Well, its getting hot outside around where I am from and that means sticky and sweaty feelings are coming now. Diapers can be sometimes a big pain to deal with when it is 90 degrees outside and you are already hot. There are things you can do to curb having to deal with a sweaty diaper every time you go outside though. It may be a bit easier for girl as we can wear skirts which allow a lot more air flow up into the diaper area keeping it cooler. But, I will try to make some of my “heat tips” for wearing diapers pertinent to males as well. Without much further ado:
- Wear Thinner Diapers: This does not mean go and wear a CVS brand diaper so you leak all over the place. This means instead of wearing a super thick Abena diaper – maybe opt for a little bit thinner but still highly absorbent Bambino Bianco or Bambino Teddy diaper. These are still thick and provide extremely good protection but are thinner then a super thick and heavy Abena diaper.
- Wear Loose Clothing: This is an obvious one…for women try wearing shorts or a skirt in order to keep air flow optimal for the diaper area. For males, you can try wearing shorts as well to allow better airflow. Peter I know lives in shorts during the summer and I rarely see him break out jeans.
- Avoid Vaseline and Heavy Creams: A lot of people use vaseline or heavy creams to prevent chaffing. I have found these things only add to the sweating and what not. I usually will opt for more baby powder to help with that or at least try to use a lighter anti-chaffing cream or not as much.
- Change Your Diaper Often: I honestly hate being in a wet or messy diaper when its hot outside. I just feel extra dirty – not sure what it is. Probably the fact that the mess or whatever just adds to the heat factor and can really make me uncomfortable. So, Peter usually knows that I want to be changed a lot more often since urine and messy diapers can get extremely uncomfortable during the heat.
- Wear Lighter Colors: I am a fairly colorful person so I opt for lighter colors during the summer so it doesn’t attract as much heat.
- Avoid Plastic Pants: Plastic pants in the summer is probably one of the worst ideas ever. Its like adding a sauna box to your private area. I always sweated extremely bad when I use to – now I don’t at all. It was very uncomfortable.
Most of these tips are common sense but they are at least things to think about to try and avoid heat rash in your diaper area which can be extremely uncomfortable. And, obviously when you are inside your own home try and go without pants possibly to allow everything to air out and keep cooler. Your diaper area will thank you later!
Also – added new exclusive photos to the Premium Content Area.
Having lived in an area in which the climate is especially sticky and humid in the summer, I know exactly what you mean. I hear what you’re saying about plastic pants, but I’ve found that the cloth diapers I usually wear them with actually “breathe” a good deal better than disposables. Not only that, the pants I use over them are quite loose, so air can still circulate. If one chooses to use cloth, perhaps investing in a velcro diaper cover might be a good idea, or any outer pant with a cloth cover, really.
Of course, cloth brings with it another problem–the bulge issue. I get around the problem by wearing loose-fitting dresses in the summer, which do a good deal to disguise it. Again, the air can circulate. Although I know it’s not an option for you guys out there. Unless, of course, you want it to be….=P For the guys, loose fitting pants or shorts truly are the way to go.
Ahhhhggghhh, my topic for next week! Back to the drawing board.
To Adrian’s suggestions I’d add: tape the top of the diaper a touch looser, so you can get some airflow between your stomach area and your crotch (don’t loosen the tapes down by your legs, however; that way lies leakage). Pull-ups or diapers with a more cloth-like material will be MUCH more comfortable than anything made of slick plastic.
And if you know you’re mostly going to be standing, not sitting, and you’re not a heavy wetter, you can often get away with a light cloth diaper and no plastic over it, so long as your street clothes are loose enough that they aren’t touching the diaper directly. Be careful with that one, though; it’s easy to get spotting on the front of your clothes if you wet more than a few dribbles.
I use the Molicare Comfort Plus in the summer. They are plastic backed (which I much prefer for strength, durability and lack of sagging) but have a breathable side panel which has proven extremely durable and helps tremendously with the sweats. They are far less absorbant than Abena, Bambino, etc. But are still far more absorbant than the store brands.
Hi there Adrian, I had a suggestion for a new article but I couldn’t get through the submission process. Hopefully this will help. I had a vet look at our cat a few days back and I think he needs a once-over :).
Anyway, this is the article I wanted to submit…it’s on becoming incontinent.
Thanks,
Colin
Hello,
I am relatively young and athletic, however I also have stenosis which narrows the openings for nerves and spinal cord through the vertebrae. For me it is in my neck and back. I didn’t know I had a problem until 2010 when I finished a re-grading and deck refinishing project on our house. Everything was done and the grill was out for steaks. I picked up our daughter to play with her – that’s when my upper back locked up permanently.
Moving forward to October after months of a chiropractor I saw a neurosurgeon who stated eventually I would be paralyzed by the condition without surgery. I figured “whatever…I’ve got time.” In November I moved wrong going to bed and had a pain attack I won’t forget. It felt like something was grinding a nerve in my neck. My wife helped me through the attack, but at the end, I had also wet the bed. We changed the sheets thinking it was a one-off thing.
It wasn’t. I started sneaking the sheets into the wash 3-4 times a week to hide the fact I was wetting. However, my doctor told me I might need some sort of protection after my neck surgery due to lack of movement so I ordered sample packs of everything. I decided on a brand of diaper and ordered a lot of them. I also ordered fitting products and underpads for my side of the bed. I ordered so much that my wife asked me what was going on and I told her the truth. She was more supportive than I could have imagined. She even wore them with me occasionally to show me I wouldn’t be alone.
Today after one neck surgery and two lower back surgeries my incontinence is worse – I pretty much wear something 24/7. It took me a long time to come to terms that this was going to be permanent so I had better deal with it. Emotionally it is hard to get over feeling like a child. I remember being told as a kid when I wet the bed “Do we need to put you in diapers like a baby?” I have dealt with diaper rash, dry and cracked skin, leaks, having to leave places due to accidents and many other bad situations. My wife has been great though and is very supportive. I found that cleanliness is the most important part of the equation. Don’t leave dirty diapers on top of the trash can, don’t leave them more than a few hours in the house and keep the area that is in the diaper cleaner than your own face. Being shaved in the area also helps a lot. All this also ensures that your romantic life will remain excellent .
Currently I use a skin care system by Aloe Vesta to prevent skin breakdown, I wear Real Fits most of the day (these are really great) and at night I wear a high-capacity diaper with liner. Ironically, my wife talked me into wearing printed diapers from Bambino. To be honest, they’re the best I have tried, and I have tried a lot. She told me if it was permanent I might as well have fun with it and she smiles at me sometimes when I come to bed. I think it was that point at which my attitude really changed and I embraced reality – things would probably deteriorate over the years but my attitude didn’t need to deteriorate.
Overall, I hope people that read this do what they need to do to stay dry, comfortable and happy. Your life doesn’t need to turn for the worse over one medical condition .
Take care,
Colin
I had to deal with it 365 a year given I grew up in a tropical country