Itshould go without saying, but we’ll say it anyway: no incontinence product cangive a 100% guarantee that their product won’t leak. This is because aproduct’s effectiveness also depends on the wearer. Is it the right type ofproduct, the right fit, the right absorbency, and is it changed according toproduct guidelines? If you want to stop your adult diaper or incontinenceunderwear from leaking, you’ll need to take a look at both the product and howyou’re using it.
Fewthings are more frustrating than spending money on an incontinence product onlyto find that you are frequently tending to messy leaks, whether for yourself orfor someone else. But all is not lost! By making a few adjustments andimplementing some key information, you can find a better solution. Here aresome practical tips for keeping your adult diaper from leaking.
Adjust the Size
Whilethere are several factors to consider when dealing with a leaky incontinenceproduct, the first thing to check is the fit. Even if you had a perfectly madeproduct that's right for your symptoms, an improper fit would still causeleaks.
Aimfor a snug fit. This means not too tight, and definitely not too loose. Leaksoften occur from the leg portion of the diaper or underwear, so assess thesnugness in this area especially. Even if you have a quality product, you’re leftopen to urine leaks if it's not snug enough around the legs.
Howdo you purchase the right size product? Well-made incontinence briefs (diapers)or underwear can be appropriately sized by measuring your waist and choosingthe corresponding product size. You can obtain an accurate waist measurement byplacing a tape measure at the top of one hip bone and wrapping it around yourbody staying level with your belly button.
Justbe sure to not to purchase a size larger than you need.
Choose a Brand with Effective Leg Cuffs
Whenit comes to preventing adult diaper leaks, take note of the leg cuff construction.Flimsy or “barely there” leg cuffs mean your incontinence product is morelikely to leak. Find a product with a strong elastic to facilitate a snug fit.The best adult diapers and incontinence underwear are designed with tall legcuffs that hold liquid in for quick absorption.
Change Styles
If you're wearingincontinence underwear (pull-ups) and struggling to find the right fit to stopthe leaks, then it might be time to switch to incontinence briefs (thetraditional adult diaper). This style can provide a more custom fit for somepeople due to the tab fasteners that adjust to your body size.
ChangeMore Frequently
Just because anincontinence product claims it can beworn for up to eight hours doesn’t mean that you can wait that long betweenchanges. Depending on how much you drink, the size of your bladder, and thecompany’s degree of accuracy in product testing, you might need to change moreoften. Other than at night, an eight-hour stretch is a long time to go withouta fresh incontinence product. You might be able to stop your adult diaper fromleaking simply by changing a few more times a day.
Increase Product Absorbency
If you want to stop adultdiaper leaks, another key component is absorbency level. If you haven'talready, try a higher absorbency product to accommodate your needs. This isespecially important if you're not able to change often enough.
A healthy bladder ofaverage capacity can hold 12-16 ounces of fluid during the day and up to 32ounces at night. Depending on your size, how much you drink, how often you go,and the degree of bladder control you have, you might need to step upabsorbency to curb leaks.
Use a Booster Pad
If you have incontinencebriefs or incontinence underwear that aren't absorbent enough, you can add abooster pad to increase overall absorbency. But it’s still a good idea toeventually purchase a product that suits your needs.
This is also a goodoption if you only need more absorbency at certain times of day or at night.Booster pads can also help to prevent leaks on long trips or when you can’tchange as frequently as you normally would. You can simply add the booster padwhen you need it. The adhesive strip on the back of each pad secures it to yourincontinence underwear and also helps keep pads in place when you stack them toincrease absorbency.
For more information,check out our resource page, Types of Incontinence Pads and When to Use Them.
Choose a Brand with Moisture-Wicking Technology
Premiumbrands like LivDry (produced and sold by TYE Medical) create incontinenceproducts that whisk moisture away from your skin, locking it into asuper-absorbent gel core. This helps curb leaks and keeps you feeling dry.Without this technology, the moisture spreads to the edge of the product andtypically leaks through the leg opening, even if you haven’t exceeded theabsorbency level.
Why Wearing Two Adult Diapers Isn’t the Answer
You might have heardsome people refer to “doubling up” on adult diapers. This means wearing twoincontinence briefs at the same time to increase absorbency and prevent leaks.First of all, there is the obvious expense. It’s often less expensive topurchase the correct absorbency than it is to use two at one time.
But the most importantdrawback is that you’re not actually increasing absorbency at all. Since adultdiapers and incontinence underwear have a waterproof or non-pass throughexterior, the excess liquid from the first diaper won’t be able to pass throughto the next. Instead, it will leak out the leg openings once the product issaturated.
In short, you’re notstopping your adult diaper from leaking and may actually make your problemworse.
Use OvernightIncontinence Products
If you find that youradult diaper leaks mostly at night, consider using an “overnight” product. This isn’t amarketing gimmick. These products are designed to protect against leaks evenwhile you move around in your sleep. They’re also more absorbent to ensureyou’re protected all night. Our overnight incontinence underwear holds up to 70ounces without a booster pad.
Watch YourFluid Intake
You could beexperiencing leaky adult diapers because you’re overhydrating or drinking toomuch at one time. While it’s never good to drink too little, since this canirritate your bladder and trigger infections, drinking too much is also a commonproblem.
This is especiallytrue if you suffer from incontinence and have other health conditions likediabetes. Some conditions and medications increase thirst or cause dry mouth,which leaves you frequently reaching for a beverage. This can overload yourbladder and your adult diaper. Take note of how much you drink in a span of afew hours. And if you think overhydration could be a problem, try cutting backto see if you notice any improvement in frequency or severity of leaks.
Avoid Using Vaseline
You might have noticedthat your incontinence underwear or briefs seem to leak when you use Vaseline.Yes, there is a connection! When you apply Vaseline to your perineal area, someof it will inevitably transfer to your incontinence product. This creates abarrier that keeps the product from absorbing moisture, leaving your prone toadult diaper leaks. Just as Vaseline blocks moisture from your skin, it canalso block it from being absorbed by your incontinence product.
Instead of Vaseline, tryusing products made for the perineal area. We recommend our Formula 2 moisturizer and barrier cream. Ithelps to heal and nourish skin while also acting as a barrier to keep your skindry. Because Formula 2 is a cream and not a petroleum product, it won’t affectyour incontinence product like Vaseline does.
Use Plus SizeIncontinence Products When Appropriate
As mentioned above,size does matter when it comes to stopping adult diaper leaks. You might needto look for plus size products to find the fit and leak protection you need.Wearing incontinence underwear that are too tight is also problematic.
TYE Medical offers incontinence underwear in sizes XL, 2XL, and3XL to fit waists that are 55-92 inches.
Make the Switch: Try LivDry by TYE Medical
Our incontinenceunderwear and adult diapers check all the boxes. So, if you’ve tried to makeadjustments in how you use your current brand, but are still battling frequentleaks, it might be time to make a switch.
We offer a variety ofsizes with leakage barrier leg cuffs and a super-absorbent gel core to whiskaway moisture. We also have a wide range of absorbency levels including up to90 ounces for our incontinence underwear and shaped pads, and up to 150 ounces for our briefs.
Our booster pads addup to 23 ounces of leak protection per pad when you need it. They also featureour super-absorbent gel core to keep moisture locked away, leaving your skindry.
Stop putting up withyour leaky adult diaper and shop our online store to get free, discreetshipping on all orders.
