Why I Don’t Use Moldable Rings — And What Works Better

[Shamrock4806]

Why I Don’t Use Moldable Rings — And What Works Better

1. Rings Reduce Adhesion Before They Even Touch the Skin

Rings require molding with your fingers to fit your stoma shape.

The moment you touch them, skin oils and moisture get onto the adhesive surface, reducing stickiness.

In contrast, no-sting paste goes straight from the tube to the wafer/skin without being touched — 100% of its adhesive power is preserved.

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2. Shorter Wear Time Under High-Output Conditions

Rings absorb liquid and swell, which breaks their shape faster in watery output (like ileostomies).

Paste maintains its form longer in liquid-heavy environments, especially if applied in bead patterns that allow controlled spreading and sealing.

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3. Belly Fold + Ring = Moisture Trap

In skin folds, rings can trap moisture and digestive enzymes underneath.

This speeds up skin breakdown and creates perfect conditions for leak burns.

Paste, when applied directly, forms a smooth barrier that flexes with your body and doesn’t hold liquid underneath.

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4. Poor Contouring for Irregular Stomas

Oval, irregular, or angled stomas often require precise shaping right at the edge.

Rings are bulkier and harder to contour tightly without gaps — especially if you’re working around granulomas or scar tissue.

Paste can be applied exactly where needed and adjusted on the spot without lifting the whole seal.

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5. More Waste, More Cost

Rings often need trimming, stretching, or doubling up to work, which wastes material.

Wear time is typically shorter with rings in high-output situations, meaning more frequent changes and higher monthly costs.

Paste tubes last longer and allow you to use exactly the amount you need.

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6. Loss of Flexibility During Movement

Rings are semi-rigid when dry, then soften unevenly as they absorb moisture.

This uneven softening can cause lifting at the wafer edge, especially near the bottom in high-output stomas.

Paste starts flexible and stays flexible, moving naturally with your abdomen and fold.

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Bottom Line

Rings are often marketed as the “easy” solution, but for many real-world ostomates — especially with:

High-output stomas

Belly folds or uneven skin contours

Oval/irregular stomas

History of leak burns


…paste is the more precise, longer-lasting, and skin-friendlier choice.

Been working all day with ChatGPT on this, trying to see if I could improve on my current illeostomy application process and it even tried to get me to use a ring, even partially until I stated the obvious with it losing adhesion when handled. Then it admitted it traps moisture (like output) against the skin which we don't want that at all. So finally it gave up and offered me a solution outlining why paste is superior to rings especially with my angled, low profile oval stoma in a belly fold. Which has gotten a little better now that I lost some weight the stoma sticks out a normal 3/4 inch now. Plus I was irritating the stoma when rinsing with other than just plain water and it was retracting which pops the seal. But everything changed for the better when I started using oil free eye makeup remover as a adhesive remover and skin cleanser prep and then followed up with just plain soap and water to wash it off for squeaky clean skin results. Warming the skin with the blow dryer also. Absolutely fantastic barrier and wafer adhesion now. I may get a tiny little leak burn every once in awhile but it doesn't even hurt.

Jesus I should write a book.

[GeorgeS]

Hey! Glad to hear your stoma is now an outie. I have found the makeup remover does a grand job, too. I don't often make changes without showering afterward, so I don't need the towelette that often. Suitable for whenever an emergency change is necessary.

I prefer Hollister slim rings anytime I need to heal a burn. The ones containing the Ceramide...

The pastes without alcohol don't set up as well. I use the no-sting versions, and they never seem to last. I will have to try the beaded method you mentioned. I typically apply it like toothpaste, in one long squeeze if I can, around the stoma base.

I just finished my Coloplast sample of their sheet. It is very tacky! It lasted 5 days! I switched back to the CeraRing this morning because I had some burns. It did not prevent leakage under; however, it did handle the sweating from the heat better. Looking at the extent of the leak, it was about a day away from reaching the edge of the sheet.

I may have caused some of the leakage by using my hernia belt, though. It tends to form a cone, lifting the base of the stoma, especially while driving. I quickly went back to the plain, tighter swim wrap I usually prefer. The hernia belt works better with stiffer wafers; the two-piece systems with a flange are usually more effective.

By the way, your book appears to be in a constant state of editing, so I'm not sure you'll ever be able to publish it.

[Shamrock4806]

The Coloplast sheet will not protect sideways from output only on the top.

So one still has to use either a ring or paste as a barrier adhesive protecting the peristomal skin area and force the output up and out. Then put the sheet on top of it and protecting it's edge which is vulnerable.

So for that I just use paste and sink the sheet with the stoma hole into it some, then push the oozed out excess to cover the sheets edge.

