This topic is about dealing with adhesive residue when using ostomy products like remover wipes and sprays. The person is experiencing a sticky mess on their skin and inside their pouch, and they are looking for advice on how to manage this issue effectively. Here are some helpful insights and advice:
1. Remover Type & Technique
- Try using Coloplast Adhesive Remover spray or wipes. Apply 2–3 light squirts, wait about 30 seconds, and the wafer should lift off with minimal residue.
- Smith & Nephew UniSolve or Remove wipes are effective for many, but they might sting if your skin is broken.
- For stubborn adhesive, some people use half a can of Brava Adhesive Remover spray, while others manage with just a few squirts.
- Pour any excess liquid from a remover wipe under the wafer border, slide the wipe around to break the seal, and use a fresh wipe for any remaining residue.
2. Skin Cleansing After Removal
- Rinse your skin with warm or hot water, then either blow-dry or pat it dry.
- Shower immediately, washing the area around your stoma with mild soap like Ivory Bar, PEARS, or Dial White, and rinse thoroughly.
- Head & Shoulders shampoo can help dissolve leftover adhesive if left on for a few seconds.
- Use a Dove for Men double-sided shower scrubber or a gentle loofah to exfoliate and remove any stickiness.
- Consider using rubber bath mats to protect your shower floor from melted adhesive; they are affordable and can be replaced every few months.
3. Preventing Adhesive from Entering the Pouch
- If you notice sticky residue inside the bag, it might be due to the flange adhesive or wafer edges dissolving and moving around the stoma. This is more likely if the wafer opening is too large.
- After weight loss, switch to a smaller pre-cut or cut-to-fit size to ensure the opening fits snugly around the stoma, preventing adhesive seepage and reducing leaks and odor.
- Ballooning after switching to a smaller size is normal, as the previous larger opening might have been venting gas.
4. Barrier Ring and Wafer Choices
- Hollister Cera rings can sometimes "melt." If you have adhesive allergies, you might succeed without a ring by using a wafer that already contains ceramide, like Hollister Ceramide-infused flanges.
- ConvaTec Stomahesive 4 × 4 skin barriers can be trimmed into custom rings as an alternative.
- Hollister Adapt Regular barrier rings are another option for those with low-allergen needs.
5. Troubleshooting Persistent Stickiness
- Using too much remover spray can leave a film; use just enough to wet the adhesive.
- Residue that looks like spider-web mucus might be from barrier ring breakdown or normal stoma mucus, not leftover remover.
- Removing with warm water only is possible, but some find it leaves more build-up than using remover products.
6. Product-Usage Benchmarks
- Many people find that a 50 ml can of remover spray lasts about six months, and a 50-count box of wipes lasts around three months when using two wipes per change.
See full discusison