Proper Skin Care When Dealing With Incontinence

One of the major problems that people with incontinence face is dealing with skin breakdown. Sensitive skin that is exposed to incontinence accidents can often breakdown with rashes and even more serious skin infections. At first skin problems can show up as redness on the body but without treatment they can quickly deteriorate into open sores that threaten those with a fragile health status. If you are unsure as to how to deal with the skin issues that surround incontinence it can be helpful to consult your health care professional. Your doctor can provide recommendations for your specific situation. Here is what you need to know about proper skin care when dealing with incontinence.

• Use the right incontinence product- It is crucial to choose the incontinence product that meets the needs of the wearer. Keep in mind that there is a wide range of incontinence products and the associated absorbency. You should choose incontinence undergarments that have the absorbency that you need. In addition, it is important to understand that your incontinence needs may change throughout the day. You may be able to use a lighter incontinence underwear during the day and need an adult diaper at night. You can find all of these incontinence supplies on sites that offer adult incontinence products. The bottom line is that choosing the right incontinence product to meet your needs will help to keep your skin dry and healthy.

• Choose the right size and gender type of incontinence product- Besides buying the right incontinence product to meet your incontinence needs you need to take into consideration both size and gender for the person with incontinence. Not to long ago those with incontinence had to make do with very few sizes when it came to incontinence supplies. Today, there is a wide range of sizes that will fit everyone from the smallest sizes on up. Wearing the right size of incontinence undergarment is critical for protecting the skin since having incontinence underwear that is too small or to large can cause chaffing and put stress on the skin. In addition, it is important to keep in mind that there are incontinence products for men and incontinence products for women. Manufacturers understand that men and women have very different needs when it comes to incontinence products and now have made incontinence supplies that address those needs. Wearing the right incontinence product can go a long way to protecting the skin of the wearer.

• Change the incontinence undergarment frequently- It is very important that the person with incontinence does not wear their incontinence undergarment after it has become wet or soiled. The exposure to urine or stool can damage fragile skin and bring on a number of different skin problems. Once the incontinence underwear or adult diaper becomes wet or soiled it should be changed immediately. If the person with incontinence is not able to change it themselves the caregiver will need to be vigilant in making sure that this happens.

• Apply incontinence cleaning products- One of the ways to protect the skin of the person with incontinence is to use skin care products that are formulated to deal with this problem. There are numerous cleaners, moisturizers, and skin barrier creams that can help to protect and even treat delicate and fragile skin. You can purchase these incontinence supplies on the websites that offer incontinence undergarments.