Yes, you can shower after a total laryngectomy. Because you breathe through the stoma in your neck, you need to prevent water from entering your airway.
Why do you need to take care?
After a total laryngectomy, your nose and mouth are no longer connected to your lungs. Air passes in and out through your neck stoma.
Water entering the stoma can pass straight into the lungs. That is why showering needs a different routine.
Practical precautions
- Keep the shower spray away from your stoma.
- Use the shower shield or aid recommended by your specialist team, following its instructions.
- Ask your team to demonstrate a safe way to wash and rinse your hair.
- Take your time while you get used to the routine.
Can I wash my hair?
Yes. Positioning the shower spray and your body helps keep water away from your stoma. Your specialist nurse or speech and language therapist can show you an approach that suits you.
Remember
With guidance and practice, showering can become a familiar part of everyday life again. If you have recently had surgery or feel unsure, ask your clinical team for individual advice.
Further information
Cambridge University Hospitals: caring for a laryngeal stoma and voice prosthesis.
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About the author
Thomas Mølgaard
I live without a larynx following cancer. I am a laryngectomy peer-support consultant, speaker and founder of STOMAS. My aim is to give patients, their partners and loved ones, and healthcare professionals an honest insight into life after a total laryngectomy.