My Chalazion is 2 Years Old. Will the Focused Eye Roll Work to Remove It?

A 2 YEAR OLD CHALAZION is a clogged meibomian oil gland on the eyelid that's been there for a long time. Maybe it started out as an infected stye. Maybe it started out as a chalazion and remained that way. In either case, it's a clog-gone-the-distance. Persistent chalazion like this . . .  I call STUBBORN. They are usually unresponsive to warm compresses, massage and have been present for at least 4 months.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Understanding a 2 YEAR OLD CHALAZION

 

Why Some Chalazia Become Stubborn

 

The body is smart. It wants to heal itself. Part of that healing for a chalazion is to: 1) trap and harden the oil, and 2) the eyelid margin heals over meibomian gland openings. Chronic inflammation can lead to the trapped oil becoming calcified too! This is what leads to that bump of really hardened debris. This happens over time, usually about 4+ months.  

 

 

The Role of Inflammation

 

A chalazion is a clogged eyelid margin oil gland experiencing an inflammatory process. The inflammation can come from something as simple as allergens (dust, pollen) to old eye makeup to contact lens wear. Although a chalazion in itself is painless, inflammation can build up in the surrounding eyelid tissue creating that swollen appearance. Over time, the body does its job as the inflammatory response calms down. What's left can be a residual chalazion that is just sitting there on the eyelid with nowhere to go. 

 

 

 

 

 

Why FOCUSED EYE ROLL Alone Is Not Enough

 

Benefits of the Roller

 

The FOCUSED EYE ROLL delivers hot, active, rolling, compression and massage to the exact eyelid area. It helps soften hardened oil. But on its own, it can only go so far with a STUBBORN CHALAZION.

 

Limits of Single-Tool Therapy

A 2 YEAR OLD CHALAZION is just sitting there, stuck. These types of cases need an exit site. Remember the eye has healed itself by hardening the clogged oil and sealing off at the meibomian gland opening. Using the heated FOCUSED EYE ROLL can help with the hardened bump, but it does nothing to create an exit site for the debris to drain. Here my patients will say the eyelid bump gets smaller, only to refill the next day. Eyelids like this need the SCRUB STEP. Adding the scrub step also adds the final WASH OFF step. 

 

 

 

 

 

The 3-Step Protocol for a 2 YEAR OLD CHALAZION

 

1) Roll the Heat

Warm the FOCUSED EYE ROLL under hot tap water for about 30 seconds. Test the temperature on the inside wrist. Then roll along the eyelid area for 30 seconds. For all the ways to heat up Focused Eye Roll, see here. 

2) Scrub the Eyelid Margin

Next, use Eyelid Margin Scrub Brush with any one of our cleansing oils (brown label, green label, teal label) to gently scrub an exit site open. Click here for a HOW TO. You are creating an exit site for the debris to drain OVER TIME. One scrub doesn't create an exit site. This will need to done every night before bedtime until the body is ready to allow an exit site to reform. Scrubbing harder does not create an exit site - it just irritates the eyelid. For STUBBORN CHALAZION, this can take 6-8 weeks!!! Remember it had 2 years to heal itself over. It will take time. 

3) The Final Wash Off

Finish with the final wash off. You can use any of our eyelid & eyelash foaming cleansers (blue label, purple label, pink label). Rinse off and towel dry. This washes away any chalazion debris, mucus (if applicable), and will keep the eyelids clean to prevent new chalazia from forming. 

4) Roll More Heat

This may need to be repeated for STUBBORN CHALAZION. Keep each session to just 30 seconds with the FOCUSED EYE ROLL. Remember that too much rolling with heat can damage eyelid skin barrier. Always be mindful of your eyelid skin too. You will have to find the right balance. Repeat this 1-4X more per day depending on how the chalazion responds or doesn't respond. How to identify damaged eyelid skin barrier here. 

 

 

 

Tips for Those Managing Long-Term Chalazia

• Use the MGD Cleansing System once a day before bedtime.
• Be consistent. Perform all three steps nightly for at least two weeks before modifying the eye care routine.
• Monitor progress. Note any shrinkage or softening of the lesion.
• Monitor intensity. Keep light pressure on the ROLL & SCRUB steps.
• It can take the same amount of time to properly drain a chalazion as the amount of time you've had the chalazion. In this case: 2 YEARS! 
• Cleaning and draining a chalazion naturally is always safer than the risks of having eyelid surgery. 

 

 

Other Therapies to Consider

• Steroid Injections: 

  A steroid injection can be administered to reduce inflammation and swelling around the chalazion. 

   

  Low-Level Light Therapy (LLLT): 

  This is a newer treatment option that uses light to help resolve stubborn chalazia. 

   

  Doxycycline or Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) therapy may be considered, especially for stubborn or large chalazia. 

   

TL;DR

Yes, but maybe. It's a really stubborn one, but worth a shot versus the risks of eyelid surgery. The current record using MGD Cleansing System is a 4 year old chalazion.

 

 

 

 

Hi, I’m Dr. Tanya Gill, optometrist and founder of We Love Eyes. I started We Love Eyes in 2014 while trying to help one of my (stubborn) patients with contact lens discomfort. In 2016, I had 3 products. Fast forward to today - We Love Eyes has almost 30 SKUs. It’s been an amazing journey. Explore my life’s work at weloveeyes.com. Check out the GOT AN EYE PROBLEM section to discover my cleansing systems. I also have a ton of content at TIKTOK . See the profile page to find playlist CHALAZION JOURNEYS to see what real people are saying. PS: The current record for cleaning & draining a chalazion is a 4 YEAR OLD CHALAZION!! 

 

 

 

 

 

• 2 YEAR OLD CHALAZION
• Focused Eye Roll
• stubborn chalazion
• MGD Cleansing System
• eyelid margin scrub
• chalazion draining
• eyelid massage tool
• posterior blepharitis care
• eyelid hygiene routine
• We Love Eyes chalazion treatment