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?
My mother has a black/blue ring around her stoma. Can you tell me what causes this?
Hi Barb,
Does it look like it could be bruising? This can happen if she’s wearing a convex appliance or even a thick barrier ring. It’s more common when someone is also using an accessory belt too tight. I would suggest having a stoma nurse have a look just in case.
Regards,
Eric
I also wrote about the purple/black ring around my stoma and got no reply.
So I don’t think there’s ANY help out there. It’s not skin, but more like a shiny “glass" looking piece of Saran Wrap.
Hi Dana, what has your stoma nurse said? Does it look like scarring that’s taken on that color?
After 30 years of wearing the sharp-edged, firm, convex Coloplast wafers the skin around my stoma has developed a “not skin" appearance, as if the dermis is gone and the color is purple/black (as if I’m seeing inside my body), and maybe I am. The rest of the skin looks fine.
The ostomy nurse didn’t have the knowledge my 30 years have given me so I left without advice. Just an expression of “wtf is that?" from the nurse. I’ve now switched to the hollister convex with ceramide, (I’m hoping for a ciramide miracle).
I have to change every two days because my stoma “sinks in" when active and oozes under the opening.
My Insurance supplies five boxes per 90 days. I USE NINE boxes in 90 days. I just ordered cerimide lotion to assist, but there’s no way any wafer will stick to skin that has lotion on it. ANY THOUGHTS??????
Dana,
How about those extended tapes they sell? Like the ones that are supposed to increase wear time or the ones for swimming?
Hi Dana,
Coloplast has a special cream (under various names depending on the country) that’s supposed to moisturize and protect the skin. I’m wondering if that might help.
Link: https://products.coloplast.co.uk/coloplast/ostomy-care/brava/brava-barrier/brava-barrier-cream/
Theresa, I thought of that a few months ago and cut up the tape and placed it around the stoma. No improvement. Layers of real skin seems to have disappeared. At first I thought it was like a pressure sore from constant pressure due to wearing convex. My stoma is a perfect length, but it sinks INWARD, pulling the skin with it, when it ejects liquid. If not for that, I’d never leak. Then I figured the ring of skin around the stoma (think 1/2″ and full circle) looked odd and wasn’t skin at all. Shiny, but transparent. Not wet, just not true skin. It’s so slick that nothing wants to truly adhere to it. The doctor and ostomy nurse were totally useless, but in Florida, most of the medical providers are. I went to Amazon and ordered spray glue for around the wafer opening, and a tube of ceramide cream. I figured I’d rub the cream in (although this shiny skin will NOT absorb), layer tape over it, spray glue on the Hollister opening (Convatec caused this after 30 years. So I recently went to a cloth/soft wafer: Hollister) and try not to eat or move for three days. LOL
Hi Eric
Thanks for being a lifeline to so many of us ostomates. I had my ileostomy in November of 2016, and have been on a whirlwind of a ride. I’ve got things pretty much settled now, except for the barrier ring business. I started with the Ekan and after awhile ended up with raw, irritated skin. After healing that up I switched to Hollister and was doing great. But now when I take off my barrier ring my skin looks shiny pink. It fades after awhile, but never looks like “normal" skin like yours does. Any suggestions?
Thanks, Teri D
BTW congrats for being up for all those awards
Thanks, Teri!
Does this “shiny pink skin" look like it’s raw or just scared perhaps? As long as it’s not raw or sore (or causing you any other problems), I wouldn’t worry too much about it.
Not raw or anything. Just like shiny “new" skin. Thanks Eric.
I have found that the most inactive time of my stoma is first thing in the morning is first thing when I awake 6am
When do you have your last meal, Jim? I tend to eat late at night, so early AM is a very active time for my stoma!
i have an itchy rash from the bag with the summer heat. please help me. Thank you
Hi Shirley,
I would suggest having a stoma nurse look at the rash. If it’s a yeast or fungal infection, you may need to have it treated with medication.
For summer tips, please have a look at this article: https://www.veganostomy.ca/the-summer-ostomate-ostomy-tips/
Good luck!