After a TikTok video about girls shedding their skin after their period went viral, many people are now curious if girls truly shed their skin after their period.
During the menstrual cycle, several hormones are released, and in varying amounts at different intervals of the menstrual cycle.
These hormonal changes affect the ovaries and the lining of the uterus to later cause ovulation and menstruation.
Also, these hormones cause big changes in a woman’s skin at different intervals in the cycle.
This article would explain the effects of menstrual hormones on the skin at different intervals in the menstrual cycle.
Why Do Girls Shed Skin after their Period
Do girls shed skin during or after their period? Shedding of skin is not a typical premenstrual symptom.
Premenstrual symptoms include bloating, tender breasts, spotty skin, greasy hair, and loss of interest in sex. However, not all women get these symptoms and others have some uncommon symptoms.
Therefore, shedding of skin is not a common PMS, but it might happen to some women. Other skin changes before and during periods include acne, dry and flaky skin.
Changes that happen to your skin during your menstrual cycle
As we said earlier, throughout the menstrual cycle, there are strong hormones that are released. These hormones vary in amounts in the different intervals of the menstrual cycle.Do Girls Shed Skin
As these hormones affect the lining of the uterus and other things, they also cause changes in the largest organ in the body, the skin. This is why some days your skin might feel oily and other days very dry, no matter your skin type.
Let’s look at the different intervals in the 28 days menstrual cycle, and the effects that menstrual hormones impose on the skin.
● Days 1-7 (Menstruation days)
The first day of your period is the first day of your menstrual cycle. In some people, period days might be from day 1-3, while in others it might be from day 1-5 and spotting might last till day 7.
In this menstrual phase, your body secretes a hormone called prostaglandin. Prostaglandin is the major hormone for menstruation. It makes the walls of your uterus contract, thereby causing pelvic pain.
As this hormone is secreted, there would be a drop in the amount of estrogen and progesterone in the body. Although they would rise back after some days in this phase, it would do so slowly.
Prostaglandins increase pain sensitivity on your skin during your period. This hormone makes your skin very tender, and also makes skin spots very painful. Do Girls Shed Skin
As estrogen levels drop, metabolism and blood circulation reduces, and with the vascular constriction caused by prostaglandin, the skin turns pale.
Also, sebum secretions and moisture retention functions of the skin are reduced greatly in the absence of estrogen.
This is why your skin is dry, choppy, sensitive and wrinkled during your period. Sometimes, it might be so dry and might shed flakes.
● Days 8-14 (fertility window and ovulation days)
In this interval, the ovaries secrete estrogen which increases the serotonin levels. This interval has the highest levels of estrogen compared to the others.
Estrogen would improve the collagen production, and give the skin balanced tone and hydration levels.
As the estrogen receptors in the dermis and blood vessels receive the estrogen secreted by the ovaries, they function better to give the skin it’s best look through the cycle.
The perfect time to have a facial or extractions is on day 12, as it’s just before your ovulation day.
● Day 14-22
If you’re not yet pregnant, the estrogen levels would start reducing. However, progesterone might still be slightly high.
As progesterone levels increase, the skin would look swollen, pores would close up and sebum production would increase. Progesterone works with testosterone to increase sebum production levels.
In this interval, the skin is prone to different conditions, especially acne. The skin would look dull and pigments of the skin would darken more than before. Do Girls Shed Skin
With testosterone level higher than estrogen and progesterone in this interval, there would be clogged pores, oily hair and scalp, and acne.
Also, this week initiates several premenstrual symptoms especially irritation and mood swings. These symptoms last till the following week and some days of your period.
● Days 23-28 (Premenstrual days)
In this interval, the woman body secretes androgens in high amounts. This is accompanied by large pores and excess oil production.
Also, your skin is prone to acne in this interval, but mostly cyst-like acne. Premenstrual symptoms are most extreme in this interval amongst other things.
Health specialists advice that we should have different skin care routine for different phases of our menstrual cycle.
This is essential because if you make skin care actions that contradict your skin activities at that time, it would lead to other complications.
How to take care of your skin throughout the menstrual cycle
Now that we’ve seen the different skin changes at different intervals of the menstrual cycle, let’s see how to take care of your skin even through it’s changes.
● Days 1-7 (period days)
At this interval, the skin is dull and flaky. This is the interval where a girl might shed her skin.
To take care of your skin in this interval, do the following;
- Moisturize your skin daily with a gentle moisturizer. Moisture is one of the things your skin needs most in this interval.
- Drink enough water to elevate your skin hydration levels.
- Take fruits and protein that are rich in healthy fats. Some sources of healthy fats include fish, avocado pear, and nuts.
● Days 8-14
This interval brings the best skin benefits with high estrogen levels. You can maximize these benefits by doing the following;
- Apply simple and light make up.
- Go for a facial and extraction to remove acne-causing debris from your skin.
- Eat foods that are rich in antioxidants as they would help improve your skin glow.
● Days 14-22
In this interval, the skin produces sebum excessively, making it prone to acne breakouts. You can reduce the chances of having breakouts by doing the following;
- Use products that contain salicylic acid to cleanse your face regularly
- Moisturize your skin with an oil-free moisturizer, and exfoliate regularly.
- Avoid eating greasy foods and eat only acne-fighting foods.
● Days 23-28
This interval also has excess oil production like the preceding interval. To take care of your skin in this interval, you can use the skin care routine from the preceding interval.
Summary
Normally, girls do not shed their skin during their period. However, their skin might be very dry and might form flakes during their period.
This is just for the menstruations days as the skin would become oily in other intervals of the mensural cycle.
Due to these periodic skin changes, we have discussed skin care routines you need for every skin change in the menstrual cycle.
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