How To Care for Irritated Skin Around Your Stoma

This video will demonstrate how to care for the skin around your stoma if it's irritated.

The skin around your stoma should look just like the skin on the rest of your body. If you notice an open area around the stoma, your skin is irritated. This can happen if you have leakage from your appliance, because stool or urine will come into contact with your skin.

If you develop skin irritation around your stoma, we recommend you use Stomahesive powder and no-sting skin barrier.

First, remove your old appliance and clean your skin with water. Then, pat it dry.

You need to re-measure your stoma to make sure your appliance fits properly, because the shape and size of your stoma may change over time. If your stoma size has changed, you'll need to trace the new measurement on the back wafer you use for your new appliance.

Now apply Stomahesive powder to your irritated skin, making sure to brush off the excess powder using a paper towel.

Dab the powder on using an up-and-down motion with a no-sting barrier wipe. This is called the crusting technique, and it will lock in the powder.

Put the new appliance over your stoma. Make sure to use the new wafer that you measured.

Once your skin has healed, be sure to stop using the powder.

If your skin is still irritated the next time, you change your appliance, contact your doctor or wound ostomy continence nurse. If you're in the hospital, tell your nurse.