But then comes the problem of sealing between the wafer and the sheet which more paste or a ring is needed for that.

All for what benefit exactly?

Better just to press the wafer directly into three full bead ring rows of paste going around the stoma and forget the dam sheet.. Because it can only protect the skin if the leak occurs between the wafer and the sheet flowing on top of it.

Most of leaks occur between the skin and the barrier adhesive anyway.

So by properly cleaning the peristomal skin with the eye makeup remover and then lightly washing with just plain non moisturizing soap so it's squeaky clean when rubbed and drying thoroughly so the skin is warm, addressing any burns with stoma powder and a spray coat of skin protectant 30 seconds to dry seems to cause a very strong barrier adhesive and skin bonding like I've never had before using ostomy companies supplied adhesive removers.

Something in the oil free eye makeup remover does the trick very well to remove all traces of adhesive from the pores and conditions the skin. I rarely get a leak anymore now and if there is one it's extremely tiny!

[Shamrock4806]

Okay I've slightly improved on the paste method.

I still put three thick bead rings on the pre prepared wafer. But now just before I slap it on, I put a half bead thick ring right around up against the stoma skin side down.

What this does is two things, first it lets me check to see if the paste is going to stick to the skin or not, sometimes it doesn't and I have to adjust.

Second it puts pressure of paste right next to the stoma when the water is slapped on so there is a better tighter seal right alongside it.

I use a half of a tube of paste at a time but then I get 3 days wear time with no leaks usually. If I do get them it's only an itch. Belly folds are very difficult because of the movement involved. With granulomas it's even harder, but paste is the best as it seals and cushions instead of being hard and irritating like rings.

I watch what I eat so I'm not prolapsing the stoma which would ruin the seal. My output is usually just watery or slurry. No chunks of anything.

[SuzT]

This is helpful, thank you. I had an ileostomy in June and am three weeks out from a reversal of my ileostomy. I have always had a more liquid output and the leaking has been chronic. My skin is burned. We live in a remote area and there is no ostomy nurse within several hundred miles. I ended up going to the ER but the ER doctor, while very nice, was befuddled by the whole thing and could not help. I am leaking so much that we are changing bags/pouches three or four times a day. When I first had the ostomy, a bag might last a full day, but once I had skin burning, things changed. It must be that the burned skin is a detriment to adhesion? Changing my diet has not made much difference. I use the Sloan-Kettering website for diet tips. I need to keep my nutrition and protein up so I'm healthy enough for resection. I have found that boiled white rice, marshmallows (of all things) plain boiled potatoes with a little cheese, and Pro Ratio protein yogurt help firm up the output somewhat. It's still pretty liquid. Loperamide three times a day made little difference. The surgeon's nurse said after a while, it just stops working. When the output firms up, even with a lubricant in the bag, some gastric acid gets underneath the wafer and I still get burned. I use a ConvaTec one-piece drainable cut-to-fit pouch with a velcro opening at the bottom. We have tried multiple things, as follows:

1) The 'doughnut.' My stoma is oval and almost flat to my belly. The opening faces down. We stopped using the doughnut, as it seemed to raise everything above the stoma so the output went directly on to my skin.

2) Stoma paste. I have a small divot on the right side of the stoma which we fill with paste and this has helped the constant leaking we had from the right side. Now most of the leaking is from the bottom or the left.

3) We use Essenta glue wipes to remove the old glue, and then use plain water on a washcloth after that. We dry the area thoroughly.

4) We have tried using a thin layer of calamine lotion, dried completely, on the burned skin under the stoma. It has helped healing, but the stoma powder also helps; we apply one or the other, dry thoroughly, and then apply a sting-free swab over the whole area. We let that dry for about 30 seconds. We have a thin bead of paste around the opening of the wafer. We let that dry for about a minute, and then press it down over the stoma area. We do put one squirt of lubricant in the bag. I try to lie still for about ten minutes after the new pouch is on, but I don't know if that matters or not for adhesion. With a new pouch needed every two to four hours, I can't lie still for a few hours to allow for better adhesion or I'd never get out of bed.

We're wondering if a thin layer of stoma paste around the bottom of the stoma, where the most burning is (after a thin layer of powder or the calamine lotion) would keep the output from burning me? The paste is alcohol-based, so it burns, but that goes away after a bit. We're pretty desperate at this point to find a solution. We are going through supplies pretty quickly. A three-month supply lasts us about four or five weeks.

Any tips you can give me to prevent leaking? I'd be so grateful and I'm glad I found this website.

