Personal hygiene issues while on period…

[Immaculately]

Hi all,

Name change for obvious reasons.

I have a slight issue when I’m on my period -I sweat so much more, I get body odour so much faster, I need double the amount of deodorant, my hair gets disgustingly greasy much faster and I have a particularly heavy periods which doesn’t help with odour.

I make sure to bathe every night, scrub myself multiple times all over with plenty soap, put on lashings of deodorant, use shampoo for greasy hair, I change my period products (tampons) regularly but have such a heavy flow I regularly bleed onto my pants which I can’t change for my entire shift. My sweat smells so much more on my period when it never smells the rest of the month?

I’m going to start packing spare pants in a small bag and change them as soon as I bleed through, it is SO DIFFICULT getting to the toilet in my job though which is part of the issue.

Please recommend some personal hygiene tips/tricks or specific products to buy!!!!

My periods were really heavy when I was first menopausal. Lots of flooding. I started having the depoprovera contraceptive injection. Once every three months. My periods stopped completely. It was amazing. Came off it after 3 years and they didn't restart. No side effects. Absolute life saver.

Have you tried tranexamic acid? I take it for heavy bleeding and it works. Still heavy but manageable with a menstrual cup and period pants. May be worth speaking to the GPto get a prescription.

Are you taking iron supplements? Try a gentle one like spatone. My periods are heavier when I’m more anemic and if I take spatone regularly, it settles down. Absolutely recommend them. Also if your cycle is regular, the week before your period, try taking spatone then - this is when your body is laying down the womb lining the most and using up more blood. I get more thirsty then too! If you cant afford spatone, eat red meat and greens, reduce any caffeine and drink lots of water.

Try period pants as well. They’ll catch any leaks.

I wish I’d had a mirena when this started happening to me. I waited far too long.

I find L'Oréal mens roll on deodorant works for me. Also what about an always night time pad, i use these and have very heavy periods. Wash with soap not shower gel or dove as real soap helps with body odour.

Which sanitary towels are you using? Can i reccomend always infinity? Really comfortable and don't leak

Someone once questioned why I was using the disabled peoples loo when I had no obvious disability. In fact I had a temporary one following surgery. I began to explain in detail the nature of the operation: strangely they suddenly lost interest.

I’d go see your GP re pills or coil.

Period pants. Proper soap not shower gell. Mitcham deodorant. Shower and wash hair every mourning, anti bacterial moisturiser eg Dermol lotion all over post shower and pre-deodorant. Wipes at work.

Another vote for tranexamic acid. I have it on prescription and only use it as and when I need it. It works almost instantly with me and makes such a difference.

@Truffled

Another vote for tranexamic acid. I have it on prescription and only use it as and when I need it. It works almost instantly with me and makes such a difference.

This. It's a game changer. Maybe also get some period pants, very good for containing leaks.

Highest absorption tampon plus a night time maxi pad and period pants. That’s my go to when my periods are heavy. I also use roll on and spray deodorant and dry shampoo on my roots to stop the grease.

I get really heavy periods too and I literally take note of the time I change my tampon and take a mental note of when I need to go change it again. I work in a busy office where I have regular meetings but I plan when I need to go round them if I know I’ll be unable to leave so I’ll maybe change half an hour earlier than I know I’ll need to. I also wear a thick sanitary pad for backup.

Im also a manager and it is absolutely your right to go to the toilet. You should not be told you can’t go to the toilet, especially if you have a need like this! I think you should speak to your employer and be honest about what you need to be comfortable in work during your period so that they know you aren’t skiving and it is a genuine need. Employers have a duty of care for you and need to put in reasonable adjustments for your health, safety and well being.

Hope this helps!

How old are you Op and are you planning on having kids? Endometrial ablation saved me, but I didn't want any more kids

You know it's threads like this that really make me cherish mn. It can be a cutting place but honestly where the hell did we find these answers before we had places like this?

Women coming together and sharing that the stuff you are freaked out by is actually someone else's normal too.

I don't have much to offer op that hasn't already been said although I do echo others that suggest mooncup as they are honestly brilliant but also go back to gp and to your employer.

