Seeking Ostomy Wrap for Summer: Concealment without Overheating

I'm in search of a wrap that will conceal my ostomy under clothing but that won't cause me to overheat in the summer months.

I've been wearing camisoles for years and they work just fine - until I engage in any strenuous activity, both indoors and out. (And the older I get, the less strenuous an activity has to be before I start overheating. I'm 43; judging by the hot flashes my sisters experienced at this age and beyond, I imagine it'll only get worse from now on for me.)

What kind of fabric has the strength of shapewear such as Lycra, and the breathability of cotton or merino wool?

I use a tummy sleeve from a maternity shop. 84% nylon, 16% spandex. Worth a try.

Thanks, Xnine. I've tried those as well, but unfortunately, I think they actually made it worse.

Ostomy Secrets carries wraps for men and women. Give them a try....

I use women's tube tops as a wrap. You can get them on Amazon for cheap and in different colors. I have had mine for 8 years and they are still going strong, and the ones I bought from Comfizz, I think it's called (in the UK), started coming apart after a short period of time and they are 4 times the price. I work out in mine with no issues. They are light and keep everything in place. They are called seamless bandeaus (one size) on Amazon. Not sure of the cotton blend percentage because I cut the tags off. I sweat a lot and they don't make me feel any hotter. Hope this helps you :)

Hi, I have been struggling with this as well. I have always run hot and now that I am in my 40's it is worse. All the products I have used were unbearably hot and uncomfortable. I took a basic sewing class and started making my own ostomy wraps. I use different stretch cotton jerseys usually with 50/50 stretch. I have a curvy wrap from Ostomysecrets that I used as a guide to make my own pattern. Making my own wraps has also extended the wear time on my appliance. Let me know if you have any questions.

I don't think there's an easy answer. I use both the maternal belly band tubes as well as Ostomy Secrets wraps. I live in the southeastern US, so it's hot! When I'm outside mowing the lawn or such, I use a thin maternal belly band. I bought several as it's soaking when done. I also have two thicker fabric belly bands that I wear in winter. My everyday wear is the Ostomy Secrets wrap because I like the pockets, and it has held up remarkably well over the years - well constructed. If I'm hiking or doing sports, I usually wear OstomyArmor primarily for stoma protection and hernia prevention.

I have just been wearing stretch tank tops pretty much all year round under everything. Walmart sells them now for $1.68. They hold everything in place without the little bulge and make me feel a little more secure.

Thanks for the suggestions. Ostomy Secrets doesn't ship to Canada, but I'll look into Comfizz.

Wraps may end up being a cold-weather-only thing for me, so for now, I'm trying a trick from way back - I did this when I first got my ileostomy at nineteen... Because the top of my pouch is the part I find most difficult to conceal, I'm using Mefix to tape the top of my pouch to my skin. My stoma is recessed and I wear a convex flange so there's no danger of irritating my stoma or hindering the output. I put it on after I shower in the morning and remove it when I get home from work. It's working so far.

Hello Newnormal,

"Unbearably hot and uncomfortable." Exactly. Those words tell me you know exactly what I'm talking about. :-)

I use Under Armour HeatGear shirts, they provide a nice compression and hold things in place.

I live in hot Malaysia. I bought a Japanese product (Mimura) via the website Lazada Singapore (like Amazon out here). It costs about $100 but it's made from mesh and it's nice. I don't sweat much with it and it doesn't cut me. The stoma opening is adjustable Velcro. It's worked well for me. Very happy with it.

Using a tube top is a brilliant idea!

I have tried the various ones from Ostomy Secrets and the lightweight one that breathes well doesn't have enough elasticity to it for my comfort. My wife sews and we tried making one from some stretchy material I picked up from a fabric store (can't recall what fabric it is...) but it's the heaviest/stretchiest of the four I own and oddly works the worst!

My hobby is racing cars and I'm a mechanic by trade, so I wear a Nu-Hope hernia belt during all waking hours with a wrap over it for bag support. My newest belt is breathable and far better at keeping me cool, but so far none of the wraps have cut it. I'm going to try out a tube top next!

Hey Jaykay, Fabric.com has lots of quality lightweight cotton blend jersey material for making wraps if you're interested. I can't find any decent quality fabrics at a reasonable price in a brick and mortar. If I still lived in NYC, I would just go to the Garment District, but online fabric merchants are the next best thing.

Hi, good thread/post. Bryan, I too am a mechanic. Finding it hard to keep cool with a thick belt wrap. Tube tops? Very interesting!

Tube tops? Ahh, this isn't working. I'll write you under separate cover. It's my phone.

Hello again. Tried to edit my comment. Epic fail. So I will ask about the hernia belt. Were you, Bryan, told to wear it because of the job? I've read we ostomates are prone to hernias.

Re: Heat and belt. They sell a one-inch adjustable belt if you're comfortable with that. I use it for sleeping. The pouch has to hang vertically which in daylight will swing. There is nothing between you and your shirt, really, just a thin belt. Let me know if there are any questions.