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?
Hi Linda, it could be a number of things. Are you having leaks, a reaction to the wafer, are you using something while cleaning that’s causing trouble. Have you seen a stoma nurse
just started with wafer again. using stoma power and paste. nothing different. no leaking either.
I have a stoma and my skin stays raw red and sore. What can I do
If it’s worked before have a look and think 🤔 what has changed. Weight loss or gain, broken skin etc. Soaps body lotion all can have an effect. Simple is best less is more
These are definitely factors I would look into more deeply.
Also of concern are the more recent reports of manufacturers changing their product’s formulations/materials over the last year.
We’ve had reports here on the forum about Cymed, Coloplast, and Hollister doing this, so this is also something to keep in mind, especially when nothing else changed.
Hi Maria, I tend to change my appliance at 7pm when I get in from work. Reason behind this is I feel it gives things time to settle in and form a good fit while I am just relaxing. The next day I am ready to conquer the World! Well that part maybe mostly in my head 😂 but the appliance is pretty problem free 👍👍
That’s great glad that helps you
I have been experiencing leaking recently. is it possible certain exercise could causes a loosening of the seal? And could molding the barrier ring around the stoma create a better fit and seal?
Thank you!
Hi Maria,
Yes, some exercises can loosen the seal of your appliance. Sweat can also do that.
Any twisting, tugging, bending, or pulling of the skin (like raising your warms up to do jumping jacks) have the potential to loosen the seal, which you can sometimes notice as the edges of your wafer peeling.
Depending on the appliance used and what exactly is causing the problem, the solution can range from anything to wearing a support belt/garment, using wafer extenders, using a barrier ring, or even simply adjusting your technique.
That said, there are many people who do pretty extreme activities or play sports without much trouble. It can sometimes come down to certain variables being “just right".
Best of luck.
It was never a problem before so I am baffled. The leak is not at the seal of the tape. It is leaking under the barrier ring itself in the “ring" around the stoma. Do you think modeling the barrier ring around the stoma could be more effective? T.Y. for the replies!
My experience is that as the stoma changes in size over the day, any herniation behind changing from laying, sitting or standing and body movement the adhesive inside the ring area detaches from the skin allowing output to seep under especially when pancaking occurs, I’ve tried barrier seal, paste without a good solution. I think its a common problem without a fool proof solution?
ChrisandBagpus I read your explanation of how seeping of input under the wafer can happen because of a hernia or moving in different ways, and it sounds just like what happens with me. It has been driving me crazy. I do have a large hernia, and my stoma gets much smaller and flatter when I lie down or sit back. I usually size my wafer opening to the largest size of my stoma, but when I put it on at a change, it is too big. I am using a ring around my stoma, actually up onto it, to see how that will work, and may cut my wafer hole a little smaller, as long as it has ring to cushion it. I even use paste on top of wafer to try to seal out the output. Anyway, I have been trying to figure out what’s wrong, and I think you just may have hit on it. Like you said, there is no easy solution. Thank you!!!
Hello Maria, Are you describing output actually getting into or past the plastic coupling ring on a (snap-on) two-piece? I have had this! Thought I was the only one …. I think it is because of pancaking, would love to resolve this. It does not happen often – when it does, I think I can smell something and so check with a mirror and, sure enough, on the underside there is oozing of stool (If I am early and lucky enough just a trace) between the snap rings. Am I an unusually poweful pancaker, perhaps? LL
I had issues with pancaking as well. However I have found that typically the bag is flat and vacuum packed. The solution is to roll up a piece of toilet paper and wet it, then put it in your bag (do this every time you empty your bag, as well. What this does is to allow air into your bag and you will no longer pancake ever again.