I use the Eakin Slims and my pouch changes are (1) voluntary and (2) every 4-5 days. The way I use them, they don't degrade at all and they do what they are meant to do: protect the peristomal skin and keep a "dip" at the bottom filled so it's not a source of leakage or excoriation.
My stoma is oval and oriented with the long side SW->NE when I'm looking down on it. It's also recessed at the bottom, so I use the Eakin Pelican convex cut-to-fit onesie. I mould the ring so that it perfectly fits the stoma edge, moulding in a "bump" for the dip. This goes on over the prep layers (Cavilon no-sting barrier wipe + Adapt powder in the dip). I fold one of the glossy cards from the packaging in half and use that to press down firmly all around the ring until the whole thing is flat and reasonably well stuck.
I cut the wafer with a 1 - 2mm clearance margin to allow for peristalsis. IOW, when the wafer goes on, I can see a rim of white all around between the hole and the stoma. I use a mirror; and the Eakin appliance has 2 viewing windows under the felted outer cover. The wafer goes on from the bottom up and I'm stretching the skin with one set of fingers while pressing the wafer down with the other.
Once the wafer is adhering all round, I use an egg-cup to press down firmly at the centre for about 30 seconds, while continuing to warm the wafer adhesive with my spare fingers. This warming is a must-do. Some people use a hairdryer. Pre-warming the wafer under your arm while doing the other prep works, too.
The final layer is two semi-circular Brava strips, one each side, at the edges of the wafer. The whole thing is waterproof and bomb-proof. I don't even take emergency supplies when I go out; only a couple of spare Brava strips, though I've never had to use them. I *do* use the little filter covers that come in the box with the Eakin appliances, to protect the filter in the shower. If I forget, the filter goes soggy and I'll sometimes get a "whiff". I can stop that by covering the filter and leaving it covered, which means I'll have to "burp" the bag several times a day.
If a barrier ring is breaking down, then something is wrong somewhere. That margin between the edge of the appliance hole and the stoma will swell up and "turtle-neck" the stoma as it becomes moist. It's meant to do that and it won't choke the stoma.
Tip :: When the bag comes off for a change, the ring should come away intact, with the wafer. Anything else, like ring coming off separately or in parts, means there's a problem with the way it's been applied. It's a pity the producers of these things don't give detailed instructions on use, instead of a sheet of tiny sketches that you need a magnifying glass to see. It would have saved me a lot of misery and failed experiments!
