Skin Irritation in Folds - Need Help!

Hi! I'm looking for a bit of advice... I have skin irritation where my skin folds. I heard it's good to get the surface as flat as possible, so I recruited my mom to help me put the bag on while I lay down. I thought that would help, but it didn't. I can't use the powder because I'm allergic to it, and the irritation is getting worse. I don't know what I can do to fix my skin. The irritation is at the edge of the wafer; it's one red line where my skin folds when I sit down. I guess I have to stop sitting?! LOL. Seriously though, does anyone have any suggestions, or has anyone had this issue? I don't want to get weepy skin, and I think that's where I'm headed, so I'm desperately looking for a solution.

Hi Moe,

Do you mean the outer edge of the wafer or the inner edge?

You don't say if you have tried a moldable seal or barrier spray.

Is the skin irritated because of output from a leak or the adhesive on the wafer?

Hi Moemoe, I wear the flat wafer and the outer edge rubs my hip bone if I lay on my left side, so I trim the wafer but then use tape there to help support that part of the wafer.

Hello, I got my colostomy on May 28 of this year, and I was getting a raised itchy red line right at the outer edge of my wafer. Per my wound nurse's instructions, I use a little Desenex powder and then put a skin barrier over it (I use 3M Cavilon), making a crust. I let it dry well and put on the new wafer...then I put a piece of medical tape on the edge of the wafer so it doesn't lift, as she recommended (the colloidal barrier extenders I was using were making it worse, so I just use plain medical tape). I also alternate how I put the wafer on...every other time I change my wafer, I alternate between diamond and square, to give my skin some air. Haven't had any issues in quite a while now. Best of luck!

Barrier spray, and if you can, let it air out when you change your bag.

Stories of Living Life to the Fullest from Ostomy Advocates I Hollister

Use a skin prep. I also use a Salts aloe ring.

Yes, the outer edge of the wafer where my skin folds is where the irritation is, and it's from the wafer, not from output. I do use barrier spray and half of a ring because there's a skin indentation under my stoma. I do not use a moldable seal; I don't know what that is.

What do you mean by diamond and square? Do you cut the wafer in those shapes? I'm so intrigued! Does it hold up pretty well?

Hi Moe,

A moldable seal is, I think, what you are calling a ring. Just to be clear, is it the edge of the wafer cutting your skin or irritation from the adhesive on the wafer?

Hi, it's just the way you turn it. When you put it on, it's in a square shape (mine is anyway; I use Hollister wafers) - but if you turn it, it will be a diamond shape. So if you alternate, you won't always have the wafer on the exact same part of your skin each time!

I use a Hollister Cera ring around my stoma as well (and I use a two-piece system). I've had great luck with this brand - it has held up well. Best of luck! :)

Forgot to add, I got this tip from my local Ostomy Support Group newsletter. I cut and pasted it below:

"If you wear a square barrier, instead of placing your wafer squarely on your skin, put it on in a diamond shape. With the next wafer change, put it on your skin squarely and rotate with every other change. This gives at least part of your excoriated skin a good chance to heal."

Hope that explains it better!

If it's your wafer causing irritation, it may be a reaction between the sticky stuff and your skin. The barrier spray may be protecting your skin just enough to not be irritated, but the fold may not be getting the spray coverage like the rest of the area, so it's unprotected. 🤷‍♂️

Hi! The irritation is from the adhesive on the wafer. I use a one-piece Coloplast; I haven't had an issue with it leaking or anything like that. Oh, a ring and moldable seal are the same thing? Oh snaps! Sorry, I didn't know that. LOL, then yes, I use that, but the irritation is not by the moldable seal; it's under the wafer and it stings.

Hi MoeMoe, change the product and see how you go. Different companies will send you samples free of charge for you to try, so give a few a go. Regards, IGGIE

Hello Moe,

Have you seen this irritation before? Make sure to dry the area well around the irritated area during changes, then apply a thin layer of 1% Hydrocortisone cream. An over-the-counter brand will do. Now use a skin prep barrier wipe or spray barrier all over the area where you applied the cream.

Fan the area dry or use a low setting on a hair dryer to dry the area. Now put the flange on as usual.

Hope this helps.

Hockey cards.

Hi Moe. I also have folds. My WOC nurse said it's best to put on the wafer standing up. For the irritation, she suggested I get my doctor to prescribe the inhaler used for allergy patients called Fluticasone. It is a steroid, so it helps heal. I just spray a little on any sores or irritated area (cover your stoma when you do this), wait for it to dry, and apply your wafer. Not recommended to use every time, just when needed. It works for me. By the next bag change, the irritation is gone or minimal. Good luck.

Thank you everyone!!! I'm going to try these suggestions…. Something is bound to work 😁

Have a super fantastic week, weekend, and upcoming holiday!!

hlittle999

Do you use a barrier spray or wipe before or after spraying the fluticasone? My doc prescribed it to me for allergies, so I have it and want to try.