Using Barrier Strips Under Ostomy Wafers for Skin Protection

I know barrier strips are supposed to be used to add security to my ileostomy wafer, but I have started putting the strip on my skin first, then the wafer on top. This keeps my skin from any adhesive irritation and healthy looking. A must recommendation.

G-Day Steph, This sounds like a back-to-front method. If you are having problems with adhesives, then change your product instead of working in reverse. Regards, IGGIE

Ok, am I confused? Is there a difference between barrier rings and strips? I've never seen them, but I don't look stuff up. I put a ring on, then my wafer. Am I doing this right?

Yes, there’s a difference and it sounds like you’re doing it right. 

If you’re putting barrier strips down first and then sticking your wafer on them, your whole wafer isn’t stuck to your skin, creating the possibility of leaking under it.  Also, barrier strips are adhesive too so I’m not getting how they protect your skin from adhesive. 🤷‍♂️

Getting Support in the Ostomy Community with LeeAnne Hayden | Hollister

I've done the same thing when I've had a bit of skin irritation from the tapes from the wafer, healed the skin really well and the wafer stayed in place just fine until the next change.  Probably too much information but have noticed since going through the "change" that my skin condition can be unpredictable, one of the joys of turning into an old crone I guess (that and the chin hairs that appear from nowhere I could seriously do without!) ~ just pass me my broomstick!🧙‍♀️🧹😅

I didn't want to try out a whole new appliance system when I knew that this would work (I used the UK brands, Salts and Welland barrier strips, some have aloe or manuka honey so are very gentle on the skin but still adhere well).  

Hmm. How do you get a perfect seal completely around the stoma in a donut fashion?

These strips are super heavy-duty adhesive, which could also create worse irritated skin.

There are 4 by 4 sheets available to protect your skin. I saw something about that.

Idk... creating a larger area to save a smaller one sounds... practical but maybe... counterproductive due to more adhesive on the sheets to deal with. Good topic.

Might try the C strips if I figure out how to put a "C" around a

small hole in one piece. 🤔

I tried this.

My ET nurse told me not to do this.

I'm sorry. E T nurse?

What kind of nurse is that?

I never heard of it. Their credentials are what?

I remember a story abt these E.T. people. Trying to phone home. 🛸🚀

G-Day Warrior,  In case he doesn't get back to you I found this out for you. 

Enterostomal therapy (ET) nurses specialize in the management of patients with urinary and fecal diversions, draining wounds and fistulas, fecal and urinary incontinence, and chronic wounds such as pressure ulcers and vascular ulcers. ET nurses have much to offer in the management of patients with cancer.

Regards IGGIE

Thanks Iggie.   Never heard of one. That helps. 👍

I use barrier strips under my wafer all the time. It's expensive though.

What I do is clean area with antibacterial dish soap and then rub in some conditioner which I then wash off with regular soap. The anti bacterial soap kills any infection on burned skin that will continuously weep. If no  burns then I just use moisturizing soap like Dove.

Next after drying well I apply an extremely tiny amount of stoma adhesive around stoma and dry brush off until it disappears..else it will come off later. Then two coats of generic Flonaze (the nose stuff) dried well after each coat. This stops the stinging.

I use olive oil based lotion on my scar  tissue and belly button (reduces itching) covered by thin cardboard (protects scar from adhesive). I usually have this prepped as well as the wafer hole.

Then I apply a ring of no sting paste around stoma just enough to cover the skin about 1/2" around stoma, it's not meant to glue to wafer, rather to protect the skin.

I apply 50/50 cut moon shaped barrier strips on top of the paste next to stoma and pressing down. If the skin was very sufficiently blow dried, it should stick well. This also holds the cardboard over scar tissue in place. The object of this method is to ensure a solid seal around the stoma. Not just quick slapping a wafer on.

