I am going to have my first surgerry in December. I have a very hairy stomach. How do you keep that area shaved so the patch will adhere and not have more skin irritation?

My husband had to get an electric shaver to use on that area to keep it smooth.

Hi, I also had a problem with the hair, but after a few weeks when it healed I was able to use a regular razor to just clean it up as needed. I wasn't able to get close enough with the electric razor and was able to get it done faster with a disposable razor. Just be careful not to nick your stoma/ileostomy with the razor. Which ever way you choose, you'll find a way that will work for you, it really wasn't an issue for me.
Best of Luck, Craig

Use the middle of an empty toilet roll to put over your stoma when you shave. That way you don't have to be worried about nicking your stoma

Most adhesives still adhere even without shaving, you just need to press on the wafer for a short while to get them to set. When I have ever tried shaving it just caused problems.

Good for you for starting your research so early!

I've had a loop ileo for five months. I shave each time I change the skin barrier. The objective is to keep the hairs short, so it doesn't hurt as much when you remove the flange. I tried with the flange on a hairy belly once, and it hurt like anything when I tried to remove it!

I shave with a battery-powered moustache trimmer. It is not the closest shave, but a clean shave is not necessary - you don't have to worry about missing a few hairs. It is less irritating to the skin than a typical razor.

I haven't tried Shaz' suggestion about a toilet paper roll - will give it a go next time.

ive had a loop illeostomy for two and a half years now, we in britain get convatec products free on the nhs but there appears to be somewhat of a delay when it comes to the latest products.
having used the synergy system during that time, ive learnt a little about the usage.

yes i thought that shaving the area was a good idea,
putting it bluntly it wasnt a good idea i was getting rashes and infected hair follicules and sore skin.
so i stopped and it sorted its self out.

My stoma is placed very low so the tape overlaps my.... well.... nether regions. I use an electric lady shave razor which is much kinder to the skin than wet or dry shaving with a conventional razor. I don't have any problems at all, my skin is in great shape.

I don't use a toilet paper roll but I do wrap Wee Willie in a little turbin of paper towel to protect him when I'm shaving. It also catches anything he might try to spit at me while I'm shaving.

Good luck.

Shell

well, cough
mines above belt level,
didnt realise they went that low.


different issue i think, eek sorry embaressed emoticon lol

When I say low I mean the outer tape of the wafer (not the stoma) overlaps the bikini area by a couple of inches. Wee Willie is actually 2 ins to the right and 4 ins below my belly button.

Sorry for any embarrassment caused.

Shell

its a funny thing, ive never really thought about other peoples stoma's and where they are positioned.
truely the embarrasement is feinged, to be honest after what ive been through dignity flew right out of the window

i suppose with the female body the likelyhood of the stomach being as hairy as mine is going to be unuasual

some strange term or descritions go on here, here we call a wafer a flange.

hey im rambling

We also call them flanges or baseplates here in sunny Jersey, it's just that I've become somewhat transatlantic as I've been hanging around here for the last 10 years!

I've had to swap words like knickers for underwear and holidays for vacations. The one that used to get me confused though was the use of the word pouch for the stoma bag because I never knew if someone was talking about the bag or the j-pouch.

I was jesting when I apologised for any embarrassment. I think we have all been stripped of any diginity with this disease and surgery.

Where did you have your surgery? I had to travel to Oxford for all my j-pouch related surgeries (8 in total). Now thankfully I have a bog standard ileostomy and my surgeon here on the island was able to do my last (9th) operation.

Hope you're weekend has been as sunny as ours has. Take care.

Shell

Hi Chell
living quite close to nottingham i had it done privately at the QMC by Nick Armitage.

yes i know what you mean about words and terms and I'm married to an american lol