@bellac11

Genuine question, do you think your sense of smell is more heightened when you have your period?

This is true for me; same when I was pregnant.

I could smell everything, literally everything.

Can other people smell you or is it just yourself?

I know some people don’t like using contraception however have you considered using the pill to, at the very least, regulate?
I always have very heavy flow. Combined pill reduced it but the progesterone only pill I’m on now has stopped my flow completely. Only bleed if I choose to have a break. Totally understand if you wouldn’t want to try though.

Not sure how old you are but this is all the kind of stuff I was struggling with at the onset of perimenopause.

Period pants - I would still use another form of sanitary protection but having them on will be a great back up for leaks. Also to get your doctor to take the amount of blood loss during your period seriously a moon cup is really useful - I was filling up a couple of times a day but they say a mooncup should be able to contain an entire period loss at once, so that's a good indicator.

I use the sure 48 hour deoderants - daily. Anything else and I pong badly.

I feel so strongly you shouldn't be suffering like this. And I don't understand why employers are so negative about toilet breaks (unless they know people abuse them to make phone calls/play candy crush!) do they want you to just bleed in front of everyone?

You need to get to the root cause of the heavy bleeding but it’s well acknowledged in childcare that women have periods and need bathroom access. You should have this. There is such a move to get older women into nurseries (as opposed to 16 year olds who haven’t a clue). This shouldn’t be a barrier to you working.

Go to the toilet. It's a basic human right. If they pull you up on it seek an occupational health referral and legitimate minor adjustments to your working day. Also speak to your Dr. Again. This is a barrier to your life and shouldn't be accepted. Some. Great tips here. I personally would ditch the disposable products and go reusable, the pads hold far more than disposable pads and cups same again, hold more than a tampon.

Your sense of smell Definitely hightens at the start of your period. Itst crazy how much I suddenly smell.

@TitsInAbsentia

Not sure how old you are but this is all the kind of stuff I was struggling with at the onset of perimenopause.

Period pants - I would still use another form of sanitary protection but having them on will be a great back up for leaks. Also to get your doctor to take the amount of blood loss during your period seriously a moon cup is really useful - I was filling up a couple of times a day but they say a mooncup should be able to contain an entire period loss at once, so that's a good indicator.

I use the sure 48 hour deoderants - daily. Anything else and I pong badly.

I feel so strongly you shouldn't be suffering like this. And I don't understand why employers are so negative about toilet breaks (unless they know people abuse them to make phone calls/play candy crush!) do they want you to just bleed in front of everyone?

What? A cup is supposed to hold a whole period? Like the whole 7/8 days or just one day? Mine is good as can hold 12/16 hours worth so I empty it in the morning and at night but it definitely wouldn’t hold more than that, especially the first few days even with tranexamic acid to help.

Work cant stop you going to the toilet but some people on here clearly think all jobs are the same and are building based

Try a mirena coil, l haven' t had any periods since and it should improve your anemia, speak to a nurse, rather than a Dr.

Hi everyone,

I’m sooo thankful for all your comments, great suggestions and general help!

I currently use Tampax Super Plus tampons the maximum absorbency tampon and will bleed through them in 2 hours, through to my pants throughout the day. I have purchased the always infinity pads and night pads to catch anything extra.

I do use dove bar soap, and always use a 48-hour deodorant. I have the femfresh daily wash which I only use during my period. I wash my clothes daily. I also use wet wipes to clean myself.

I’m going to book a doctors appointment regarding my heavy periods, I’m in my mid 20’s, am looking to conceive in the next couple years so don’t want to start contraception but maybe start some higher strength pain killers that will lighten my period.

I would recommend you try lillets tampons, thy were a game changer for me when bleeding heavily. They come in super plus extra and ultra absorbencies so a step up or two from super plus tampax.

@Immaculately in your early 20s with such heavy periods I would be pushing politely but firmly for a referral to a gynecologist.
Anemia can make bleeding heavier - but then it’s a vicious circle if you see what I mean. Maybe any iron tablets you are taking are just keeping your ferritin levels steady. Iron infusions are also possible - and may reduce the heaviness of your periods.
If you can take a friend into your appointment with you eg a older woman. They can give you support.