Keeping the skin around your stoma in good condition is the most important thing you can do to make sure your ostomy appliance is comfortable, dependable and worry-free.
Contact between stoma output and the skin is the main cause of skin irritation. Once the skin becomes irritated, the adhesive on your appliance won’t attach properly – and this leads to a vicious circle of more leakage and a worsening of the skin irritation.
Following these five steps will ensure that your skin stays healthy:
- Make sure your skin is clean and completely dry before applying the adhesive
- Adjust the hole in the adhesive so that it exactly fits exactly the diameter of your stoma
- Ensure full contact between the adhesive and your skin – exert light pressure with your hand
- Change your appliance as soon as you feel a sense of discomfort or itching
- Check the size of the stoma regularly, especially if you have a hernia
See your guide to healthy skin [link: pdf readable Your guide to healthy skin] for more information and advice on how to:
- maintain healthy skin
- prevent skin irritation
- manage irritation when it occurs
The adhesive
The adhesive is the material that holds the collection pouch in place. It has two basic functions: it holds the pouch in the correct place for the recommended time; and maintains healthy skin around the stoma. To fulfil these two functions, a good adhesive must:
- adhere
- absorb
- resist erosion
- be non-irritating
- be flexible
- be easy to remove
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