How to Feel Healthy and Secure With Your Stoma

It’s important to protect the skin around your stoma by using ostomy products that provide a good seal and promote skin health.

Learn the keys to maintaining healthy peristomal skin from Day 1.

Protecting the skin around your stoma begins with using a skin barrier that provides a secure, comfortable fit and is made with skin-friendly ingredients. With this combination, you can worry less about leaks and discomfort, and focus on living your life.

Getting a secure fit

It’s critical to get a good seal around the stoma to help prevent leakage and keep skin healthy. If the fit isn’t perfect, nothing else matters. Every stoma is different in size and shape. Your stoma may get smaller during the first six weeks after surgery, so it's a good idea to measure it frequently. Measure your stoma until it stops changing and re-measure if you are having problems or if you experience weight loss or gain.

To select the correct size skin barrier opening, pick one that fits where the skin and stoma meet. The skin barrier opening should be the same size as the stoma. When choosing a skin barrier, you’ll notice that there are several different options. Your stoma care nurse can help you find the right one for you.

Keeping your peristomal skin healthy

Choosing an ostomy skin barrier with the right combination of ingredients is just as important as finding one that fits securely. The ingredients that ensure adhesion, absorption, and erosion resistance must be carefully formulated to create an environment where healthy skin can thrive.

For example, in one study¹ people who used skin barriers with ceramide had a meaningful reduction in the occurrence of peristomal skin complications (PSCs), such as redness, itching, and soreness. Ceramide is a naturally occurring lipid in the skin that protects against dryness. Again, your stoma care nurse can help you choose a skin barrier with ingredients proven to support healthy peristomal skin.

Feeling secure in your skin

Living with a stoma doesn’t mean you need to tolerate leakage or skin issues. Finding an ostomy skin barrier that provides a secure fit and features skin-friendly ingredients can help you feel comfortable and confident.

Fortunately, there are products available that offer these benefits. Ceramide-infused Hollister CeraPlus™ products  are designed using the unique combination of security and skin health – to help you maintain healthy skin from Day 1.

¹https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29300287/