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?
A good tip my nurse gave me,when the skin is irritated I use merbromina (this is the name in Spain) is a red antiseptic liquid used for decades but now not so popular as betadine.
I use it before cavilon spray and then the waffer,after the first use I saw the results
I find that to get rid of rashes I pour isopropyl alcohol directly on the stoma area and then follow up with A LOT of peroxide (cheap and simple) I let it bubble out and then because I have extremely oily skin I repeat the alcohol. It may burn a little but your rash will disappear. I have had my ostomy since 1981 (it seems like forever). I have been doing this forever–almost my whole life.
Hi Vicky,
I wouldn’t be brave enough to try that with my stoma, but I’m happy to hear that you’ve had success with it.
Have you ever found out why you get the rashes in the first place?
Gladys and Kriss…I would strongly recommend that you both make a doctors apt. and ask if what you are seeing is a fungus. This can happen under the plate and it can spread. This is not a diagnoses, just a suggestion. It can be treated. It can be ended. Welcome to this site, and good luck, let us know what the results are and what the doc says. All the best! Heal and heal well.
Am Kriss my ileostomy has been discharging whitished flerm, and too much liquid ,so i change the bags 2times a day, my skin is now making sore , any help
Hi Kriss, I would suggest making an appointment to see a stoma nurse who can identify the white discharge and reason for the leaks. It sounds like mucus, but that’s not something you’d normally want to see coming out of your stoma – there’s an underlying cause that needs to be addressed.
Best of luck.
Hi I am new to this my surgery was four months ago can anyone tell me how I can slow down that white spongy discharge that builds up on the wafer it builds up so fast it covers my stoma and I have to constantly change my bag almost every day. I tried using the ring but it still comes out and covers the hole. I don’t know what I am doing wrong any help would be greatly appreciated . Thanks
Hi Gladys,
I’m not sure what discharge you’re referring to, but it does it look like your wafer is “melting"? Are you wearing a barrier ring as well?
Hi Gladys, does the output in the bag look normal, As Eric says it sounds very like the wafer is breaking down. Maybe discuss a different system with your stoma nurse.