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Healthy skin 

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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" (10Mb) 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

Interactive user guides

See the interactive user guides to get confident with the use of ostomy appliances.

Read more »

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