This is one of those questions that eventually comes up in every ostomate group chat. Bag on or bag off in the shower? I'll be a little vulnerable here: I always have my bag off. It's the only time I feel free from it, the one time my skin actually gets to breathe.
It's a bit ironic, really, because I do love the feeling of being very clean after a shower, and that's difficult to achieve when your stoma is active and you're getting faeces or undigested food bits coming out as you're standing there.
The Bag-Off Reality Nobody Warns You About
If your stoma is active and you're bag off, things can get a bit messy in the shower and it's not exactly glamorous. Bag off isn't an absolute rule for me either. Some days I'll go in with the bag on and just try not to get it too wet, as long as it's not a hair wash day.
Early on, showering was actually quite a difficult thing to do for a completely different reason. I remember looking in the mirror and not wanting to look at my stoma at all. I was scared and nervous about what was going to happen once the water started. Honestly, on some days I still feel that way. I just want to be able to shower without having to look at it, or to have my own body back for a moment.
My big tip from those early days was to time your shower around your eating schedule. If I could, I'd shower before breakfast, or if I was showering at night, I'd wait a couple of hours after dinner for the food to settle. That was particularly important if I was going bag off, because otherwise my stoma would be active and things would go all over the place, and it was a right pain every time I tried to get clean.
The Skin Lesson That Changed My Routine
Going in with the bag on isn't a great solution either. Getting it wet isn't in itself a problem, but I have to be careful. I've had a skin reaction and irritation from the adhesive before. Once it got wet, the material it's made of goes onto your skin and starts to break down.
The worst instance of this was after a hot tub. I got out, blow dried it as I normally would, and the following day I was absolutely riddled with a skin infection. So blow drying afterward isn't a guarantee, particularly after a hot tub or a long soak.
Over the years my skin has got a bit more used to it, so if I do get it a little wet and then blow dry it, it's usually quite fine now. Everyone's different, of course. What has worked for my skin after all those years of trial and error may not be where you're starting from.
If it does get wet, the main trick is to use the blow dryer as much as you can to keep the adhesive stuck to your skin. If you spot anything amiss afterward, it's better to change the bag sooner rather than later.
So Bag On or Bag Off?
There's honestly no one right answer here, and that's actually the whole point of this article. Bag on is the simpler option if you're someone who's prone to skin problems or just don't want to be surprised in the middle of a shower. Bag off gives your skin a proper rest, and for me that's a little bit of freedom I look forward to. Both are perfectly valid options, and many ostomates will actually switch between the two from day to day.
What's actually helped me is getting my head around what this incredible new organ can do. That shift in perspective has normalized showering for me, even on days when it's still a bit of a struggle. You really do have to think about all that we've had to go through to get to where we are now, and it is absolutely amazing what our bodies can do and how much fuller our lives become as a result.
Figuring Out Your Own Routine?
Whatever you land on, bag on or bag off, you don't have to figure it out alone. Come talk shower tips, skin care, and everything else with people who actually get it.
Join Our Community Explore ResourcesHave questions? Reach out at info@youngostomatecollective.com