Does a gold ring really work on an eyelid stye?

Massaging a gold ring on a stye will not necessarily clear it up, as mentioned in a report by NBC2. A stye is an infection that forms a pimple-like bump on the eyelid.

An old wive's tale says that rubbing a gold ring on a stye will make the size of the stye decrease. It is not the gold that causes the stye to heal but the motion of massaging it. Massaging anything on the area will help it decrease. This is because the massaging breaks up the infection and helps the body release the germs. Warm rice in a sock placed on the stye for a few minutes can also help ease discomfort and cause the stye to drain, as suggested by Dr. Michael Collins of Collins Vision in an interview with NBC2.