Monthly blog post

For many people, the end of the year is a time to merrily look ahead to attending social gatherings or hitting the road to reunite with friends and family.

But if you are self-conscious about wearing incontinence products or feel anxious about finding a restroom when you need one, the thought of large gatherings and long drives might dampen your holiday spirit.

No matter what time of the year it is, here are five tips to help you feel more discreet in public, with one bonus recommendation that can extend the amount of time you remain dry and comfortable.

There are several types of incontinence products available. If your main goal is privacy, you may wish to go with the smallest, slimmest, and least bulky item available. 

• Disposable briefs – Designed with overlapping material that’s held in place by tape or a hook-and-loop fastener. This overlap adds a bit more bulk but offers a more adjustable size for a feeling of snug security.
• Pull-on Underwear – Generally contours more closely to the body than briefs, with elastic waist and leg bands offering a comfortable fit. Some – but not all – pull-ons also have less absorbent capacity than briefs, so they may have thinner layers of fluff or less superabsorbent particles packed inside, making them a tad slimmer.
• Pads or Liners – Typically much less bulky than disposable garments and easier to conceal. Like menstrual or period pads, these pads are designed to be worn inside regular underwear, so they are naturally made smaller and thinner. Just be aware – they tend to hold much less than disposable garments, so they might not work if you have heavy to severe incontinence or fecal incontinence.

Disposable products usually come in either clothlike or plastic/poly versions. If you seek maximum discretion, clothlike is the way to go. Clothlike products are soft and gentle against the body, and less likely to make a noise when they rub against clothing.

However, you may feel more confident in a plastic-backed product’s ability to protect you against leak-throughs, which is great! Feeling secure is the most important thing. Just know that today’s clothlike products offer the same moisture-proof benefit as their poly diaper counterparts. 

And even better – some clothlike products are 100% breathable, with microscopic holes that allow warm, moist air vapor to escape while preventing drops of fluid from leaking out. This protects your skin from rash and gives you a fresh, comfortable feeling.

In addition to offering a slimmer profile and noise control, the most discreet product options also help you go unnoticed by noses.

Many incontinence products today have built-in features that help stop urine odor, to help you feel confident when wearing protection.

For instance, Tranquility products are known for odor management due to their wicking materials that quickly absorb urine into a superabsorbent core. Once there, urine gets trapped into tiny particles called superabsorbent polymers, which neutralize the odor.

Even the best-designed, most absorbent incontinence product can leak or allow odor to escape, if it’s not the right size and fit.

The leg openings should be snug, with no gaps, but not too tight that they pinch or irritate skin. The adhesive tabs or tape on disposable briefs should be placed halfway between the belly button and the hips, to properly fold and seal the product, so it doesn’t leak. 

To get the perfect size, measure the largest part of your body between the waist and hip. Doesn’t feel quite right? Try one size larger or smaller, until you get the right fit.

Also note that personal care pads may include an adhesive strip on the back, which keeps the pad positioned where you want it in underwear and won’t slide around. Make sure the pad is right in the target zone to catch urine.

Be prepared for life’s accidents by carrying an extra incontinence product or two on you whenever possible. Then you can find a restroom, do a quick change and be on your way, without drawing attention to the fact you are wearing protection.

Earlier on, we suggested using the smallest product possible to stay discreet. However, if a lower-absorbency product just isn’t working for you, try giving it a boost with booster pads.

A booster pad is about the size of a personal care pad, but because it does not have a waterproof outer layer, it absorbs a certain amount of fluid before allowing additional liquid to flow through it. When worn inside of a disposable underwear or brief, it adds total capacity to extend the time need between changes.

Adding a booster pad can be the difference between pulling into that rest stop or rolling on down the highway.

Source: https://nafc.org/bhealth-blog/no-one-needs-to-know-6-tips-for-wearing-protection-in-public/