Warm compress and lid massage: step by step
15 October, 2026 | 2:00 PMGentle warmth softens the oil in the small glands along your eyelids. Massage then helps move that oil out. Your optometrist may suggest this for a stye or for meibomian gland dysfunction, a common cause of dry eye.
What you need
- A heat mask made for eyes, or a clean face washer and warm water
- Clean hands
- Lid wipes or cleanser, if your optometrist recommended them
Warm compress: the steps
- Wash your hands.
- Warm the heat mask exactly as its pack says. Or soak a face washer in warm tap water and wring it out.
- Test the temperature on the inside of your wrist. It should feel warm and comfortable.
- Close your eyes and place the compress over both eyelids.
- Leave it on for 5 to 10 minutes. Re-warm a face washer when it cools.
- Repeat as often as your optometrist advises. Twice a day is common for dry eye.
Lid massage: the steps
Do this straight after the warm compress, while the oil is soft.
- Keep your eyes closed.
- Place a clean fingertip on your upper eyelid, just below the eyebrow.
- Roll gently down towards the lashes. Work across the whole lid, from the inner corner to the outer corner, a few times.
- For the lower lid, look up and roll gently up towards the lashes. Repeat several times.
- Keep the pressure light, on the eyelid only. Keep pressure off the eyeball.
- Clean along the lash line with a lid wipe if you have one.
- Then use your eye drops, if you have them.
For a stye
A stye is a painful red lump on the eyelid edge, usually from a blocked or infected gland.
- Hold the warm compress on the closed lid for a few minutes at a time, several times a day.
- Massage around the lump only if your optometrist has shown you how.
- Let it drain on its own.
- Leave out eye makeup and contact lenses until it settles.
- Use a fresh face washer each time.
For meibomian gland dysfunction
This is a long-term condition. The routine works when done every day, including days your eyes feel fine.
Do and don't
Do
- Test the heat on your wrist first
- Follow the heat mask instructions
- Keep pressure light
Don’t
- Use boiling or very hot water
- Squeeze or pop a stye
- Share face washers or heat masks
If you have had eye surgery recently, ask your optometrist before you start massage.
When to call us on (03) 9702 9118
- A stye has not improved after one to two weeks of warm compresses
- Redness or swelling spreads across the eyelid
- The lump keeps coming back
- Your eye itself becomes red or painful
Go to the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital emergency department (32 Gisborne Street, East Melbourne, open 24 hours), or call 000, if
your whole eyelid becomes swollen and red, you have a fever, your eye hurts to move, or your vision changes.
If your stye or dry eye is not settling, book online or call us on (03) 9702 9118.
FAQs
How long should I use a warm compress?
Most people use it for 5 to 10 minutes each time. Your optometrist will advise how many times a day suits your eyes.
Should I squeeze a stye?
No. Squeezing can spread infection. Use warm compresses and let it drain on its own.
Can I use a warm compress with contact lenses in?
Take your lenses out first.
How long until the routine helps my dry eye?
It can take several weeks of daily use. Meibomian gland dysfunction is long term, so keep going even when your eyes feel better.
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