The ideal appliance will fit in a way that protects your skin while also providing a durable, and secure fit. Unfortunately, not every ostomate can achieve this balance so easily, so many will experience a breakdown of skin around the stoma.
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This happened to me a short while after getting my ostomy, as my new stoma was still shrinking down from its swollen state.
I was quite inexperienced, so rather than change my appliance more often, I’d try to get 5+ day wear time, which meant that as my stoma became smaller, it left room for my output to eat away at my skin.
As you can see from the photos below, I had fairly deep erosion of the skin, and it hurt a lot. At the time, I had used the “crusting technique”, which involves putting stoma powder on the exposed, raw part of my skin, dust it off and apply a barrier using either barrier wipes or cavilon spray.
You do this a few times to build up protection on the skin, and to allow the wafer to stick to something other than the powder. This technique does work for many people, but it worked very slowly for me.
More recently, as I’ve been in between wafer samples, I began to get more breakdown of the skin.
I attempted to remedy this using the crusting technique, but I wasn’t getting the results I wanted; so instead, I opted to simply use a barrier ring without any powder or barrier wipes.
The results impressed me, and my skin has probably never looked that good around the stoma.
And here’s another example of how quickly this method can heal damaged skin:
Now, I continue to use a barrier ring when I notice more breakdown of the skin. I may continue to use them more regularly, but they are quite expensive and I’m not done trying new appliances that might offer a better fit.
Here’s a video showing how I change my appliance, including how I use barrier rings.
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Caution: Before you change your routine, you should check with your stoma nurse first, unless you’re willing to experiment on your own.
INFO: If you’re interested in the “crusting technique” for healing peristomal skin, check out THIS article.
QUESTION: What techniques have you tried to heal up your skin?
Experience speaks for itself. After many years respect
In the late 70’s (ileostomy in 1974) I saw a ostomy nurse in OKC. She recommended this procedure. Get a new small bottle of original non flavored Milk oh Magnesia. DO NOT SHAKE. Pour off the liquid watery part. Now, shake. Gently pat on a thin coating of the thick white stuff left in the bottle. This feels great on skin. Now, dust with stoma powder. Then spray on a thin layer tincture of benzoin. Let dry about 60 seconds. Touch skin without the milk of mag goop. It should feel tacky. If not repeat spray routine. Then put on the Eakins seal and then faceplate, and the bag. I’ve had my ileostomy 45 years and have been a pharmacist 42 years. I’ve explained this procedure many times and it usually helps.
Hi Suzanne, one of my stoma nurses had me do the same with calamine lotion (i.e. pouring the liquid off and using what’s left on the skin). I do recall it helping, but I’m glad there’s another option – and your tip sounds like it stood the test of time :)
Hi,
My mom had an ileostomy a few months ago and she gets a fair bit of leagage lately. Is it normal for the area that is affected most by the leakage to burn and itch after the appliance and wafer have been attached. The itch and burn isn’t spreading, just localised to the area that was most affected. I’ve been worried about another leak, but the area seems really dry.
Glad I found the site. You’ve been invaluable.
Hi Tracy,If you can’t find a stoma nurse is there a dermatologist in your area that you might see about healing your skin?They might have some suggestions. You do need help, and soon. The only way to get the wafer to stick properly is to have a good place for it to stick too. Thats sounds simpler than it is.If you do find someone to consult with, be sure to take all the things you use for your stoma care with you to the appointment ( bags, wafer, pastes, powder…everything) so they can see what you are dealing with. Most doctors have no idea what the ‘stuff’ we use actually looks and feels like.Good luck. Let us know how this goes.
Welcome Andy and Tracy. Getting past a leaky time is hard. Making sure your skin is dry and the whole fit is good and some pressure and warmth applied to the new wafer area will help a pouch stay on. Spend extra care around the hole you cut. Measure often. If you need more paper charts ask a company to send you a handful. if you are using the barrier wipes, it is possible to use too much in trying to protect our skin. Have you tried just using the wafer only, no pastes and such? If you have not, maybe experiment. With the barrier if you use it of course.
Tracey, you really need to be seen in emerge. If you have no one to drive you then call an ambulance. This way there is no wait in chairs. You need to advocate for yourself here. A few words doctors pay attention to…I think it is infected. Even if it does not look infected, say so. Let them decide. Tell them you can’t do this alone and need the help to figure out what is going on. Also tell them you have no quality of life because you have no clue what is wrong and how to fix it. Cry of you ga e to. You are so strong I trying g to work this out for yourself, but now it is time to insist on help. Do as Donna said, and do your best to make them understand. You Re too new to this to be trying to figure this out on your own. If you develope a major infection that is no good either. Please get some professional medical advice ASAP. Let us know what happens.
Don’t get discouraged… it takes practice and lot of it. I was in tears because it seems that I had leaks every day, some times more often in a single day. Now I’m comfortable with changing my appliance about once a week… although few days ago I had a “pancaking” situation going on which was a mess but I kept calm and worked through it. Relax, set everything that you need out (even things that you may not have used) and work through it all! 😁
I’m a colostomy mate since October 2018 and still feel like I’m new at this. YouTube by veganostomy and others like him really go a long way for learning… glean information from many of the Ostomymates and apply what works… but make adjustments when things change, like the size of your stoma and such. I wish the best for all those who read this.
Hi Tracy, Have you contacted a Doctor to see what they could do or organise.