Can you wear contacts with a stye?

It's not usually a good idea to wear contacts with a stye. Contacts can make a stye feel even worse (and they're already pretty uncomfortable), so you might want to consider switching to glasses while it heals.

A stye is a bacterial infection affecting the glands along your bottom lash line. It causes a red, swollen bump beneath one of your eyes. (What's that saying about three's a crowd?) Sometimes, styes can even form inside your lower eyelid. They often feel painful but aren't usually a serious issue. In fact, most go away on their own.

Styes differ from another eye condition called chalazions, which are red eyelid bumps caused by chronic inflammatory reactions. Unlike styes, chalazions aren't typically painful, but they also can take longer to heal.

Styes are caused by bacteria called staphylococcus. While styes aren't typically contagious, it's possible to pass on the bacteria to other people. You can prevent this by washing your hands, bedding, and towels regularly.

What happens when you wear contacts with a stye?

Wearing contacts with a stye can make your eye feel even more irritated. In some cases, it can even make the infection worse by collecting bacteria.

Risks of wearing contacts with a stye include:

• Eye irritation: Styes often cause inflammation in your eyelids. If the swelling pushes the skin close to the contact, it can rub on the edge and cause pain and discomfort. (And no one wants that!)

• Slower healing: If the friction between the stye and the contact causes more redness and irritation, the area might take longer to heal. This is common with styes on the inside of your eyelid, as they're more likely to touch the contact.

• Spread of infection: When bacteria from the infected stye transfer to your contact lens, it can spread to other areas of your eye. This can cause potentially serious issues, such as bacterial keratitis. Even if you clean your contacts carefully, bacterial transmission can happen if you accidentally pop a stye while wearing lenses.

We get it — your backup glasses might not be your favorite. But if you want to keep your eyes safe and comfortable (obviously the best choice), wear them while you're waiting for the stye to heal. If you're feeling impatient, you can also try to get rid of a stye overnight.

Can contacts cause styes?

No, contact lenses don't directly cause styes. However, they can increase your risk of getting a stye if you're not handling, cleaning, and storing them correctly. Because styes are infections caused by bacteria, proper hygiene is essential. When you don't clean your contacts or your hands thoroughly, you could accidentally transfer bacteria to the contact lens and onto your eye.

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When can you start wearing contacts after a stye?

You can start wearing contacts again once the stye has healed completely and you stop experiencing discomfort. It's not a good idea to wear contacts while you're using antibiotic ointments or treating the stye with warm compresses.

Not sure when to put your contact lenses back in? Keep an eye on the stye as it heals. When all the redness and swelling have gone away and you no longer feel any pain (or the desire to wear sunglasses to conceal it), you can likely start wearing your contacts again. If you're unsure, give it an extra day or 2. When it comes to your eyes, it's always better to be safe.

Post-stye precautions and prevention

Once your stye has come and gone, you don't want to get another one anytime soon. Here are some tips to prevent styes in the future:

• Throw away compromised contacts.  Find the contacts you wore just before and after you noticed the stye and toss them in the trash. This can help prevent bacteria from reinfecting your eyes.

• Use a fresh pair of contacts.  When you're ready to start using contacts again, choose a brand-new pair that's safe and bacteria-free. 

• Wash your hands frequently.  The bacteria that cause styes move easily from your hands to your eyes. The best way to prevent them is to wash your hands often. Use hot water and soap, and scrub for at least 20 seconds. As a bonus, handwashing can also help prevent respiratory and gastrointestinal infections. (There's nothing like a cold or diarrhea to ruin your day.)

• Wash your hands before putting in contacts.  You already know this, but we thought we'd remind you, just in case.

• Follow contact manufacturers' instructions.  Pay attention to the disinfecting guidelines and length of wear recommendations for your contact type, whether you prefer hard, multifocal, daily disposable, or rigid gas-permeable lenses. Dirty or old contacts can transfer bacteria easily, giving you a nasty little stye before you know it.

• Practice good makeup hygiene.  Your creams, powders, and liners can carry bacteria straight to your eyes. To keep it at bay, wash your brushes and tools frequently. And keep an eye on expiration dates — expired products should go straight to the trash.

• Remove makeup thoroughly.  Take off your makeup at night using specially designed eye wipes or other gentle methods.

• Wash bedding regularly. Bacteria tend to build up on pillowcases and sheets over time, and frequent washing can prevent them from getting into your eyes.

• Be a little stingy.  Never share towels, makeup, or pillows — they can be breeding grounds for bacteria. Avoid spreading infection by keeping these items to yourself.

Proper hygiene is the best way to prevent styes, but keep in mind that certain health or skin conditions could also cause these eye infections. If you have chronic dry eye or blepharitis, you could be more prone to recurring styes. Eye wipes with medication or moisturizing cleansers can help remove pesky bacteria.

Styes are inconvenient and painful, but they're not usually serious. Avoiding wearing contacts with a stye can help it heal faster. If you need to replace your old contacts while waiting, browse our selection of contact lenses.

Did you know you can order contacts online? 

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Original publish date: 10/23/23

Updated date: 9/24/25