[Shamrock4806]

This is helpful, thank you. I had an ileostomy in June and am three weeks out from a reversal of my ileostomy. I have always had a more liquid output and the leaking has been chronic. My skin is burned.

I am leaking so much that we are changing bags/pouches three or four times a day.

When I first had the ostomy, a bag might last a full day, but once I had skin burning, things changed. It must be that the burned skin is a detriment to adhesion?

Any tips you can give me to prevent leaking? I'd be so grateful and I'm glad I found this website.

I'm going to try to help but follow these instructions

1: Get some oil free eye makeup remover for your local grocery or drug store in the cosmetics aisle. You can use this as an adhesive remover to take your wafer off..be sure to not use water at first to clean, just dry wipe and use the eye maker remover around the stoma to moisturize the skin and remove all traces of any adhesive, this is important. Then take a shower using only regular plain soap (not moisturizing) to remove the makeup remover from the surface.of.the skin,,.it should squeak as you rub with your fingers. Then thoroughly dry the area with a blow dryer, heating the skin up. If you get output running your cleaned area you repeat the soap and water cleaning, etc.

2: Get some Brada No-Sting paste, it doesn't contain alcohol which dries out the skin and causes pain.

3: Carefully measure your stoma exactly and cut your wafer hole shape to fit and while the old wafer is off, test for it that it's close but not tight around the stoma. Make body marks on the edge of the wafer adhesive where it meets the skin so you can line them up again later.

Now you have a low profile stoma and believe me they are a pain in the arse. Barrier adhesive adhesion has to be very very good in these cases or you either have to lose weight or get a revision so it sticks out more. I lost weight and that's what helped me.

"Donuts" are likely rings and no they don't work too well in difficult cases. Why you should use paste. But no strong paste so it doesn't hurt or dry out the skin.

Now you have leak burns and they are likely severe, you will need stoma powder and spray skin protectant (not wipes).

Once you have everything as dry as possible you very very very lightly coat the leak wounds with stoma powder. Dry brush so excess is removed for a film that sticks. This is important. Then spray skin protectant and wait 30 seconds for it to dry.

Test the area with your dry finger for moisture, if you still feel its wet you repeat with another stoma powder and skin protectant coat. This is called "crusting".

It's creating a scab basically so you can apply the paste and it will stick to it.

Once that is nice and dry all around then you apply a bead of thick paste right next to the stoma skin side first to check that it sticks, do not touch it. If it don't stick to the skin it's not going to work so your testing that it does. Remove wet paste and clean and dry and start over until it does stick.

Now if you have a belly fold, you need to horizontally weaken the wafer so it bends. Because you sit or get up and that causes the water to detach.

Now on the wafer area put three thick rings of paste around the hole going outward. The paste should cover as much as the wafer flat or convex bubble as possible. It's designed to make up the difference of the belly fold and the flatness of the wafer.

Now if you have an angled stoma be sure to angle the wafer the same way.

Slap that baby on and press around the stoma immediately, to bond. It will likely ooze out over the wafer hole and perhaps cover it completely, you don't want that, try to leave a small hole in the middle for output to flow onto the bag. Else later you can insert a butter knife up and scrape it away a little. The thing is this oozed out paste will deflect the output away from the skin whole the bonding process is occuring with the paste and the skin. Got it?

Lay on your back for a few hours just to make sure.

Now you can use barrier strips over the harder part of the wafer where the belt hooks are like tape, exhaling and stretching so it maintains downward pressure on the wafer to keep it in contact with the skin. I don't like belts because they move the wafer and cause leaks.

Also your diet needs to be controlled as to always have slurry or some watery (not too much) output with no chunks or too thick that will cause pancaking and push the wafer off and cause a leak.

It's going to take quite a few wafer changes, likely once per day, until the skin has healed up. The key is to have no leaks that causes more damage but change frequently anyway as to get to it before it starts leaking. Then the skin will begin to heal all the way right up to the stoma. Then you can experiment with longer wafer bag wear times.

You should see an ostomy dietician, an ostomy nurse and doctors for through blood work and a nutritionist.

Ileostomies are tricky and require absolute care with diet, food portion control and nutrition.

Getting my bag on right took me TWO YEARS of countless trial and error process because everyone is different however the adhesive process is the same.

Most important thing I've found is stuff under the wafer that doesn't belong doesn't work. I've tried many things so called recommended and they fail. The eye makeup remover cleans and moisturizes the deep skin tissue extremely well, for excellent adhesion like I've never had before just using plain ostomy adhesive removers, this stuff is specially designed to clean well and does. Just make sure to use plain soap and water to wash it off afterwards or adhesive won't stick.

So follow that exact process and you should be along a lot faster than trying for two years like I did.