to ask this about periods at the age of 42?

[Whereisthesunny]

Gross alert*

I’ve always had heavy periods so always used tampons. There is one thing i have never managed to avoid and sorry this is TMI when putting the tampon up (i believe i have a very far back cervix) i’m having to go so far in that my hands and fingers are absolutely covered. While i always wash my hands, after 5 days of period my skin and fingers are stained to a point where it takes a good couple of days to get rid of it.
Is anyone else in the same shoes? I’m thinking of starting to wear gloves but worried they are not hygienic?

You don't need to stick a tampon all the way up against your cervix. Use tampons with an applicator.
By the way, periods are not gross so no need to alert or apologise.

Tampons just need to go in far enough that they sit comfortably.

Unfortunately i do. after 4 kids if i don’t put it in far enough it falls through super quickly 🙈

I've never had this ortoblem but I assume you can buy a big box of gloves for medical use.

I also have heavy periods. I don’t understand how blood and discharge is staining your hands so much? Surely it just washes off? Can you give your hands a good scrub with a nail brush?

Are you using the long cardboard applicator tampons or a shorter style?

Look for the older style ones, they are much longer than the plastic alternatives. Obv don't use any non-applicator ones.

I have an extremely heavy period, always have, and I do get blood and whatnot on my hands when I'm changing my menstrual cup but it just washes right off in the sink. So I'm not sure why it's staining but I don't know why rubber gloves would be unhygienic as long as you used a new one every time.

OP are you using the right size/flow tampon? Just wondered if a higher ‘flow rate’ or whatever the correct terminology is would work better for you? As PP said it doesn’t need to touch your cervix - just be up high enough not to come out or be uncomfortable.

thanks all yes always using the orange ones and using the paper/ cardboard ones rather than the compact ones. Might try gloves just feel bad for more plastic waste

@steff13 i think my hands are quite chapped hands so the skin on fingers are a bit broken and find it gets stuck there and under the nails (although i don’t have long nails at all) i do give it a thorough wash tho

Use the green Super ones with the cardboard applicators, and buy a nail brush.

I'm tilted the wrong way (cervical screenings are a nightmare) and have to contort myself a bit and frequently end up with very bloody fingers but it washes off no problem.

the green is less absorbent than the orange i think

Have you thought about a moon cup? They are very very wide so shouldn't need to go anywhere near as far up. Plus generally only need emptying morning and night.

do you Have very dry skin on your hands, I’m just asking because I have a problems with my hands getting stained/ingrained with dirt from my job so they always look disgusting, but I started making an effort to moisturise them regularly with a Really heavy duty moisturiser they don’t get stuff ingrained into them anymore!

More absorbent (and therefor larger) tampons? Use lemon juice on your hands to remove stains - though why blood should stain I do not know, never had such a problem.

Definitely the chapped skin. I get the same. The only solution is to scrub it and moisturise much more frequently.

Bar of soap and a nail brush and a good scrub.

I am a bit of a clean-freak, but I always keep a few disposable gloves in my handbag and have used them for awkward situations (e.g. gross public loos) or when particularly heavy. I'm pretty confident that any disposable gloves are more hygienic than your hands, even after you've washed them, and it does save handling loo doors with bloody hands or potentially getting it on clothes etc!

I hope your gloves are securely wrapped in your handbag otherwise they are definitely not better than clean hands!

It sounds like the problem is dry skin on your hands rather than the blood per se?

I get blood all over my hands during my period when changing moon cup, but as pp have said, it washes straight off, no staining.

So maybe instead of gloves for the blood, try the cotton gloves you put on to sleep, over a heavy layer of a really rich moisturiser, to help your skin. Maybe try that every night for a couple of weeks to see if you can help your skin get more resilient and less cracked?

Blood really wouldn’t usually leave a lasting stain on skin or under nails, so I think it must be dry/cracked skin that’s causing this issue rather than the way you put your tampon in?

Disposable gloves would obviously be an option for now, but I think trying to treat the dryness on your hands in the meantime would really help. If they really are that dry, they must feel quite uncomfortable, I’d have thought.