Next I apply two rings of paste around stoma just a little bit away and press convex into it with just the edges of the flange touching the skin. Not pressing down too much as I don't want to squeeze out paste or cover the wafer hole, rather create a wall of paste. I should say I do this laying down. 

I then put external barrier strips all around to hold everything in place and heat activate with blow dryer. Then wait a few hours for the thick paste to set up. No belt because it aggravates my graneoluma.

Now this creates a very strong and stiff bond that as long as I don't bend at the stomach and only via the waist then it's fine.

It lasts anywhere from 3-7 days, with a 9 day once. The barrier strips under the wafer combined with the exterior ones create a pocket in case a leak occurs where the paste meets the barrier strips.

However bending over via stomach can cause the paste to tear the skin and cause a leak around the stoma. 

I rinse the one piece convex from the bottom using either antibacterial dish soap and water (kills the bacteria causing the odor) or predissolved antacids in water (like on the road). Leaving some dish soap water or antacid water in the bag after a flush assists killing future digestive enzymes (bacteria) as it exits the stoma and kills the odor.

For gas and stoma farts I haven't found a remedy because the digestive enzymes produce gas a by product of the digestive process. However certain foods and drink can assist with gas or reduce it.

Good Lord 😂,  I think I should be dead. I’ve never worried about killing any bacteria to that degree in my life on any body part I have, pre or post ostomy. Do you clean your shadow too? 😬 Have you always been like this or just since getting an ostomy? 

Compulsive Disorder rings a bell. 

OCD.  😆for sure. 

Belly fold with a near flush stoma and a graneoluma. So I can't use a belt anymore.

Very difficult situation.

With my involved method, as long as I don't sit in a chair (straddling toilets or stools are fine) that causes me to bend at the belly, I'm fine.

Hollister came out with a flexible convex wafer which may work for me, despite me being allergic to their adhesive, with the barrier strips under the wafer it won't matter any.

Problem is flexible adhesive around the stoma, either paste or a highly adhesive ring, that will ensure skin, flexible wafer and adhesive will all move as one and ensure a good seal for 5-7 days on average.

So I'm currently looking at various rings and such. Adapting my car seat to cause me to sit up straight. 

So much work. 🙄

The barrier strips may be of a non-allergic adhesive compared to products (like those from Hollister) that are.

Leaks can make one rather irritable and a really cranky bastard. Especially at the hands of ones own doctor who apparently didn't ask before changing things for the worse.

But hey, it's understandable some of us are in moderate pain.

I'm not accepting the apparent conspiracy between the otosmy suppliers and doctors to create low profile or shrink stomas so they are problematic and thus increase the wafer change frequency.

My method, although involved, is pretty rock solid for 5-7 days on average despite my difficult situation.

So OCD perhaps, but necessity is the mother of invention.

I've tried the 4 x 4 protective sheet; one cuts a stoma hole in it, however, it's not output-proof. It will go right under it unless there is a ring of paste around the stoma first. Plus, because of its size, it tends to buckle and separate from the skin sometimes. Plus, it's rather thick and absorbs fluids, holding it next to the skin.

It can work, but I've found 50/50 cut moon-shaped barrier strips to be better because they individually stretch instead of buckling and are curved, which allows me to get really close to the stoma, unlike a hole I can't adjust once it's cut too large. I use the barrier strips to push the paste down upon the skin well. Barrier strips are also thinner with a lower profile, making the edge easily sealed and not affected by output as much unlike protective sheets.

The protective sheets I've found I had to coat the surface with paste to better protect it from output, but not the barrier strips.

Barrier strips' adhesive could be of a different kind of brand than that of wafers (like Hollister) that can cause allergies.

Barrier strips under the wafer work rather well if one can afford the extra cost.

Nurses don't know everything. We users know what works well because we experiment, and they don't even have an ostomy in most cases.

Yea but my burns, if they occur, don't weep and my bag contents have virtually no smell.

I solve my problems, not just live with them. 😊