Healthy Skin Around Your Stoma

An important part of maintaining a healthy stoma is ensuring that the skin around your stoma, the peristomal skin, is also healthy.

The peristomal skin should be without any irritation, rash or redness. A properly fitting skin barrier protects the skin from being irritated or damaged by the stoma output. It doesn’t really matter whether your stoma is large or small or whether it protrudes, as long as the output can leave your stoma and go into your pouch without leaking under the skin barrier.

If the skin around your stoma is damaged, it will feel sore and look irritated. Damaged skin around the stoma can be hard to manage as the barrier goes over the irritated area. The most important part of dealing with irritated skin is to learn what caused it.

Skin irritation may occur due to the following reasons:

Improperly fitting skin barrier

• If the opening on your pouching system is too large or does not adhere well, the drainage from the stoma can damage the skin.

Skin irritation under tape

• This may occur due to incorrect or frequent tape removal. 

Skin irritation due to leakage

• Stoma discharge can irritate the skin, often causing redness that can progress to open raw skin that weeps or even bleeds. People with ileostomies are at a greater risk of this type of skin irritation. 

Rash under ostomy product

• Sometimes a rash is caused by a skin infection, sensitivity or even leakage. The area may be red or red with bumps. Itching may also be a symptom. 

Always remember:

• Don’t ignore skin problems around your stoma
• Do seek help for skin irritation or pouch leakage
• Don’t use home remedies
• Do call for samples if your need to try something new

Comment

Was this helpful?
No Very

Name (optional)

Website (optional)

Email Address (optional)

Enter Word Verification in box below

Comment (optional)