Skincare and Urinary Incontinence

When you wear an incontinence product daily it is natural that the skin around your appliances may begin to become dry and irritated from the constant friction. If the skin around your appliance becomes damaged or irritated, it could be painful and lead to infection. Prevention is the key to maintaining both healthy skin and your comfort. You may be able to prevent skin irritation by following these five tips below.

Swap to Cooler Water

Wash with warm water instead of hot water as it is gentler on the skin. Hot water can make dry, sensitive skin even angrier as it can strip skin of essential oils. Try having a bath or shower at the coolest temperature that is comfortable to you.

Limit Your Time in the Sun

After spending most of the year wrapped up in blankets and coats, when the warm weather arrives we immediately want to get as much sun as possible. But the Skin Cancer Foundation advises limiting your sun exposure during the peak hours of 10am to 2pm. If you are out during those hours, be sure to try and stay under the shade of a tree if you can. The Skin Cancer Foundation advises wearing a broad-spectrum sunscreen daily, as it can protect against both UVA and UVB rays. Sun exposed skin can gradually lose moisture and essential oils, making it appear dry, flaky and prematurely wrinkled, even in younger people.

Always Stay Hydrated

Never forget to moisturise after cleansing. Cleansing the skin in the shower, bath or topically can strip it of moisture, so adding that moisture back into the body is really important in avoiding dry skin.

Cleanse Cleverly

Ask your Healthcare professional about gentle cleansers specifically for people with incontinence, these cleansers will be gentler on your skin. You can bathe and shower as normal with your continence appliances, unless you have been specifically advised otherwise. Never scrub the skin, always use soft gentle movements when cleansing the skin.

Use Great Bear Soft Skin

Skin around the penis can become irritated when using urinary sheaths because of the constant pulling off and reapplying of the sheath. The Soft Skin adhesive spray and wipe is used to break down the medical adhesive used in a sheath or stoma pouch. The adhesive removers have proven to be very effective in the gentle removal of adhesive sheaths and stoma products. The wipes help to remove adhesive residue and leave skin feeling refreshed and adhesive free. Click here to read more about the Great Bear Soft Skin range. 

To order samples of the Great Bear Soft Skin range please click here.