warm, wet cloth for 5 to 10 minutes several times a day, as your optometrist directs.

Never squeeze a stye or try to drain it yourself, and skip eye makeup until it has healed. A heated eye mask holds warmth longer than a washcloth, which is why we often suggest one.

To lower the odds of the next one, keep your eyelids and lashes clean, remove eye makeup before bed, wash your hands before touching the area around your eyes, and replace eye makeup every 3 months. If you've been diagnosed with blepharitis, one of the risk factors for styes, follow your optometrist's directions for lid care.

Could a white bump on my eyelid be molluscum?

It could be. Molluscum contagiosum is a skin infection caused by a poxvirus. Its bumps are usually white, pink or the same color as your skin, feel firm, and sometimes have a dip in the center.

The bumps are small and pearly, about 2 to 5 mm across on average, and usually painless, though they can become inflamed, red and swollen. Healthy people usually recover from molluscum without treatment.

If you're not sure what a white bump is, have it looked at. An eye care specialist can diagnose eyelid problems during an eye exam.

What are yellow patches and wart-like growths on the eyelids?

Yellowish patches near the inner corners of the eyelids are typical of xanthelasma, which are patches of cholesterol in the skin. A papilloma is a benign (noncancerous), wart-like skin growth.

Point them out at your next comprehensive eye exam, and come in sooner if one changes shape, color or size.

When should a doctor look at a bump on your eyelid?

Have your eye doctor check an eyelid bump that is new and growing, a sore that doesn't heal, or a spot that is crusty or bleeds. Basal cell carcinoma, for example, can look like a shiny bump, a pink or red scaly patch, or a sore that doesn't heal and is crusty or bleeds. A change in your skin is the most common sign of skin cancer, and skin cancer is more common in people who spend a lot of time in the sun, have light-colored skin, hair and eyes, or are over age 50.

Basal cell and squamous cell cancers usually form on the head, face, neck, hands and arms, and treatment is more likely to work well when skin cancer is found early. A bump that keeps coming back in the same place deserves a closer look too; rarely, a chalazion can be a sign of an infection or skin cancer.

Spreading infection is the urgent case. Contact your eye doctor immediately if redness and swelling from a stye extend beyond the eyelid. A bacterial infection of the eyelid and nearby skin is called periorbital cellulitis, and if it spreads behind the eye (orbital cellulitis), it needs immediate medical care. A red, swollen eyelid with pain when you move your eye, a bulging eye, trouble moving the eye or a fever can mean the infection has spread behind the eye: call us at 310-828-2010 and come straight in, or see another eye doctor, and go to an emergency room when we're closed.

A painful or fast-growing lid bump deserves a same-day look: call 310-828-2010 during office hours (Monday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.) for urgent eye care. Outside office hours, redness and swelling that spread beyond the eyelid belong in an emergency room.

How we treat eyelid bumps at Cohenmehr Optometry

At Cohenmehr Optometry, we examine the lids and lashes under magnification at the slit lamp, as we do in every comprehensive eye exam, whether the bump looks like a stye, an eyelid cyst or a growth you're unsure about.

For styes and chalazia we work in steps. Conservative care comes first: antibiotic and steroid drops or ointment, plus a heated eye mask. If that doesn't work, we use intense pulsed light (IPL) with meibomian gland expression; our IPL page explains it. If a chalazion is still there, we talk you through how often chalazia clear up without surgery; even a stubborn one tends to fade over the following months. If you would rather have it removed right away, we co-manage with an oculoplastic surgeon, though we prefer to avoid incisions on the eyelid when we can. We don't drain or inject chalazia in our office.

When a bump needs a biopsy or removal for another reason, we refer you to a surgeon for the procedure, and your records go with the referral.

Questions patients ask

Are eyelid bumps contagious?

Some are. Molluscum contagiosum spreads when you touch someone who has it or touch items that carry the virus, and it mostly occurs in kids ages 1 to 10. The bumps typically go away in six months to a year, though they can take longer. Don't try to remove the bumps or the fluid inside them yourself.

Can you pop a white bump on your eyelid?

No. Don't squeeze or pop a bump on your eyelid yourself. If it's a stye, never squeeze it or try to drain it; in most cases it goes away on its own, helped by a warm, wet cloth held on the lid for 5 to 10 minutes several times a day, as your optometrist directs. If it could be molluscum, don't try to remove the bumps or the fluid inside them. If redness and swelling spread beyond the eyelid, contact your eye doctor immediately, or go to an emergency room when the office is closed.

Will a bump on the eyelid go away by itself?

Many do. Most chalazia need little medical treatment and clear up on their own in a few weeks to a month, though they often come back. Once a chalazion drains on its own, keep the area clean and keep your hands away from your eyes. If it doesn't drain and heal within a month, contact an optometrist.

Can a bump on the eyelid be cancer?

It can. Basal cell carcinoma is the most common eyelid cancer and often appears on the lower eyelid. Squamous cell carcinoma is less common but grows faster, and sebaceous gland carcinoma is a rare but serious cancer of the eyelid's oil glands. An eye care specialist can diagnose eyelid problems during an eye exam.

Sources

Written by

Dr. Bijan Cohenmehr, OD

Founder of Cohenmehr Optometry, in practice for over 40 years. He leads the practice’s dry eye care and myopia management. A graduate of SUNY College of Optometry.

About Dr. Bijan →

Bump on Your Eyelid? What It Could Be and When to Get It Checked