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Can Your Luteal Phase Really Affect How You Look? 

Can Your Luteal Phase Really Affect How You Look? 
Death To Stock

It’s the trending topic we’ve all scrolled through recently: the aesthetic side effects of our menstrual cycle. Instagram and TikTok are awash with videos of people comparing their faces and bodies at different times of the month, often accompanied by the phrase: ‘You’re not ugly, you’re just in your luteal phase.’

The general (social media) consensus is that people are at their ‘most attractive’ during the first half of the cycle, the follicular phase, which begins on the first day of the period and ends after ovulation, and at our aesthetic low point during the latter half, the luteal phase, which starts after ovulation and ends when a period arrives. To counteract these alleged appearance-based side effects, content creators are advising netizens on which workout routines and dietary changes to adopt. But how much truth is there to the sentiment that the luteal phase markedly alters your appearance, and is it really a theory we need to act on?

According to Dr Sally King, a medical sociologist specialising in menstrual health, this rhetoric is steeped in misinformation. For starters, the theory that the follicular phase is the ‘most attractive’ is misguided: “Menstruation actually [occurs during] the follicular phase and most people don’t look great during that period,” she explains. “So already we’re dealing with ignorance about what the menstrual cycle is; what the luteal phase actually refers to.”

People experience different physical changes throughout their cycle, which is often down to inflammation. “Ovulation, the cell thickening, and then the period – they’re all really inflammatory processes,” confirms Dr King. This can lead to water retention, resulting in swelling or bloating, which begins with ovulation, increases the week before menstruation, and then abates a day or two into your period (so isn’t solely contained to the luteal phase.) “Your boobs can be enormous, your face might have some puffiness... wrists and hands and ankles and feet, those sorts of areas can physically change.” But although we might be hyperconscious of them, Dr King maintains that such changes are usually undetectable to others. “People don’t notice it,” she insists. And for those of us who feel a fluctuation in weight, Dr King says that, actually, it doesn’t change much: certain tissues simply retain more water.

Death To Stock

Another pervasive theory doing the social rounds is that women look their best when they’re ovulating, often alongside the argument that it makes evolutionary sense – it’s when we’re at our most fertile. Although Natasha Richardson, a herbalist focused on women’s health and the founder of Forage Botanicals, cites research suggesting that this may be the case, she admits that such changes are likely to be very subtle. Meanwhile Dr King maintains the ovulation ‘glow-up’ is virtually non-existent: “Nobody knows when you’re ovulating... If you took photos of yourself and you asked other people, they wouldn’t notice.”

So, how did a theory with minimal scientific backing become so rampant? Like many so-called wellness trends, it comes down to a social desire to adhere to beauty norms regardless of biological processes. Indeed, a 2017 study revealed that the more women believe gender norms, the worse their PMS is. It’s a theory brought to life by the hugely popular TikTok sentiment, ‘my biggest fear is getting married in my luteal phase’. But instead of fixating on the idea of ‘period face’, maybe we should focus on what truly matters – feeling our best throughout the monthly hormonal rollercoaster. Here’s how...

3 Ways To Feel Better During Your Menstrual Cycle

  1. Consider Your Lifestyle – It’s not breaking news to anyone that diet and exercise can make a big difference to how you feel about yourself, but sometimes we underestimate its effects on our menstrual cycle symptoms. “Moderate exercise helps to reduce inflammation – yoga is good because it’s working on the muscles primarily, it’s not high impact and it’s relaxing,” suggests Dr King, while Richardson adds that natural diuretics such as nettle tea can also help to reduce water retention and bloating.
  2. Track Your Cycle – “Tracking changes can be helpful,” says King. It’s about understanding your body’s rhythms – period apps can offer insight into how your hormones fluctuate during the month, which in turn helps you anticipate those physical changes, so you can plan ahead and take care of yourself accordingly.
  3. Educate Yourself “For people who are genuinely concerned that they look awful during [their luteal phase] – there needs to be more education around what we consider beautiful, rather than medicating it,” says Richardson. So it might sound obvious, but be mindful of where you get your information. “Anyone who’s worth [listening to] would be able to share the references that they’re pulling their information from,” she adds, recommending the work of naturopathic doctor Lara Briden (author of The Hormone Repair Manual) and the 28-ish Days Later podcast on BBC sounds.
Juno Kelly

Self Service,  Health & Fitness,  Self,  Wellbeing 

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