Not a Stye: The Case of the Buried Eyelash

I was recently asked to see a patient for what was believed to be another upper eyelid stye. She had a history of styes, so the referring doctor assumed this was the same thing.  She was having recent itching of the eyelid with a small amount of swelling.  But not the usual redness, swelling or large bump she typically had when her styes started.  

But when I examined her, I noticed something unusual:

A single eyelash trapped under the skin — a very unusual condition where the lash grows inward instead of out along the lid margin.

I gave a small amount of local anesthesia, used two different forceps to gently open the skin, and removed the lash in one piece.

• The procedure took about 15 seconds
• There was no bleeding
• The patient had immediate relief

Watch the video below: 

If you have a persistent eyelid bump that doesn’t feel like a typical stye — don’t guess. Let an eyelid specialist take a look.