A step-by-step guide to a good skin care routine when changing and maintaining your appliance.
Skin is the largest organ of the body and needs special care and attention. When you have a stoma, it’s even more important to keep skin clean and free from irritation. Constant bag changes can put your skin under stress, so we’ve come up with a few tips to help you make good skin care part of your routine.
1. Remove your bag gently
Take care when removing your used stoma bag. Gently peel the flange away from your skin working from the edges to the centre in a downward motion. This will help to make sure you don’t strip the skin on removal.
2. Clean the skin thoroughly
There may be some sticky residue left on the surrounding skin. Use some cleaning wipes with warm water to gently wipe around the stoma, you may wish to use an adhesive remover spray or wipe.
3. Dry before you reapply
Your flange will find it difficult to stick to your skin if there is any moisture left on it. If excess moisture is left to sit underneath your flange this can also cause irritation. Always make sure you pat the area dry rather than rubbing and give it a few minutes to ‘air’ before reapplying your new stoma bag.
4. Avoid cleansers and moisturisers
It feels natural to want to use cleansers and moisturisers on your stoma skin just as you would on your face. But perfumed brands can further irritate sore skin. If not properly absorbed they can also create a slippery surface which, again, may compromise the adhesion of your stoma bag. It is best not to use these at all.