This topic is about dealing with skin irritation caused by the adhesive on the outer edge of an ostomy wafer, especially where it sits in a natural skin fold. The irritation is not due to leaks or stoma output, and the person is looking for solutions to prevent the irritation from worsening. Here are some helpful tips and advice:

1. Protect your skin thoroughly:
- Reapply barrier spray or skin-prep wipes over the entire peristomal area, focusing on any folds that might be missed.
- Allow your skin to air-dry completely or use a cool hair-dryer setting before applying a new wafer.

2. Use the "crusting" method for irritation:
- Lightly dust antifungal powder on the irritated area, cover it with a barrier spray or wipe, let it dry, and then apply the wafer.
- If you can't use powder, try 1% hydrocortisone cream, let it dry, and then seal with a barrier prep before applying the wafer.

3. Rotate wafer placement:
- Alternate the positioning of square wafers by turning them 45° like a diamond with each change. This helps relieve pressure on the same skin area, allowing it to heal.

4. Adjust the wafer edge:
- If the wafer edge is causing discomfort, trim it and reinforce with medical tape.
- Use plain medical tape instead of thicker barrier extenders if they worsen irritation.

5. Experiment with different products:
- Request free samples from different companies to try alternative wafers or adhesives that might be gentler on your skin.

6. Consider medication-based options for flare-ups:
- Use a prescription steroid inhaler like Fluticasone for occasional use. Cover the stoma, spray the irritated area lightly, let it dry, then apply the barrier spray or wipe and the wafer.
- Hydrocortisone 1% cream can also help calm inflammation before applying the barrier layer.

7. Adjust your application technique:
- Apply the wafer while standing to minimize abdominal folding.
- Leave the area exposed to air for a short time during each change when possible.

8. Troubleshoot the cause of irritation:
- Determine if the irritation is due to mechanical issues (like edge cutting) or a chemical reaction (from the adhesive) and address it by trimming, adding tape, or switching to a different adhesive formulation.